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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -- Cincinnati had quite a productive
road trip to North Carolina.
Three days after beating Conference USA rival Charlotte by 19
points to break the 49ers' seven-game winning streak, the Bearcats (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today, No. 6 AP) blasted Wake Forest 103-94 Saturday.
|  | | Cincinnati's Donald Little dunks over Wake Forest's Darius Songaila on Saturday. |
Steve Logan scored 30 points and Immanuel McElroy added a
career-high 19 for the Bearcats, who have lost just once since
their season opener.
"We're a contending team and we can play with the best of
them," said Logan, who made all 10 of his free throws as
Cincinnati shot a season-best 58 percent from the field. "That's
what kind of statement this made, that this team is for real and we
take care of business when we're on the court."
The Bearcats (22-2), unranked in the preseason poll, moved
within three victories of the program's seventh straight 25-win
season under Bob Huggins with their highest point total of the
year.
"At this time of the year all you want to do is win and keep
moving," Huggins said. "Every time you play against different
people, different styles, it's good."
The Demon Deacons (No. 16 ESPN/USA Today, No. 19 AP) played without second-leading scorer
and rebounder Josh Howard, who has a left ankle sprain.
Howard had averaged 20 points over his last four games and was
missed on the glass as the Bearcats dropped Wake Forest (17-7) to 0-5
against Top 10 teams.
"Josh is a good player, but I think we had enough guys
available to win the game," Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser said.
Reserve guard Broderick Hicks scored a career-high 24 points for
Wake Forest, while Darius Songaila added 22 points and 12 rebounds.
The Bearcats shot 53 percent in the first half, then made 12 of
their first 15 shots to start the second half to take control.
Leonard Stokes, who had 30 points against Charlotte on Wednesday
night, and Jamaal Davis, were the catalysts for Cincinnati's 21-4
run.
Davis, who scored two points in the first half, hit a 15-footer,
a baseline jumper and a hook shot to start the half before Stokes
got hot.
Over a 3½-minute stretch at the end of Cincinnati's run, Stokes
scored on a drive, a three-point play, a bank shot in the lane and
two free throws as the Bearcats went up 74-57 with 10:03 left.
A Wake Forest rally closed it to 78-71 less than three minutes
later, but Logan made a 3-pointer and tough 16-foot fadeaway shot
to build the lead back to double digits.
"He's been as consistent as anyone we've had in my 13 years
here," Huggins said of Logan.
"Some GM needs to draft this guy," Hicks added. "I was in his
face, over his face. He faded away from I don't know how many feet.
He made unbelievable shots. I'm not used to someone scoring 30
points on me, but that's a legitimate 30."
After Logan's two shots, the Demon Deacons never got closer than
eight the rest of the way as their four-game winning streak was
snapped.
The senior point guard didn't make a big deal about his key
baskets.
"I got a good look and I felt we needed a basket," Logan said.
"I got some space and I had knocked in three earlier, so I wanted
to get the feel back and give us a nice lead."
Logan made eight free throws down the stretch as the Bearcats
went 13-for-14 from the line over the final 1:39 to ice it.
Cincinnati's previous best shooting day was 56 percent against
Wright State in the second game of the season. The Bearcats scored
102 against Louisiana-Monroe on Dec. 20.
"Our defense on the perimeter was horrific," Prosser said.
"How many games do you win when you give up 103 points?"
The Bearcats hit 12 of their first 20 shots and built a 40-31
lead before the Demon Deacons used an 8-0 to close within one at
halftime.
McElroy, normally Cincinnati's defensive stopper, had the hot
hand early, hitting his first five shots and going 6-of-8 from the
field for 13 points in the opening 20 minutes. The senior had not
scored in double digits since getting 15 against Akron on Dec. 29.
McElroy's previous scoring high was 16 against Marquette last
season.
"We've been waiting for him to do this," Huggins said of
McElroy's offensive production. "He shoots it well in practice
he's just so unselfish that he doesn't shoot it as much in the
game."
The Bearcats improved to 22-0 when leading at halftime.
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Cincinnati vs. Wake Forest