Cincinnati 83, UCF 60: Octavius Ellis scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the Bearcats rode a sizzling shooting performance to a rout of the visiting Knights.

Shaq Thomas added 13 points and all five starters scored in double figures as the Bearcats (19-9, 10-5 AAC) improved to 6-0 all-time against UCF. Farad Cobb scored 11 points and Gary Clark and Troy Caupain had 10 apiece for Cincinnati, which shot a season-high 64.7 percent and hit 6-of-8 3-pointers.

Brandon Goodwin scored 12 points and freshman Adonys Henriquez added 11 for the Knights (12-15, 5-11), who dropped their second in a row following a three-game winning streak. Behemoth center Justin McBride contributed 10 points off the bench.

The Bearcats shot a blazing 78.3 percent in building a 13-point halftime lead and were up by 15 points before UCF put together its only run of the second half, closing within 50-41 with just over 15 minutes remaining. Kevin Johnson buried a 3-pointer as Cincinnati answered with an 8-0 burst and the Knights never got closer than 13 thereafter.

Caupain and Cobb knocked down 3-pointers to spark an early 10-0 run as the Bearcats surged ahead by 12 less than 5 1/2 minutes into the contest, but Daiquan Walker and Henriquez connected from long range as UCF cut the deficit to three. Caupain buried another 3-point in a 9-0 spurt as Cincinnati went up 36-24 en route to taking a 43-30 edge into the break.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Thomas, who scored a season-high 18 points at Houston on Saturday, has reached double figures in back-to-back games for only the second time this season. ... Knights G B.J. Taylor, averaging a team-high 13.3 points, finished with five points and is shooting 4-for-24 in his last two games. ... The Bearcats' 43 first-half points eclipsed their previous high of 41 set against North Carolina State on Dec. 30. ... Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, who led Cincinnati to a 79-9 record over three seasons (1958-60), was in attendance.