ATLANTA (AP) — Dillon Mitchell had 14 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season, and No. 18 Cincinnati beat Georgia Tech 81-58 on Saturday.
Jizzle James and Cole Hickman also scored 14 points apiece for the Bearcats (5-0), who passed the first true test of the young season against their first major conference opponent in the Yellow Jackets of the ACC.
Naithan George made three 3-pointers while scoring 13 points for Georgia Tech (2-3). Duncan Powell added 10 points, while leading scorer Baye Ndogo finished with just five points.
Cincinnati: The Bearcats rode hot shooting to their decisive win, particularly from behind the arc. Cincinnati shot 41% (9 for 22) from 3-point range and 52% (32 for 62) overall.
Georgia Tech: Despite four Yellow Jackets averaging in double-digit points this season, only George and Powell managed to break the 10-point mark. Georgia Tech shot just 36% (21 for 59) from the field and 55% (11 for 20) from the free-throw line.
After surrendering the game’s opening basket, Cincinnati forced seven Georgia Tech turnovers in six minutes and reeled off a 14-2 run.
Cincinnati's defense was stifling, holding down a Georgia Tech offense that had been averaging 82 points. The Bearcats had a strong day inside, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 44-28 in the paint.
Cincinnati hosts Alabama State on Wednesday, and Georgia Tech continues its seven-game homestand against Charleston Southern, also on Wednesday.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
