UC Bearcats get much-needed win vs. SMU
Tom Groeschen, tgroeschen@enquirer.com 2:39 p.m. EST March 6, 2016
Cincinnati Bearcats forward Octavius Ellis (2) celebrates the win in the second half during the NCAA basketball game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Cincinnati Bearcats, Sunday, March 6, 2016, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. Cincinnati defeated SMU 61-54.
The Enquirer/Kareem Elgazzar
Senior Day found the University of Cincinnati still short-handed because of injuries, and facing yet another must-win game. The Bearcats responded with their most important victory of the season.
UC, riding the NCAA Tournament bubble entering its season finale, beat No. 24 SMU, 61-54, before a sellout crowd of 13,176 at Fifth Third Arena on Sunday afternoon.
It was UC’s first win over a ranked team (AP/USA Today) in five tries this season.
Junior guard Troy Caupain led UC with 14 points and senior center Coreontae DeBerry scored 10. Freshman wing Jacob Evans III scored nine, senior forward Octavius Ellis had eight points and 11 rebounds, and sophomore forward Gary Clark scored seven points with 11 rebounds.
UC (22-9, 12-6 American Athletic Conference) thus split its season series with SMU (25-5, 13-5 AAC).
It was the final game of the season for SMU, which is banned from all postseason play because of NCAA violations.
UC came off of a 69-56 loss at Houston on Thursday, and the Bearcats needed an attention-grabbing win. SMU offered that opportunity, with the Mustangs ranked No. 11 and UC No. 54 in the daily NCAA RPI (Ratings Percentage Index).
UC honored four seniors in pre-game: guard Farad Cobb, center DeBerry, forward Ellis and forward Shaq Thomas. All but Thomas (groin) started the game.
Cobb returned to action after missing two games with a sprained knee and he had six points. Thomas missed his third straight game.
The UC seniors have known nothing but NCAA Tournament appearances, with the Bearcats having made the last five tournaments. The 2016 seniors obviously do not want to be the class that stops the streak.
ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi, USA Today’s Shelby Mast and CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm all had UC among the “last four in” in their latest pre-game NCAA brackets Sunday, all listing UC as a No. 11 seed.
Senior guard Nic Moore led SMU with 14 points Sunday.
LOOKING BACK:SMU beat the Bearcats, 59-57, in the teams’ first meeting this season, Jan. 7 in Dallas.
UC now owns a 6-3 lead in its series against SMU, including 5-0 in games played in Cincinnati.
AAC SEEDING: UC will be be the No. 4 seed for the AAC tournament Thursday-Sunday at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. UC will face No. 5 seed Connecticut on Friday at 2 p.m. on ESPN2. The Bearcats swept the Huskies during the regular season.
UC still could gain the AAC automatic berth by winning the conference tournament next week in Orlando. The Bearcats appear to have made an NCAA berth more likely by beating SMU.
UC led 34-27 at halftime, after a grinder of a half where neither team could truly break away.
Both teams were getting open shots but not hitting. UC made only 27 percent from the field in the first half (10-for-37), while SMU hit only 36 percent (9-for-25).
DeBerry led UC with eight points in the first half. Usual UC scoring leader Caupain followed DeBerry with six first-half points, but Caupain was only 2-for-14 from the floor in the first half.
The Bearcats built their lead to nine points, 36-27, on a follow shot by Ellis to begin the second half.
UC extended its lead to 10 points, 46-36, on a goal by Evans with 12:45 left. UC again went up 10 at 48-38, on a shot by Caupain with 12:06 left.
UC then went up 11 points, 51-40, on two foul shots by Ellis with 8:11 left.
The Bearcats held a 53-44 lead before SMU went on an 8-2 run. That cut the Bearcats’ lead to 55-52 with 1:53 left, and Cronin called timeout.
Clark made two free throws to give UC a 57-52 lead with 1:36 left. Cuapain made one free throw to make it 58-52 with 50.1 seconds left. Then, another Caupain free throw made it 59-52 with 24.9 seconds left.
SMU’s Ben Moore scored to cut UC’s lead to 59-54 with 14.2 seconds left. Cobb made two foul shot for UC to make it 61-54 with 12.4 seconds lef.
UC held a 13-2 edge in points off of turnovers. SMU committed 17 turnovers, UC only six. UC survived despite shooting only 29.5 percent from the field, including 5.3 percent from 3-point range (1-for-19). SMU shot 39.3 percent overall, 16.7 percent from deep (2 for 12).
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