PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Week 16 of American Athletic Conference men's basketball action concluded on Sunday with victories by UCF and rv/25 Cincinnati. The Knights rolled past SMU and became the fourth American team to reach 20 wins this season behind a 20-20 game from senior Tacko Fall. Cincinnati battled at UConn and held off a late Huskie rally for their 23^rd win behind a clutch 3-pointer from senior Cane Broome in closing seconds.


Sunday, February 24

UCF 95, SMU 48	Box Score
rv/25 Cincinnati 64, UConn 60	Box Score

UCF 95, SMU 48

UCF put forth a complete performance over visiting SMU Sunday afternoon, winning 95-48, behind a 23-point, 20-rebound performance from senior center Tacko Fall.

The Knights (20-6, 10-4) earned their largest margin of victory of the season. The 47-point win, in fact, was the largest for UCF since defeating West Florida 115-61 on Nov. 12, 2010. The victory also gave UCF 20 wins for the second time in the last three seasons.

Sunday's defensive effort was one of the program's best, holding the Mustangs (13-13, 5-9) to just 48 points and just 24.6-percent from the floor. That mark was a season-best for the Knights and the lowest opponent field goal percentage since allowing just 22.1 percent to Stetson on Nov. 30, 2016.

SMU didn't score until the 14:52 mark of the game, as the Knights sprinted out to a 16-0 advantage with Fall and Collin Smith combining for 12-of-16 points during the stretch.

UCF extended its lead to as many as 26 points in the first half as a 15-0 run made it 36-10 with 5:10 remaining in the frame. Leading 41-18 at the break, and dominating paint points 26-4, Fall was impressive.

The 7-foot-6 center had 15 points and 16 rebounds at the break, one board shy of his career high. The Knights held the Mustangs to just 20.0 percent shooting from the floor and the 18 points matched the Illinois State game for their season-best for points in a half by an opponent.

Unlike the Illinois State game, when the Redbirds were able to keep within 20-30 points all-night, UCF dominated just as much in the second half against the Mustangs, outscoring SMU 54-30 in the final 20 minutes.

It was a total team effort with five Knights in double figures and two others with nine points, but it was Fall that stood out, controlling the paint on both ends of the floor.

His 23 points were a season high, his 20 rebounds were a career high, and he added two blocked shots. He became the first Knight to record a 20-20 games in the program's Division I era and only the second to grab 20 boards in a game, joining Paul Reed, who did so in 2001.

Chad Brown scored 13 points and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds for his third double-double as a Knight and his first this season.

BJ Taylor added 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc, Aubrey Dawkins had 11 points on 3-of-6 from three-point range, and Terrell Allen chipped in with 11 points and two steals. Allen also added a season-high eight assists and turned the ball over just one time.

Eight different Mustangs made it on to the scoresheet with five with seven-or-more points but none were able to eclipse nine points on the afternoon.

Overall, the Knights shot 49.3 percent from the floor and had 17 assists to just six turnovers, tying the team's season-best for turnovers in a game. UCF outscored SMU 13-1 on the fast break and 46-14 in the paint.

The Knights outrebounded the Mustangs 58-35. It was the most in a game for UCF since grabbing 59 against Nicholls Nov. 14, 2016 and the sixth most ever in a single-game for the Knights.


rv/25 Cincinnati 64, UConn 60

Cane Broome, an East Hartford, Conn., native, grew up dreaming of hitting a big shot at the XL Center. The local kid did that on Sunday, draining a late 3-pointer that helped Cincinnati to a 64-60 road win over UConn.

Keith Williams scored 12 points and Justin Jennifer and Broome each added 10 points for the Bearcats, who have won 11 of their last 12. The only loss during that stretch came at No. 9 Houston, which leads Cincinnati (23-4, 12-2) by a game in the race for the AAC title.

Christian Vital had 14 points and Alterique Gilbert had 13 to lead UConn (13-14, 4-10).

The Bearcats took a three-point lead at the halftime when Tre Scott followed a missed Jarron Cumberland 3-pointer with a layup. That stretched into a 16-3 run in second half, going up by 15 points and seemingly taking control of the game.

UConn came all the way back though, using a 16-0 run to turn a 50-35 deficit into a one-point lead on a pair of free throws by Vital with just over five minutes to play.

The teams went back and forth before the 3-pointer from the top of the key by Broome, which came at the shot-clock buzzer and gave Cincinnati a 62-58 lead with 12 seconds to play.

A pair of free throws from Williams with five seconds left sealed it.

The Bearcats are attempting to win back-to-back conference titles for the first time since capturing the Conference USA crown in 2001 and 2002.

UConn dropped below .500 for the first time this season. They need one more win to match their total from a year ago.


UPCOMING GAMES

TUESDAY 2.26.19
	Temple			Memphis			9 p.m.	Memphis, Tenn.	Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPNU
WEDNESDAY 2.27.19
	Houston			ECU			7 p.m.	Greenville, N.C.	Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPN3
	UCF			USF			7 p.m.	Tampa, Fla.	Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPN3
	Cincinnati			SMU			9 p.m.	Dallas, Texas	Live Stats Live Video TV:CBSSN
THURSDAY2.28.19MEN'S BASKETBALL
	UConn			Wichita State			7 p.m.	Wichita, Kan.	Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPN2
	Tulane			Tulsa			9 p.m.	Tulsa, Okla.	Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPNU
SATURDAY 3.2.19
	UCF			Houston			4 p.m.	Houston, Texas	Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPN
	Memphis			Cincinnati			8 p.m.	Cincinnati, Ohio	Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPNU
SUNDAY 3.3.19
	USF			UConn			Noon	Hartford, Conn.	Live Stats Live Video TV:CBSSN
	Wichita State			SMU			2 p.m.	Dallas, Texas	Live Stats Live Video TV:CBSSN
	Tulane			Temple			2 p.m.	Philadelphia, Pa.	Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPNU
	ECU			Tulsa			4 p.m.	Tulsa, Okla.	Live Stats Live Video TV:ESPNU