Cincy beats Shockers to reach 4th straight AAC title game

0

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Mason Madsen had a team-high 10 points for short-handed Cincinnati, which overcame missing its last three free-throw attempts and held on to beat top-seeded Wichita State 60-59 on Saturday to advance to its fourth consecutive American Athletic Conference Tournament championship game.

Along with those missed free throws in the final 19 seconds, the Bearcats (12-10) also had more more turnovers (nine) than field goals made (eight) in the second half. After Cincinnati freshman Tari Eason missed a free throw with 8 seconds left, Morris Udeze got the rebound and Wichita State quickly got the ball to Alterique Gilbert, whose long 3-point attempt hit the front of the rim and then the back before bouncing off as time expired.

Gilbert had 14 points to lead Wichita State (16-5), which had won eight games in a row since a loss at Memphis on Jan. 21. Tyson Etienne, the conference’s co-player of the year, had 13 points, while Udeze finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Eason had nine points and 11 rebounds for Cincinnati. Keith Williams, averaging a team-high 14.9 points, scored nine of Cincinnati’s opening 16 points but he did not play in the second half.

The Bearcats are 9-3 since returning from a 25-day pause because of COVID-19 after a loss at Wichita State on Jan. 10.

Madsen hit a jumper with 3:52 left to tie it at 55, and there wasn’t another score in the game until Mika Adams-Woods made two free throws with 1:59 left and Eason added a layup after another missed 3 by Gilbert.

The Shockers missed seven of their last eight field-goal attempts, the only make in the final 4:17 being Gilbert’s layup with 19 seconds left that cut the gap to 60-59.

___

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/College-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Cincinnati guard Mason Madsen (45) celebrates following Cincinnati’s win over Wichita State after an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the American Athletic Conference men’s tournament Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2021/03/web1_126362137-fb317979e0e94cb5920681aae1c80729.jpgCincinnati guard Mason Madsen (45) celebrates following Cincinnati’s win over Wichita State after an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the American Athletic Conference men’s tournament Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)

Cincinnati’s Mason Madsen (45) and Jeremiah Davenport (24) celebrate following Cincinnati’s win over Wichita State after an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the American Athletic Conference men’s tournament Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2021/03/web1_126362137-46b2552402744bbdb6742c8ea26b88a4.jpgCincinnati’s Mason Madsen (45) and Jeremiah Davenport (24) celebrate following Cincinnati’s win over Wichita State after an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the American Athletic Conference men’s tournament Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)

Cincinnati guard Mike Saunders (3) goes up for a shot as Wichita State guard Alterique Gilbert (3) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the American Athletic Conference men’s tournament Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)
https://www.wnewsj.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2021/03/web1_126362137-693b95449ffd4f718f217b9bbba2469f.jpgCincinnati guard Mike Saunders (3) goes up for a shot as Wichita State guard Alterique Gilbert (3) defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinal round of the American Athletic Conference men’s tournament Saturday, March 13, 2021, in Fort Worth, Texas. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)

No posts to display