UC again falls short in NCAAS
A season in which Cincinnati surpassed most expectations ended in a familiar, dispiriting way.
For all of the success Mick Cronin has had in coaxing his teams over the years to victories with toughness and defense, he has found a formula for success in March more elusive. Not since a 2012 loss to Ohio State in the Sweet Sixteen have the Bearcats made it past the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend. At Nationwide Arena on Friday, the seventhseeded Bearcats seemed to be on their way to at least getting to Sunday.
They led No. 10 seed Iowa 18-5 and had the partisan crowd roaring. Then it all slipped away in a 79-72 first-round loss.
“It’s tough,” guard Justin Jenifer said. “I didn’t picture that we were going to lose this game today. I pictured my senior year still going on.”
Jenifer did his best, scoring a career-high 19 points. But Bearcats star Jarron Cumberland had an offgame. He scored 18 points but made only 7 of 17 shots and was unable to impose his will at crucial times.
Even Cincinnati’s usual strengths failed them. The Bearcats scored only two points on second-chance opportunities in the final 20 minutes after scoring 11 in the first half. Defensively, they allowed Iowa to shoot 50 percent on three-pointers (11 of 22).
Cincinnati (28-7) isn’t known for its long-range shooting, yet the Bearcats attempted 27 threes, making only six. When Iowa (23-11) switched from a man-to-man defense to a zone with full-court pressure, UC failed to counter.
“I thought we shot many threes 5 or 6 feet behind the line,” Cronin said. “We did take some shots that I thought were questionable. I don’t think it was their zone that caused it. I think it was decisions by us.”
It didn’t help that Cincinnati center Nysier Brooks got in foul trouble and eventually fouled out. He played only 20 minutes. UC outscored Iowa by 12 when he was on the court. Brooks fouled out with the score tied at 62 with 4:09 left. Iowa scored in the lane to take the lead and then pulled away.
This was expected to be a rebuilding season after the Bearcats lost key players from a team that earned a No. 2 seed in last year’s tournament, only to collapse against Nevada in the second round.
UC regrouped after a lopsided loss to Houston to beat the Cougars handily last weekend in the American Athletic Conference tournament finals. But the NCAA tournament resulted in disappointment — again.
Afterward, Cronin was asked where he and his coaching staff go from here.
“Back to work — with a lot of pride,” he said. “Back to work with a lot of pride.”