No. 18 Cincinnati gets 26th straight win, 65-47 over Houston

Joe Kay, Ap Sports Writer Updated 8:06 pm, Thursday, March 2, 2017


CINCINNATI (AP) — Gary Clark had 14 points and seven rebounds in Cincinnati's balanced attack, and the 18th-ranked Bearcats rolled to their 26th straight win at home, 65-47 over Houston on Thursday night.

Cincinnati (26-4, 15-2 American Athletic) wrapped up its fourth undefeated season at Fifth Third Arena, which opened in 1989. The Bearcats' home winning streak is the second-longest at the arena. They won 41 in a row from 1997-2000.

Houston (20-9, 11-6) came in with the second-best offense in the league but came away with its lowest point total of the season. Rob Gray led with 17 points.

Damyean Dotson made a 3-pointer in the closing minutes, giving him the Houston record of 29 consecutive games with a 3. He moved one ahead of Robert McKiver's mark from 2007-08.

The Bearcats took control by closing the first half with a 20-4 run for a 37-20 lead, Houston's lowest-scoring half of the season.

BIG PICTURE

Houston: The Cougars lead the league at making 3s, shooting 39.8 percent from beyond the arc. Two of their worst games have come against Cincinnati. They went 3 of 19 during a 67-58 loss to the Bearcats on Jan. 7 and 5 of 19 on Thursday night.

Cincinnati: It was the Bearcats' last game at Fifth Third Arena before it undergoes renovation. They will play home games next season at Northern Kentucky University.

UP NEXT

Houston: The Cougars close the regular season at home on Sunday against East Carolina, the final game at Hofheinz Pavilion before it's renovated for the 2018-19 season. Houston won at East Carolina 74-58 on Jan. 11.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats play at No. 1 UConn on Sunday. They lost to the Huskies 82-68 at Fifth Third Arena on Feb. 4.

http://www.chron.com/sports/article/No-1...973502.php

Bearcats beat Houston on memorable Senior Night
Tom Groeschen , tgroeschen@enquirer.com 9:08 p.m. ET March 2, 2017


Senior walk-on Zack Tobler got the Cincinnati Bearcats rolling Thursday night, and his teammates did the rest in an easy 65-47 basketball victory over Houston.

UC seniors Troy Caupain, Kevin Johnson and Tobler were honored before the game during Senior Night festivities, before a sellout crowd of 13,176 at Fifth Third Arena. Each senior, accompanied by family members, received a standing ovation. The players also received framed photos of themselves in UC uniforms.

The 6-foot-5 Tobler (Covington Catholic, Ky.) was awarded his first career UC start by coach Mick Cronin, with usual starter Gary Clark taking a seat. Just as the basketball gods ordained, Tobler began the UC scoring by banking in a lay-up just 17 seconds into the game. The crowd roared happily for Tobler, a four-year fan favorite.

Tobler was taken out after 1:08 of action, to another standing ovation. Clark replaced Tobler, and Clark wound up leading UC with 14 points. Caupain scored 11 points and freshman guard Jarron Cumberland came off the bench to score 10 points for UC. Johnson (Summit Country Day) scored 7 points in his final UC home game.

Later in the game, UC students again were chanting the familiar, “We want Tobler!” as the Bearcats pulled away in the final minutes. Tobler got in one more time in the final minutes, and made a free throw after Houston was assessed a technical foul for taking too many timeouts.

The No. 18-ranked Bearcats (26-4, 15-2 American Athletic Conference) completed an unbeaten home season at Fifth Third, going 18-0. It was UC’s 26th consecutive home win overall, the second-longest active streak nationally.

Caupain, Johnson and Tobler each were taken out of the game separately by Cronin in the final minute, so that each senior could get a standing ovation.

Thursday also marked the final UC game in Fifth Third Arena before the building undergoes an $87 million renovation. UC will play home games next season at Northern Kentucky University, then return to Fifth Third for the 2018-19 season. Construction is to begin in April.

UC continued its drive toward a seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. Caupain, Johnson and Tobler now have a 98-32 won-lost record in their four UC seasons.

Houston (20-9, 11-6 AAC) had won seven of its last eight games, but the Cougars again could not handle UC. The Bearcats won 67-58 at Houston on Jan. 7, in the first meeting this season between the teams.

Houston entered Thursday averaging 75 points per game, but its top guns were held in check. Junior guard Rob Gray Jr., averaging 20.3 points, scored 17 points but most came in the latter stages. Senior guard Damyean Dotson, who was averaging 18.0 points, scored only 10.

Houston entered the game averaging only 9.8 turnovers, fourth-fewest in the nation. The Cougars finished with 13 turnovers. UC entered the game ranked 10th nationally in that category, averaging only 10.45 turnovers per game. The Bearcats turned it over 11 times Thursday.

GAME GLANCE: UC enjoyed a 37-20 halftime lead, as the Bearcats played with great energy on both ends of the court.

Johnson, Cumberland and Clark all scored 7 points to lead UC in the first half. The Bearcats dominated the paint in that span, outscoring Houston 20-6 underneath.

Houston committed 10 turnovers in the first half alone, while UC had only four. Houston’s top scorers Gray and Dotson, were held to a combined 5 points in the first half. UC’s pressure defense had something to do with that, with Gray and Dotson going a combined 2-for-10 from the field in the first half.

First half highlights included Tobler’s lay-up to start the game, and a big dunk by Jacob Evans to close the first half. Evans rose high to slam home a follow shot, putting UC up 37-20. Evans finished the night with 7 points.

BIG DRAW: Thursday’s sellout lifted UC to a final home attendance average of 9,865, the highest in Cronin’s 11 seasons as UC coach. The sellout was the fourth this season for the Bearcats.

ONE MORE: UC finishes the regular season Sunday at UConn. The Bearcats have clinched no worse than a No. 2 seed for the AAC tournament, which is March 9-12 at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/c.../98665634/

I thought ctipton edited that last line. But he really did write that!

#1 UCONN???

We lost to UConn by 14 points at home earlier this year?

I think the AP did some digging at the women's standings.