No. 12 Cincinnati tops East Carolina for 10th straight win

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (AP) - Jacob Evans and Kyle Washington each scored 17 points, and Gary Clark had 14 points and 14 rebounds, lifting No. 12 Cincinnati to an 86-60 victory over East Carolina on Saturday.

Clark's double-double was the 25th of his career, and Jarron Cumberland added 14 points for the Bearcats (17-2, 6-0 American Athletic Conference), who have won 10 straight.

Shawn Williams scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half for East Carolina. He was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and 3-for-3 from 3-point range in the first half, but cooled off after halftime. Isaac Fleming also scored 15 for the Pirates.

The Bearcats scored 19 points off 15 Pirates turnovers. Cincinnati recorded nine steals.

East Carolina (8-11, 2-6) struggled against Cincinnati's full-court pressure, particularly in the first half when the Bearcats forced two 10-second violations.

Cincinnati had one turnover and six assists in the first half and led 46-38 at halftime.

Williams' layup got the Pirates within five with 15 minutes remaining in the game.

Evans' drive and layup capped an 8-0 run that put the Bearcats ahead 77-57 with five minutes left.

ECU shot 55.2 percent in the first half and was 3 of 7 from 3-point range. The Bearcats, who rank third in the nation in field goal percentage defense, tightened things up after halftime.

BIG PICTURE

East Carolina: The Pirates have gone 6-7 since interim coach Michael Perry took over for Jeff Lebo, who resigned in November following a 2-4 start.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats have won 36 straight home games, the longest active streak in the nation. They are 10-0 this season at BB&T Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University after going 18-0 last season at Fifth Third Arena, which is undergoing an $87 million renovation.

UP NEXT

The Pirates play at SMU on Jan. 28.

The Bearcats host Temple on Wednesday. They defeated the Owls 55-53 on Jan. 4 in Philadelphia.