Cincinnati and Memphis Battle Thursday

MEMPHIS (17-6, 6-4 AAC) at CINCINNATI (15-8, 8-3 AAC)
Thursday, Feb. 13 // 7 p.m. ET
Fifth Third Arena // Cincinnati, Ohio 
SERIES INFO: 81st meeting; Cincinnati leads 46-34 overall; Cincinnati leads 25-10 in Cincinnati and 6-1 at neutral sites;
Memphis leads 23-15 in Memphis
STREAK: Memphis - 1
LAST MEETING: Memphis won 60-49 on Jan. 16, 2020 at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.
COACHES: John Brannen is in his first season at Cincinnati (15-8); fifth season overall (97-60)
Penny Hardaway is in his second season at Memphis (39-20); second season overall (39-20)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS (FEB. 10): Cincinnati (RV/RV); Memphis (--/--)
RADIO: 700 WLW; Dan Hoard provides play-by-play with color analyst Terry Nelson;
also available nationally on Westwood One; Brandon Gaudin provides play-by-play with color analyst Clark Kellogg
TV: ESPN; Adam Amin provides play-by-play with color analysts Bryce Drew and Doris Burke
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsMBB or GoBearcatsMBB

// GAME PREVIEW 

• Cincinnati (15-8, 8-3 American) returns home to battle longtime rival Memphis (17-6, 6-4) Thursday at Fifth Third Arena. The contest tips at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and 700 WLW.
• Fans are encouraged to wear red.
• The game is sold out but standing room only tickets are available at GoBearcats.com. Fans can also check availability on StubHub, the official secondary ticket marketplace partner of UC Athletics.
• The Bearcats saw their season-best, five-game win streak end Sunday in a 72-71 overtime loss at UConn. Trevon Scott scored a career-high 25 points and matched a career-best with 13 rebounds. Keith Williams poured in 14 points. Chris Vogt added 10 points and three blocks. Jarron Cumberland tallied eight points and a career-high 10 rebounds. 
• Memphis suffered a 75-73 home setback to USF on Saturday. Tyler Harris led the Tigers with 17 points. 
• Thursday marks Cincinnati's 81st matchup all-time with Memphis, marking its longest series with any AAC league member.  
• Memphis snapped UC's six-game win streak in the series last month at the FedExForum, earning a 60-49 victory. UC owns a 46-34 advantage overall in the series, including a 25-10 lead at home. 
• UP NEXT: Cincinnati heads back out on the road, visiting East Carolina on Sunday. Tipoff is noon ET on CBS Sports Network and 700 WLW.  

// CINCINNATI STORYLINES

• Trevon Scott was selected to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll for the second time in a month Monday, averaging 17.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 assists in a 1-1 week for the Bearcats. He registered his eighth double-double of the season Sunday, tallying a career-high 25 points and matching a career-best with 13 rebounds to go with four steals in a 72-71 overtime loss at UConn. He just missed a double-double Thursday at Wichita State, posting nine points and 11 rebounds in UC's 80-79 win.
• The Bearcats are 59-4 (.937) at home since the start of 2016-17, including a 30-2 (.938) mark against AAC teams.
• Over the last seven games, Jarron Cumberland has led UC in scoring five times, averaging a team-best 18.7 points and 5.9 assists. He posted a game-high 24 points, including the game-deciding 3-point play with 3.5 seconds left at Wichita State (2/6). 
• Chris Vogt entered Tuesday's action ranked third in the nation, shooting 67.6 percent (121 of 179) from the field. 
• UC continues trending upward, receiving votes in both national polls this week (first time since Nov. 25). The Bearcats are listed 46th in the NET rankings entering Tuesday's play (climbing 71 places since Dec. 16).

// SCOUTING MEMPHIS

• Memphis wrapped up a three-game homestand with a 75-73 home loss to USF on Saturday. The setback snapped a three-game win streak for the Tigers. 
• Memphis is 4-2 on the road this season, including a 2-2 mark during league play. 
• The Tigers have three players averaging double-figures in scoring: freshman forward Precious Achiuwa (14.7 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks), freshman forward D.J. Jeffries (10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds) and freshman guard Lester Quinones (10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists). 
• Jeffries has been out of action since suffering a knee injury in practice two weeks ago. 
• For the season, Memphis ranks among the AAC's top 2 squads in field goal percentage defense (1st at .364), defensive rebounds (1st at 29.2), scoring offense (2nd at 73.7), scoring margin (2nd at +9.6), field goal percentage (2nd at .456), rebounding offense (2nd at 39.8), blocks (2nd at 6.4) and steals (T2nd at 8.2). 
• Achiuwa leads the AAC with 9.8 rebounds and 7.1 defensive rebounds. He ranks third with 1.9 blocks. 
• Sophomore guard Alex Lomax is listed third in assists (4.3) and free throw percentage (.809). 

// MEMPHIS SERIES HISTORY 

• Cincinnati leads the all-time series with Memphis 46-34 overall. UC leads 25-10 at home and 6-1 at neutral sites. Memphis leads 23-15 in the Bluff City.      
• Cincinnati saw its six-game win streak in the series end last month in Memphis, falling 60-49 at FedExForum. It has marked UC's lowest point total and largest margin of defeat this season. 
• The Bearcats won both meetings last season: 69-64 on 
• Feb. 7, 2019 at the FedExForum in Memphis and 71-69 on Mar. 2, 2019 at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati.  
• Cincinnati has won 10 of 13 meetings against Memphis as American Athletic Conference rivals, beginning with a 69-53 win in Memphis on Jan. 4, 2014. 
• The Bearcats have won the last six meetings in Cincinnati since a 79-69 Memphis victory on Dec. 19, 2007. 
• The Cincinnati-Memphis rivalry dates back to 1968. The two squads have played 80 previous times - UC's  longest series with a team from The American. Seventy-six of the previous 80 contests in the UC-Memphis series have been played as conference games. The two teams played annually from 1976 through 2005 before renewing the series in 2013-14. 
• Cincinnati and Memphis have competed in the same conference four previous times: Missouri Valley, Metro, Great Midwest and Conference USA.

// TIP-INS

• HOME SWEET HOME: The Bearcats are 59-4 (.937) at home since the start of 2016-17, including a 30-2 (.938) mark against AAC teams.
• HOME SWEET HOME II: In five AAC home games this season, the Bearcats are outscoring the opposition by 19.2 points (70.6 to 51.4), holding foes to 32.0 percent (94 of 292) shooting from the floor and 23.6 percent (25 of 106) shooting from 3-point range and outrebounding foes by 8.4 rebounds (40.2 to 31.8).  
• SURGE IN BLOCKS: UC has recorded 25 combined blocks in its last three games (8.3 blocks/game), including 11 at UConn (2/9) and 10 against Houston (2/1). It's the highest three-game total of the season for the Bearcats.
• With the increase, UC now ranks 27th in the nation in blocks per game (4.8) and 32nd in total blocks (111). 
• During the stretch, Chris Vogt (11), Keith Williams (5) and Jarron Cumberland (5) have recorded the most rejections. 
• MORE FREE BASKETBALL: Cincinnati's 72-71 setback at UConn on Sunday marked the fourth Bearcats game decided in overtime this season. That's the most overtime games in a season since 2000-01 (4 overtime games). 
• Earlier this season, UC played three consecutive overtime games for the first time in school history: vs. Bowling Green (L, 84-91 on Nov. 24); vs. Valparaiso (W, 81-77 on Nov. 25); and UNLV (W, 72-65 on Nov. 30). 
• The run was one game shy of matching the NCAA record for most consecutive overtime games at four set by Jacksonville (1982), Illinois State (1985) and Dayton (1988). 
• The UC record for overtime games in a season is six (5-1) set during the 1966-67 campaign.