CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bearcats put together an impressive offensive performance Saturday afternoon, but it wasn't enough to overcome Illinois in a 105-96 exhibition loss at Fifth Third Arena.
Tylen Riley led Cincinnati with a game-high 31 points and 13 assists, adding five rebounds and three steals. Adlan Elamin scored 15 points, while Tyler Tejada finished with 13.
The Bearcats shot 48 percent from the field and knocked down 12 three-pointers, but they struggled to slow down an Illinois team coming off a Final Four appearance last season.
The Fighting Illini shot 52.9 percent from the field, made 14 three-pointers, and had six players score in double figures.
Andrej Stojakovic led Illinois with 24 points, while Stefan Vaaks added 19. Freshman Quentin Coleman contributed 14 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.
Cincinnati fell behind 13-6 early but responded with a 7-1 run to pull within a point. The Bearcats later took their first lead at 29-28 midway through the first half and extended it to 37-33 with just over six minutes remaining.
Illinois answered with a 12-0 run to take a 45-37 lead. The Illini eventually pushed their advantage to 10 before Riley scored Cincinnati's final five points of the half, cutting the deficit to 54-49 at the break.
The Bearcats continued to battle in the second half.
Trailing 75-66, Cincinnati got a dunk from David Iweze and a three-pointer from Riley Allenspach to pull within four. Two Riley free throws later cut the lead to two with 9:18 remaining.
But Illinois answered with consecutive three-pointers from Jake Davis and Vaaks, pushing its lead back to six.
The Illini eventually took control behind Coleman, who scored 10 consecutive points to give Illinois a 93-79 advantage with 4:19 remaining.
Cincinnati made one final push, getting back-to-back three-pointers from Elamin and Tejada to cut the lead to 96-89 with just over two minutes remaining. However, the Bearcats couldn't get any closer.
Despite the loss, there were encouraging signs for first-year head coach Jerrod Calhoun.
Riley was outstanding, and Cincinnati showed it could score against a talented opponent. The Bearcats also committed just 10 turnovers while forcing 15 from Illinois.
The defensive performance, however, leaves plenty to work on before the regular season begins. Allowing 105 points is difficult to overlook, even against a team as talented as Illinois.
Cincinnati previously defeated Ohio State 79-68 in its first exhibition on October 7, giving the Bearcats a win and a loss against two Big Ten opponents as they prepare for the season.
What's Next
Cincinnati closes its exhibition schedule against Oakland on Tuesday, October 27, at 7 p.m. ET at Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats open their regular season November 2 at home against American.
