This one was never close folks. Maybe it was the Bearcats dressed as Pikachu. Maybe it was residual frustration from the road loss at SMU. Maybe it was Mick Cronin ensuring a solid week of practice. Whatever the reason, UC dominated from start to finish.
Kyle Washington had one of his quintessential game – 18 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Five – count them – 5 Bearcats had double figures. Kevin Johnson continues his shooting streak, going 5-8 from the field with 15 points and 2 steals. The bench added just 5 points without Jarron Cumberland today. UC shot 47% from 3-point range and a whopping 56% from the field!
Going forward, especially into the AAC tournament and March Madness, I cannot stress enough the need to drastically improve free throw shooting. UC went 16 of 26 today, but they have to get their shooting percentage up. UC can play tenacious defense and can stretch the floor with a deep bench. This team is poised to make a March run, but if they face an equally deep bench who can hack and foul our big men, the Bearcats have got to be able to make opponents pay from the charity stripe.
Next up UC plays Memphis (18-9, 8-6) on Thursday night at 7 pm at home.
Congrats to Mick Cronin, who owns the record for the most career wins of any coach under the age of 45 with his 300th win today!
By Andy Smith