The Cincinnati Bearcats wasted no time building a commanding lead against the Syracuse Orange when the two teams tipped off the Big East Tournament semifinals Friday night at Madison Square Garden, and the Bearcats take a 35-23 advantage into halftime.
Cincinnati pounced from the start with a 25-8 run to open the game. The Bearcats abused Syracuse's famous zone defense by hitting eight of their first 10 threes, maintaining the lead at 34-17 with 5:47 left in the half.
Sean Kilpatrick led the long distance barrage, connecting on four of five threes in the first half while pouring in 12 points. Cashmere Wright was hot, too, hitting three of five from deep while adding nine points.
Syracuse was paced by Dion Waiters, who scored eight points off the bench.
For complete coverage of the Big East Tournament, check back to this SB Nation New York StoryStream. For more on the Big East Conference, visit the SB Nation blog Big East Coast Bias. If you're a college basketball nut, well, SB Nation's college basketball hub will solve your hoops cravings. Check out, the SB Nation's blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician for everything Orange, while Down The Drive is all about the Bearcats.