HARTFORD, Conn. – SMU and Cincinnati played in the last of the 32 conference title games on Sunday afternoon, the final bout for an automatic NCAA tournament bid before three weekends of madness.
The Mustangs beat the Bearcats, 71-56, to earn the automatic bid in the NCAA’s field of 68. They claimed their second American Athletic Conference tournament title in the last three seasons. They also won the season series against Cincinnati, 2-1.
Ironically, SMU’s easiest game of the three it played the tournament came against a team that is anything but easy to beat.
SMU (30-4) never trailed in the game.