LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Cincinnati Coach Mick Cronin hadn't been satisfied with the Bearcats' passing in the preseason, but that changed once his squad starting breaking down film of the Bellarmine University men's basketball team.

"Our guys started passing the ball like Bellarmine passes the ball," Cronin said.

Cincinnati complemented its strength and athleticism with that efficient ball movement as the Bearcats defeated the Knights 89-61 in an exhibition game Wednesday at Freedom Hall. The clash pitted one of Division I's most heralded teams in the preseason against one of Division II's most highly acclaimed: Cincinnati is ranked 12th in DI while Bellarmine is ranked third in DII.

Despite being saddled by foul trouble, junior forward Adam Eberhard paced Bellarmine in its first exhibition game with a game-high 17 points and seven rebounds. In his first competitive action for the Knights, sophomore guard Parker Chitty scored 11 points with four assists. Senior guard Brent Bach chipped in eight points for Bellarmine, which last season made its fourth Final Four appearance in seven years.

"I haven't been to the Final Four. That guy goes every other year," Cronin said of Bellarmine Coach Scott Davenport.

Five players scored in double figures for Cincinnati, which is coming off a 30-6 season. Kyle Washington led the Bearcats with 15, Jarron Cumberland and Keith Williams had 12 each, and Trevor Moore and Nysier Brooks added 11 apiece.

"That's Mick's best team. Hands down," Davenport said. "He really likes his team and rightfully so."

Cincinnati overwhelmed Bellarmine down low. The Bearcats had a 54-16 advantage in points in the paint and outrebounded the Knights 41-28. Cincinnati shot 53.8 percent from the floor, which was nearly as accurate as the Bearcats were from the free-throw line (57.1).

"Their strength and athleticism is impossible for us to simulate," Davenport said. "Plus, they're a veteran ball club. It hurts, but we got better."

Eberhard found Bach for a corner 3-pointer to open the game, and freshman guard C.J. Fleming drained a trifecta at the halftime buzzer. Eberhard swished a trey to open the second half and later found junior guard Daniel Ramser for a nifty backdoor layup.

"From the 10-minute mark in the first half until the 10-minute mark in the second half, we played really good," Davenport said. "In that stretch, we were defending really well."

It was a celebratory night where Denny Crum was among those honored. Crum guided the University of Louisville to national titles in 1980 and 1986 and will forever be linked to Freedom Hall.

"Probably a lot of history was learned tonight," Davenport said.

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