Cincinnati Cruises, 79-64

For the first time this season, Cincinnati built a big lead and didn’t put its game on cruise control.

Kenyon Martin had 19 points and 17 rebounds and the top-ranked Bearcats put away Saint Louis with a 19-4 run that started near the end of the first half in a 79-64 victory Thursday night at St. Louis.

“They felt the effects of the Bearcats,” said Pete Mickeal, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Freshman DerMarr Johnson added 23 points for Cincinnati (8-0), which had a 38-21 advantage on the boards in the Conference USA opener for both schools.

Cincinnati has won 11 of the last 12 against Saint Louis (5-3) and the Bearcats are 50-11 in the four-plus seasons of the conference.

Cincinnati Coach Bob Huggins has been unhappy with his team’s play in the second half, with the Bearcats averaging a 20-point lead in the first half but teams playing them even thereafter. That didn’t happen this time as Huggins extended his record against Saint Louis to 18-3.

“I think the encouraging thing is we can get so much better,” Huggins said. “I just don’t think we’re near as good defensively as we’re eventually going to be.”

No. 2 Stanford 68, Nevada 39--The Cardinal had an 11-0 run at the start of the second half at Stanford, holding Nevada scoreless for 6:48 on its way to an easy win over a Wolf Pack team that shot 29% and had more turnovers (20) than baskets (16).

Casey Jacobsen had 16 points off the bench for Stanford (7-0), which overcame a sluggish first half in which it struggled from the field. Ryan Mendez and Jason Collins added 10 points each for the Cardinal.

Joao Santos had 12 points and Adrian McCullough had 10 points and seven assists for Nevada (1-6), which has lost six in a row since a season-opening 25-point victory over Washington State.

No. 6 Auburn 78, Bradley 64--Auburn reserves Daymeon Fishback and Reggie Sharp combined for 33 points at Mobile, Ala.

Fishback, who lost his starting job two weeks ago with a one-game disciplinary suspension, scored 18 points for the Tigers (7-1). Sharp had 15.

It was Auburn’s fifth straight win and ended a three-game winning streak for Bradley (4-3).

Mamadou N’diaye had 14 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots for the Tigers, while Chris Porter added 13 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

No. 8 Kansas 80, No. 12 Ohio State 67--Kenny Gregory, an Ohio native who took plenty of grief for not attending Ohio State, scored 17 points for Kansas at Lawrence, Kan.

Michael Redd had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Buckeyes (4-2) in their first road game of the season.

Eric Chenowith had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Kansas (8-1).

WOMEN

No. 3 Louisiana Tech 95, Louisiana Lafayette 40--Ayana Walker and Brooke Lassiter each scored 16 points at Lafayette, La., as Louisiana Tech beat Louisiana Lafayette for the 34th time in as many meetings.

Tech (7-1) scored 28 of the game’s first 31 points and had 45 points before Louisiana Lafayette (4-4) reached double figures.

No. 8 Auburn 86, North Carolina Asheville 30--Shana Askew scored 16 points and Auburn dominated at Auburn, Ala.

The Tigers (7-1) held the Bulldogs (0-6) to 23% shooting.

No. 25 Texas 83, Fordham 57--Edwina Brown scored 23 points for the Longhorns at New York. Nailah Wallace had 28 points for the Rams (1-8).