Cincinnati routs Robert Morris

Cincinnati, Ohio - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team concluded a two-game road trip to open its 2015-16 season Sunday with a 106-44 setback to Cincinnati at Fifth Third Arena.

The Colonials slipped to 0-2 overall on the 2015-16 season.

The Bearcats shot 53.5 percent (38-for-71) from the field in the victory and were bolstered by eight players that scored between 10 and 15 points. Farad Cobb led the way off the bench for Cincinnati with 15 points, hitting six of his nine shots from the field, including a 3-for-6 performance from beyond the arc.

In the first half, freshman guard Matty McConnell hit a three-pointer at the 10:46 mark to help RMU trim its deficit to 15-14, but Cincinnati responded with 36-11 run over the rest of the stanza to grab a 51-25 advantage at the break. Kevin Johnson led a balanced attack offensively for the Bearcats before intermission with nine points.

"They played a switching matchup and that really stalled us offensively," head coach Andrew Toole said. "Our struggles on offense led to our struggles on defense. Honestly, I don't care if we lose by 62, 72 or 82, but there's a certain way you need to do it. We need guys to step up and get frustrated and get angry and change it. As a coaching staff we'll work to do that."

The Bearcats shot 57.9 percent (22-for-38) in the second half and held the Colonials just 19 points after the break while forcing 15 turnovers. UC outscored RMU, 36-10, in points off miscues.

"We have to stare this game right in the face and say we came up small today," Toole said. "Give credit to Cincinnati. They're a talented team. They're a hungry team. I'm shocked they're not in the top 25 in all honesty."

RMU was led by senior guard Rodney Pryor, who finished with 17 points on the strength of a 7-for-7 performance at the free-throw line. He finished 4-for-15 from the field, including 2-for-8 from beyond the arc.

Also reaching double figures for Robert Morris was freshman Isaiah Still, who scored 11 points. Still shot 4-for-8 from the floor, hit a pair of three-pointers and went 1-for-2 at the free-throw line. He also tied with sophomore Elijah Minnie for team-high honors in rebounds with five.

Shaq Thomas and Johnson each scored 14 points for Cincinnati, while Coreonte DeBerry finished with 12. Each of the top four scorers in the game for the Bearcats came off the bench. Justin Jenifer added 11 points, while Quadri Moore, Jacob Evans and Octavius Ellis each contributed 10 points.

Robert Morris returns to the Charles L. Sewall Center for its first home game of the 2015-16 season Wednesday, Nov. 18, with a 7:00 p.m. tip against Bucknell.