They say that defense can win you games when your offense is not at its best. That could not have been more true for Cincinnati on a Sunday night, as they beat visiting SMU to earn their first marquee win of the season.
The Bearcats shot just 29% from the floor, but also held SMU under 40% from the floor. One of the best defenses in the country, Cincinnati proved once again why they should be considered to be on the right side of the bubble. Cincinnati’s tournament resume is not altogether exciting, which is why beating the Mustangs was so important.
Playing in the American Athletic Conference, SMU was the only marquee win available for many of the teams, especially with the underperformance of UConn. Thus, with 1 last shot, Cincinnati had to take it. When looking at their resume, this obviously stands out as their best win. The best thing going for this team is that they don’t have any truly bad losses, with most of their losses coming within the top 75 of the RPI. However, they have yet to make a true statement with any of their wins. Beating UConn twice is good, sure, but beating SMU is better, of that there is no doubt.
With the conference tournament still ahead, Cincinnati has work left to do. It all starts with their first round game against UConn and the chance to beat the Huskies for the third time this season. Do that and this team should feel a lot more comfortable heading into the selection process.
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