Both teams still have a lot to play for so if Thomas and Cobb play, then I like Cincinnati, but if not I have to give the advantage to SMU. If the Bearcats reach the championship March 13, they’ll be wrapping up the game around the same time the NCAA’s Selection Sunday begins.
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“You’ve got to be able to win when you don’t make shots, and we made sure to try to do that today”, Cronin said, echoing the message former Bearcats Danny Fortson and Anthony Buford recently delivered.
“Cincinnati didn’t foul, at least they weren’t called for fouls”, SMU coach Larry Brown said. Their previous season low was the 59 they scored while beating Cincinnati by two at home on January 7. Cincinnati swept the series last season and leads the all-time series 5-3. 2. Clark is putting up 10.8 points a game and 8.8 rebounds a game.
The Bearcats (21-9, 11-6) hope to be a part of it but are likely on the bubble, partly due to an 0-3 record against ranked teams, so this game has great significance for them as well as Moore. I find it hard to imagine that two seniors will not play at ALL on senior day in a must win game.
“Since I’ve been at SMU”, he said, “these are the most fun games, these games with Cincinnati, UConn, Temple, Tulsa and Memphis”.
Troy Caupain led Cincinnati with 14 points, while Coreontae DeBerry added 10. “I just explained to them, ‘This is what they meant.’ You shot 5 percent from three, 29 percent overall, and you dominated a Top 20 team”. The Bearcats forced SMU into 17 turnovers while committing only six of their own and made 24 of 30 free throws compared to eight of 12 for the Mustangs. “It’s hard to win on the road when you turn it over 17 times and allow 30 free throws”. Fellow SMU senior Markus Kennedy dished out a career-high nine assists. “We couldn’t keep them off the line, but with all that, we were still only down seven in pretty bad foul trouble”.
“How we can be in a league with that many good teams, be 22-9, and not get in, would be mind-boggling to me”. This would be a big win for Cincinnati and would help their tournament chances. The Owls were scheduled to wrap up the regular season at last-place Tulane later Sunday.
The Cincinnati Bearcats picked up their best win of the year, coincidentally enough, on the last day of the regular season, a 61-54 victory over the SMU Mustangs. We’ve got guys on scholarship.
SMU actually led for seven minutes during the first half, but Cronin’s point was made. The Mustangs are 6-1-1 against the spread in their last 8 games following a win of more than 20 points. The Bearcats expanded that 51-40 on two free throws by senior forward Octavius Ellis with 8:11 left in the game.
NOTES: Cincinnati already has clinched the fourth seed in the upcoming AAC tournament in Orlando, Fla., and is scheduled to play fifth-seeded CT on Friday at 2 p.m. ET.
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Coach Mick Cronin was particularly unhappy with Thursday’s 69-56 loss to the Cougars despite missing starters Shaq Thomas (knee) and Farad Cobb (groin) for a second straight game.
