Cincinnati improved to 4-0 in the American Athletic Conference Saturday, as the Bearcats’ modus operandi of tight defense continues to pay dividends.
 
The Bearcats held Rutgers without a field goal for the final 11:45 of the game, allowing Cincinnati to pull away for a 71-51 win at Fifth Third Arena. G Sean Kilpatrick led a balanced scoresheet with 16 points, while the Bearcats finished with a 31-11 advantage at the free throw line.
 
Memphis remained a game behind Cincinnati as the Tigers were 79-69 winners against Temple in Philadelphia. F Shaq Goodwin had 23 points and 11 rebounds as Memphis picked up its 15th straight road win in conference play. Temple, meanwhile, fell at home to a top-25 opponent for just the second time in the last six seasons.
 
UConn enjoyed a breakout performance from freshman C Amida Brimah in the Huskies’ 84-61 win against UCF at Gampel Pavilion. Brimah came off the bench to finish with 20 points, eight rebounds and five blocks in just 20 minutes, helping UConn dominate the low post. The Huskies finished with a 50-34 rebounding advantage and registered 14 blocked shots against the Knights.
 
Sunday’s ledger lists just one game as Louisville hosts SMU at the KFC Yum! Center (1 p.m. ET, CBSSN). It will be the first collegiate matchup between Hall of Fame coaches Rick Pitino and Larry Brown.