WICHITA, Kan. – The Cincinnati Bearcats defeated the Wichita State, 66-55, Saturday afternoon, Jan. 19, inside Charles Koch Arena.

Wichita State (8-9, 1-4 American) is scheduled to travel to Tampa, Fla., to take on South Florida Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT).

Senior Markis McDuffie scored a game-high 21 points on 50 percent shooting and pulled down a team-best five rebounds to lead the Shockers, while fellow senior Samajae Haynes-Jones also reached double figures, netting 11 points. Sophomore Asbjørn Midtgaard tied his career-best for the second straight game, scoring six points.

After the Bearcats (16-3, 5-1 American) jumped out to an 8-5 lead with just over 15 minutes remaining in the first-half, McDuffie drove the basket and converted a layup, which sparked a 7-0 Shocker run that put WSU in front, 12-8, after a Ricky Torres layup with 12:06 to go in the stanza.

Cincinnati answered, however, and utilized a 6-0 run to regain the lead, 14-12, on a Keith Williams layup at the 9:38 mark of the frame.

The Bearcats extended their advantage to 22-19 with 3:44 to go before a Midtgaard jumper and Erik Stevenson fast-break layup put the Shockers back in front, 23-22, with 43 seconds remaining.

Cincinnati's Justin Jenifer made a layup with 14 seconds to go, sending the Bearcats into halftime with a 24-23 lead.

McDuffie (seven points) and Stevenson (five points) paced Wichita State in scoring after the opening 20 minutes.

Wichita State and Cincinnati traded runs to start the second-half, with the Shockers netting the opening five points of the stanza before the Bearcats scored the next eight to gain a 32-28 advantage with just under 16 minutes remaining.

WSU fought back though, and took a 38-35 lead with 12:48 to go after Haynes-Jones made a jumper and drilled a three-pointer.

Cincinnati scored the next eight points to regain a 41-38 edge after a pair of Williams free-throws with just over 10 minutes remaining to the stanza.

The Shockers pulled back in front, 46-45, when Haynes-Jones buried a trey with seven minutes to go, but back-to-back three-pointers from the Bearcat's Jarron Cumberland and Justin Jenifer gave Cincinnati the lead, 51-46, with 5:50 remaining, and WSU would get no closer than six the remainder of the contest.

Cumberland (18 points) and Jenifer (17 points) paced the Cincinnati offense in the contest, while Tre Scott and Nysier Brooks each snagged a game-high 10 boards.

For the game, Wichita State went 21-for-52 from the field for 40 percent and 8-for-21 from three-point range for 38 percent, but made just five of seven free-throw attempts.

Cincinnati went 18-of-46 from the floor for 39 percent and 5-for-14 from long range for 36 percent, and converted 25 out of 35 free-throw attempts for 71 percent.

The Bearcats also outrebounded WSU, 36-24.