It just took a while to get it locked in, and that, in the words of junior center Ben Lawson, was "appalling" and "embarrassing."
The Hilltoppers (8-5) failed to put away the NAIA-level Bearcats in the first half, prompting some stern halftime words from coach Ray Harper.
But a major second-half surge with contributions across the board spearheaded a 93-66 victory in front of 3,388 fans at E.A. Diddle Arena.
"He said it was an embarrassment to the game," Lawson said of Harper's halftime speech. "He was straight-up with us. He hit it hard, and I think that's why you saw a better performance in the second half, because he really hit us where it hurts.