A 9-point deficit didn’t last long once Cincinnati found its footing.

The Bearcats erased Ohio State’s advantage in the second half Wednesday afternoon, leaning on a pair of veteran scorers to turn a tight game into a convincing 79-68 victory at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

Tylen Riley and Tyler Tejada provided the biggest offensive punch for Cincinnati. The two senior transfers combined for 40 points, with Riley finishing with 23 and Tejada adding 17.

For a team playing its first exhibition under new head coach Jerrod Calhoun, the afternoon provided an early glimpse at what this group will look like when the games start counting.

It also came with an important reminder: this was an exhibition, played outdoors, in conditions neither team will ever encounter again.

The sun covered significant portions of the court throughout the afternoon, making the shooting environment difficult at times. Cincinnati finished 4-19 from 3-point range, while Ohio State connected on just 4 of its 23 attempts from deep. Ohio State was getting clean looks, and those shots will likely fall at a higher clip in normal conditions. 

With that, numbers shouldn’t be treated as a genuine evaluation of either team’s shooting.

What mattered the most was Cincinnati’s response after halftime.

Cincinnati Finds Its Offense After the Break

The Bearcats went into halftime trailing 35-30 after Ohio State controlled much of the opening half.

Cincinnati had its opportunities early, but the Buckeyes repeatedly answered whenever the Bearcats started to build momentum. Ohio State eventually stretched its advantage to 9 before Cincinnati trimmed the margin heading into the locker room.

Jayden Hastings provided much of Cincinnati’s offense early.

The forward scored 9 points before halftime and was a consistent presence for the entire evening. Hastings finished with 16 points on 6-8 shooting and 6 rebounds, giving Cincinnati an efficient scoring option around the basket while also bringing plenty of energy defensively.

His performance stood out because of how active he remained throughout the afternoon. Hastings showed elite  athleticism around the rim and consistently looked involved in the action.

For Cincinnati, that was one of the most encouraging signs of the afternoon.

Tejada Changes the Game

Ohio State pushed its lead back to eight early in the second half, but Cincinnati eventually began to chip away.

Then Tejada caught fire.

The senior forward scored 12 points during a stretch in which Cincinnati turned a 4-point deficit into a 2-point advantage. His physical approach gave Ohio State problems, particularly when he was able to establish position and attack from inside.

Tejada finished 7–14 from the floor and scored 15 of his 17 points after halftime.

His performance also provided an interesting early look at how his game could translate at Cincinnati.

Tejada has the size and strength to create advantages against defenders in the post and off the dribble, but adding a reliable perimeter shot would make him extremely dangerous and drastically elevates this teams ceiling.

If that part of his game develops, Cincinnati will have another legitimate offensive weapon to work alongside Riley.

Tylen Riley Takes Over Down the Stretch

Once Cincinnati grabbed the lead, Riley made sure the Bearcats didn’t give it back.

The senior guard repeatedly attacked the basket and drew fouls, ultimately getting to the free throw line 16 times. He converted 11 of those attempts, including 10 during the second half.

That ability will be immensely valuable for Cincinnati in close games throughout the year.

Riley doesn’t need to rely solely on jump shots to create offense. When defenses tighten up, he can put pressure on the rim, force defenders to make decisions and create opportunities at the foul line.

That was on full display Wednesday.

After Ohio State briefly tied the game following Cincinnati’s first lead, Riley helped produce another Bearcats run. He scored 10 points during the next stretch and helped Cincinnati build a nine-point advantage with just over two minutes remaining.

He then put the finishing touches on the win with six straight points.

It was the kind of late-game offensive performance Cincinnati will hope to see from its veteran point guard throughout the season. It’s also the kind of closing stretch that Bearcat fans have missed over the last several seasons. 

Carson Provides a Defensive Spark

Trevian Carson didn’t have a huge scoring night, but his defensive work wasone of the more important developments from the game.

Carson finished with three points, two rebounds, two assists and three steals while posting Cincinnati’s best plus-minus at +24.

His biggest contribution came against Ohio State guard John Mobley Jr.

Mobley was finding success early, and Cincinnati eventually turned to Carson to make things more difficult. Carson picked Mobley up near midcourt, making him work just to get into the offense.

That’s the type of defensive versatility that can give Cincinnati another option against opposing guards.

The Bearcats will face plenty of talented backcourts this season, and Carson’s willingness to accept that assignment could become a valuable part of the team’s identity.

The Numbers Tell Only Part of the Story

Cincinnati finished the game shooting 48.3% overall, but the Bearcats struggled from long range and at the free-throw line, where they went 19-of-32. 

Ohio State wasn’t much better from outside.

The Buckeyes shot 17.4% from three and finished the game at 55.6% from the foul line.

The conditions deserve some consideration when looking at those numbers.

This wasn’t a typical college basketball environment. Players were dealing with direct sunlight and changing sightlines throughout the afternoon, something that makes shooting very difficult.

So while Cincinnati would obviously like to improve its perimeter shooting, Wednesday isn’t the afternoon to draw conclusions from a 4-for-19 performance.

The Bearcats’ ability to generate offense inside was much more encouraging.

Cincinnati finished with a 48-32 edge in points in the paint and won the rebounding battle 45-35.

Cincinnati Still has Pieces to Add

Perhaps the biggest caveat to Wednesday’s performance is that Cincinnati still hasn’t seen its entire roster together.

MJ Collins remains ineligible and did not play, while newcomer Javontae Campbell watched from the bench in a boot.

Myles Colvin also exited early after an awkward landing on a rebound. He played only three minutes. After the game, Coach Calhoun confirmed he would have re-entered the game if this was the regular season, but was held out since this is an exhibition.That means Calhoun still has plenty of lineup combinations to explore before the season arrives.

And that’s part of the purpose of exhibition basketball.

The Bearcats aren’t going to finish every game shooting 65% from the floor in the second half. They also aren’t going to shoot 21% from three every night.

What Cincinnati can take from Wednesday is how it handled adversity.

The Bearcats fell behind.

They struggled to shoot from outside.

Ohio State had control of the game for stretches.

But Cincinnati stayed within reach, found its offense after halftime and ultimately put the game away behind its veteran leaders.

A Memorable First Game in an Unusual Setting by

The setting made the afternoon memorable.

The CareSource Invitational brought college basketball to the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, turning the home of the Cincinnati Open into an outdoor basketball venue.

For Cincinnati, it also served as the first game of the Calhoun era.

There will be plenty for the new coaching staff to work on before the regular season begins. There were also some several positives: Hastings’ efficiency inside, Carson’s defensive intensity, Tejada’s second-half scoring burst and Riley’s ability to create points when Cincinnati needed them most. David Iweze also played a lot today and appears to be ahead of schedule, an encouraging sign that compliments Calhoun’s emphasis on player development. 

It’s far too early to make sweeping predictions based on one exhibition.

But it’s never too early to identify things worth watching.

And Cincinnati gave its fans plenty of those Wednesday.

The Bearcats return to action Oct. 17 against Illinois at Fifth Third Arena in their second of three exhibition games.