March Madness 2019: Cincinnati basketball wins the AAC tournament for a 2d instantly season with 69-57 win over Houston

MEMPHIS – For the second time in as many seasons, the Cincinnati Bearcats took down the Houston Cougars in the championship recreation of the American Athletic Conference event. The Bearcats held a 33-30 halftime lead and extended it within the 2nd half, leading via as many as 15. Ultimately, it changed into Jarron Cumberland making drives and unfastened throws, leading the Bearcats to the 69-57 win. Cumberland finished with 33 factors and eight rebounds and was named the match’s Most Outstanding Player. Fellow junior Trevon Scott joined Cumberland at the all-tourney team with a 12-factor, eight-rebound overall performance. Cane Broome popped in 15 off the bench.

UC held Houston (now 31-3) to 30.6, capturing and outrebounding them for the primary time this season 39-33. Armoni Brooks led the Cougars with 17 points. “Today confirmed what we could while we shield and rebound at an elite degree,” Cronin said. “To preserve Houston to 30.6 percent is an improbable task using the men defensively. Hopefully, this indicates to our guys what we can do for next week.” In the end, the win earned UC a No. 7 seed in the NCAA event in opposition to No. 10 seed Iowa. That sport can be held on Friday in Columbus at 12:15 at Nationwide Arena. A Bearcat win could position them in a sport with No. 2 seed Tennessee, which will face No. 14 seed Colgate. That might be Sunday, but the Bearcats should be down the Hawkeyes. “We need to be unsatisfied,” Cronin stated regarding the AAC identity. “We’ve got to position this bed. We’ll have a team dinner the next day night, and we have got to make a percentage. We’ve got to be hungry. We’ve got to be the hardest team to conquer within the NCAA match.”

Houston had swept the everyday season series from Cincinnati, prevailing sixty-five-58 on the Fertitta Center and spoiling UC’s Senior Day ultimate Sunday at Fifth Third Arena, eighty-five-69. UC will become the primary AAC team to win returned-to-again league titles and suit their efforts from 1995-1996 to win the Great Midwest and Conference USA in consecutive years. After some early sluggish play, UC kicked it in tools and held a ten-6 lead at the opening media timeout. Scott and Cumberland had hit threes, and Houston senior Breton Brady had picked up two fouls, including a Flagrant 1, just 34 seconds into the game. UC would hold the lead, and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson called timeout at 11:35 after Cumberland had scored three immediate buckets. Armoni Brooks saved the Cougars near through a couple of 3-suggestions over Cumberland, yelling “Oh my God!” after the second one shot. Three recommendations might preserve the Cougars close to Corey Davis Jr. And Galen Robinson Jr. Hit back-to-back photographs on a nine-3 run that noticed the Bearcats lead by using three at 7:50, 21-18. Minutes later, Cane Broome’s line force triple from the left corner placed UC up 24-20, simply 3:forty eight before halftime.

Broome might score twice greater sandwiched around a Keith Williams thieve and dunk to offer UC a seven-point aspect with 1:40 left inside the 1/2. However, the Cougars responded at the back of Robinson Jr. Free throws and a 3-pointer. Scott scored just before the half to present UC the 33-30 lead. It was just the fifth time all season that Houston trailed at halftime. With Cumberland guarded tighter than Superglue, Keith Williams stormed the glass for a putback to begin the second one half off. Then Cumberland floated a runner, inflicting the Cougars to call timeout much less than two minutes into the half, down 37-30. A pair of free throws and a couple of jumpers later, UC had their largest lead of the sport at 11, forty-three-32, and Sampson had known as timeout for the Cougars again on the 14:forty two marks. Out of the smash, Houston scored quickly to reduce the cause by seven.

Then Chris Harris Jr. Went over the back on a rebound strike. Coinciding, Cumberland becomes issued a Deadball touch technical. After unfastened throws by Corey Davis Jr., It became 43-38 and a 6-zero Houston run. UC replied with a 7-2 spurt from there, largely behind Cumberland, who had taken greater body shots than Sylvester Stallone in a “Rocky” film. With 8:23 last, UC’s lead changed into 10, 50-forty. With chants of “MVP” echoing via FedEx Forum. Cumberland endured to both rating or got to the loose throw line and had 33 as UC led sixty-three-49 with 3:fifty six to go. Cane Broome additionally nailed another take-hold of triple. “Cane had his moments and knocked down a few large, massive photographs for us,” Cronin stated. By then, it changed into all over but the shouting, and there was plenty of that from the Cincinnati contingent in Memphis. The Bearcats were given their first win over Houston this season at the most vital time, triumphing via a dozen, sixty-nine-57. The announced attendance was 7,223, with many sporting red and black.

“Having our fans there is usually notable; it is like a home sport,” Justin Jenifer stated. “At home games, it constantly gives us goosebumps when we make a shot, and all enthusiasts move loopy. Having our fanbase there cheering us on helped with the win nowadays.” Added MVP Cumberland, “It is supposed that we have lots of them there, and we should pay attention to them cheering for us.”