HARTFORD, Conn. – You never want a clunker, especially in March. For the Cincinnati Bearcats, such basketball disaster at least came at a relatively good time here Sunday.
No. 12-ranked SMU controlled the game and beat No. 15 UC 71-56 in the American Athletic Conference championship game, before a relatively small crowd at the XL Center. Attendance was not immediately announced.
UC (29-5) entered the game knowing it was an assured a NCAA Tournament berth, but the Bearcats also sought the program’s first postseason league title since 2004 (Conference USA). UC was seeded No. 2 and SMU was No.