TicketsNo. 2 Seed CINCINNATI (27-6) vs.
No. 1 Seed HOUSTON (31-2)
2019 AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
Sunday, March 17 • 3:15 p.m. (ET) • FedExForum • Memphis, Tenn.
HOUSTON SERIES INFO: 37th meeting; Cincinnati leads 31-5 overall; Cincinnati leads 16-1 in Cincinnati;
Cincinnati leads 14-4 in Houston; Cincinnati leads 1-0 at neutral sites.
STREAK: Houston - 2
2018-19 MEETINGS: Houston won 65-58 on Feb. 10 in Houston and 85-69 on March 10 in Cincinnati
Kelvin Sampson is in his fifth season at Houston (114-50); 30th season overall (614-320)
Mick Cronin is in his 13th season at Cincinnati (295-146); 16th season overall (364-170)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (MARCH 11): Cincinnati (24/23); Houston (11/10)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: ESPN; Adam Amin provides play-by-play with color analyst John Thompson III
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB
// FINALS PREVIEW
Second-seed Cincinnati (27-6) takes on top-seed Houston (31-2) in the 2019 Air Force Reserve American Championship finals Sunday at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. Tipoff is 3:15 p.m. ET on ESPN and 700 WLW.
The 24th-ranked Bearcats held off sixth-seed Wichita State, 66-63, on Saturday in semifinals action. Cane Broome's driving layup with 23.5 seconds left gave Cincinnati a 65-63 lead and a Jarron Cumberland free throw at 2.7 sealed the Bearcats' third consecutive appearances in the AAC Tournament championship game.
Nysier Brooks led UC with 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Trevon Scott added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Houston held off fifth-seed Memphis earlier Saturday in the first semifinal. Corey Davis Jr. led the Cougars with 17 points and a trio of threes. Fabian Whites grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
Sunday's contest is a rematch of the 2018 American Championship in which Cincinnati outlasted Houston, 56-55, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
Houston won both meetings during the 2018-19 regular season: 65-58 on Feb. 10 in Houston and 85-69 last Sunday in Cincinnati.
// CINCINNATI VS. HOUSTON
Cincinnati leads its series with Houston 31-5 overall, including a 16-1 record in Cincinnati, 14-4 mark in Houston, and 1-0 record at neutral sites.
No. 12 Houston defeated No. 25 Cincinnati 65-58 on Feb. 10, 2019 at the Fertitta Center in Houston and 85-69 last Sunday in Cincinnati.
The tournament championship game marks the fourth consecutive meeting in which both teams were ranked entering the game, a series first.
The Bearcats won two out of three games against the Cougars last season. UC rallied from 18-points down to earn an 80-70 victory on Jan. 31, 2018 at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, Ky. It marked the largest comeback win of the Mick Cronin coaching era (since 2006-07). Houston earned a 67-62 win at Houston on Feb. 15 that snapped Cincinnati's nation-leading 16-game win streak. Cincinnati won the rubber match with a 56-55 victory in the championship game of the American Championship on March 11.
Prior to both teams becoming members of The American in 2013-14, the last time the two teams met was on Jan. 29, 2005 at Fifth Third Arena when the Bearcats claimed an 87-68 decision.
The two teams played as members of the Missouri Valley Conference for three seasons (1958-60). Four nonconference games followed the next four years. The two teams also met for three consecutive seasons from 1973-75.
// CINCINNATI STORYLINES
// NOTES & TRENDS
PERFECT JENIFER: Cincinnati senior guard Justin Jenifer was perfect from the field against SMU in the quarterfinals, making all six attempts, including a 5-of-5 effort from three-point range. It marked only the fourth time in school history that a Bearcat shot 100 percent from long range (with a minimum of five attempts) and the first occasion since Sean Kilpatrick went 5 for 5 against Wright State in 2010-11.
JUST WIN BABY: Jenifer ranks among the winningest Bearcats in school history. Entering Sunday, Jenifer has played in 106 victories during his UC career, tied with Gary Clark (106 from 2015-18) for the second most at Cincinnati, behind only Steve Logan (111 from 1999-2002).
CUMBERLAND IN THE CLUTCH: Jarron Cumberland scored a game-high 26 points, handing out a career-high eight assists against SMU on Friday. It marked the 16th time this season the junior guard has scored 20 or more points in a game. He has led the Bearcats in scoring in 21 games this season, including 15 of the last 20. The AAC Player of the Year scored two traditional 3-point plays inside the final 3:46 of the SMU game to help the Bearcats pull away.
600-POINT SEASON: Cumberland became only the 14th player in school history to score 600 or more points in a season when he tallied 11 points against Wichita State on Saturday. He is the first Bearcat since Sean Kilpatrick (701 in 2013-14) to achieve the feat.
THREES IN A SEASON: Cumberland has 76 three-pointers this season, sixth most during the Cronin era. He is one of only three players during the era to hit 76 or more threes in a season along with Deonta Vaughn and Sean Kilpatrick.
WINNING BEARCAT: Cincinnati owns an 87-17 record in games Jarron Cumberland has played during his career.
GREAT SCOTT: Trevon Scott registered his fifth double-double of the season Friday against SMU, tallying 17 points on 8-of-17 shooting and a game-high 12 rebounds. He is averaging 14.5 points and 10 rebounds in two AAC Tournament games.
COMEBACK CATS: Cincinnati's 82-74 win over SMU Friday marked the seventh time this season the Bearcats have rallied from a deficit of eight or more points to earn a win. SMU led 29-21 at 7:37 in the first half.
STRETCH OF REMARKABLE SUCCESS: Cincinnati's 88 wins since the start of 2016-17 are the most in any three-year stretch in school history. The previous high was 85 wins compiled from 2000-2002.
26 WINS AGAIN: Cincinnati's quarterfinals win over SMU gave the Bearcats at least 26 wins in a season for the sixth time in the last nine campaigns.
FIVE POINTS OR LESS: Cincinnati is 11-2 this season in games decided by five points or less. Eleven conference games were decided within that margin. The Bearcats led the nation in scoring margin (+16.7) a year ago.
No. 1 Seed HOUSTON (31-2)
2019 AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
Sunday, March 17 • 3:15 p.m. (ET) • FedExForum • Memphis, Tenn.
HOUSTON SERIES INFO: 37th meeting; Cincinnati leads 31-5 overall; Cincinnati leads 16-1 in Cincinnati;
Cincinnati leads 14-4 in Houston; Cincinnati leads 1-0 at neutral sites.
STREAK: Houston - 2
2018-19 MEETINGS: Houston won 65-58 on Feb. 10 in Houston and 85-69 on March 10 in Cincinnati
Kelvin Sampson is in his fifth season at Houston (114-50); 30th season overall (614-320)
Mick Cronin is in his 13th season at Cincinnati (295-146); 16th season overall (364-170)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (MARCH 11): Cincinnati (24/23); Houston (11/10)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson
TV: ESPN; Adam Amin provides play-by-play with color analyst John Thompson III
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB
// FINALS PREVIEW
Second-seed Cincinnati (27-6) takes on top-seed Houston (31-2) in the 2019 Air Force Reserve American Championship finals Sunday at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn. Tipoff is 3:15 p.m. ET on ESPN and 700 WLW.
The 24th-ranked Bearcats held off sixth-seed Wichita State, 66-63, on Saturday in semifinals action. Cane Broome's driving layup with 23.5 seconds left gave Cincinnati a 65-63 lead and a Jarron Cumberland free throw at 2.7 sealed the Bearcats' third consecutive appearances in the AAC Tournament championship game.
Nysier Brooks led UC with 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Trevon Scott added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Houston held off fifth-seed Memphis earlier Saturday in the first semifinal. Corey Davis Jr. led the Cougars with 17 points and a trio of threes. Fabian Whites grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
Sunday's contest is a rematch of the 2018 American Championship in which Cincinnati outlasted Houston, 56-55, at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla.
Houston won both meetings during the 2018-19 regular season: 65-58 on Feb. 10 in Houston and 85-69 last Sunday in Cincinnati.
// CINCINNATI VS. HOUSTON
Cincinnati leads its series with Houston 31-5 overall, including a 16-1 record in Cincinnati, 14-4 mark in Houston, and 1-0 record at neutral sites.
No. 12 Houston defeated No. 25 Cincinnati 65-58 on Feb. 10, 2019 at the Fertitta Center in Houston and 85-69 last Sunday in Cincinnati.
The tournament championship game marks the fourth consecutive meeting in which both teams were ranked entering the game, a series first.
The Bearcats won two out of three games against the Cougars last season. UC rallied from 18-points down to earn an 80-70 victory on Jan. 31, 2018 at BB&T Arena in Highland Heights, Ky. It marked the largest comeback win of the Mick Cronin coaching era (since 2006-07). Houston earned a 67-62 win at Houston on Feb. 15 that snapped Cincinnati's nation-leading 16-game win streak. Cincinnati won the rubber match with a 56-55 victory in the championship game of the American Championship on March 11.
Prior to both teams becoming members of The American in 2013-14, the last time the two teams met was on Jan. 29, 2005 at Fifth Third Arena when the Bearcats claimed an 87-68 decision.
The two teams played as members of the Missouri Valley Conference for three seasons (1958-60). Four nonconference games followed the next four years. The two teams also met for three consecutive seasons from 1973-75.
// CINCINNATI STORYLINES
- Cincinnati is looking for back-to-back conference tournament titles for the first time since 1995 (Great Midwest Conference) and 1996 (Conference USA).
- The Bearcats won their first conference tournament title since 2004 (Conference USA) last season in Orlando, Fla., defeating SMU, Memphis and Houston.
- Cincinnati's 88 wins since the start of 2016-17 are the most in any three-year stretch in school history and are third most in the nation behind only
- Gonzaga (99) and Villanova (93) through Saturday.
- The Bearcats are 11-2 this season in games decided by five points or less. Eleven of their conference games were decided within that margin.
- Cincinnati has rallied to win seven times this season when trailing by eight or more points.
- Jarron Cumberland was named The American's 2019 Player of the Year and a unanimous first-team All-AAC selection as voted upon by the league's coaches. He has scored 20 or more points 16 times this season and has led the Bearcats in scoring in 21 games this season, including 15 of the last 20.
- Trevon Scott is averaging 14.5 points and 10.0 rebounds through the first two games of the 2019 AAC Tournament.
- Justin Jenifer became only the fourth player in school history to shoot 100 percent (minimum five attempts) from three-point range when he went
- 5 of 5 from beyond the arc against SMU on Friday.
- Cincinnati is one of six schools to appear in the NCAA Tournament each of the last eight seasons.
// NOTES & TRENDS
PERFECT JENIFER: Cincinnati senior guard Justin Jenifer was perfect from the field against SMU in the quarterfinals, making all six attempts, including a 5-of-5 effort from three-point range. It marked only the fourth time in school history that a Bearcat shot 100 percent from long range (with a minimum of five attempts) and the first occasion since Sean Kilpatrick went 5 for 5 against Wright State in 2010-11.
JUST WIN BABY: Jenifer ranks among the winningest Bearcats in school history. Entering Sunday, Jenifer has played in 106 victories during his UC career, tied with Gary Clark (106 from 2015-18) for the second most at Cincinnati, behind only Steve Logan (111 from 1999-2002).
CUMBERLAND IN THE CLUTCH: Jarron Cumberland scored a game-high 26 points, handing out a career-high eight assists against SMU on Friday. It marked the 16th time this season the junior guard has scored 20 or more points in a game. He has led the Bearcats in scoring in 21 games this season, including 15 of the last 20. The AAC Player of the Year scored two traditional 3-point plays inside the final 3:46 of the SMU game to help the Bearcats pull away.
600-POINT SEASON: Cumberland became only the 14th player in school history to score 600 or more points in a season when he tallied 11 points against Wichita State on Saturday. He is the first Bearcat since Sean Kilpatrick (701 in 2013-14) to achieve the feat.
THREES IN A SEASON: Cumberland has 76 three-pointers this season, sixth most during the Cronin era. He is one of only three players during the era to hit 76 or more threes in a season along with Deonta Vaughn and Sean Kilpatrick.
WINNING BEARCAT: Cincinnati owns an 87-17 record in games Jarron Cumberland has played during his career.
GREAT SCOTT: Trevon Scott registered his fifth double-double of the season Friday against SMU, tallying 17 points on 8-of-17 shooting and a game-high 12 rebounds. He is averaging 14.5 points and 10 rebounds in two AAC Tournament games.
COMEBACK CATS: Cincinnati's 82-74 win over SMU Friday marked the seventh time this season the Bearcats have rallied from a deficit of eight or more points to earn a win. SMU led 29-21 at 7:37 in the first half.
STRETCH OF REMARKABLE SUCCESS: Cincinnati's 88 wins since the start of 2016-17 are the most in any three-year stretch in school history. The previous high was 85 wins compiled from 2000-2002.
26 WINS AGAIN: Cincinnati's quarterfinals win over SMU gave the Bearcats at least 26 wins in a season for the sixth time in the last nine campaigns.
FIVE POINTS OR LESS: Cincinnati is 11-2 this season in games decided by five points or less. Eleven conference games were decided within that margin. The Bearcats led the nation in scoring margin (+16.7) a year ago.