Can the Cincinnati Bearcats Claw Back Against the Oklahoma Sooners at Lloyd Noble Center?

As the Cincinnati Bearcats gear up to face the Oklahoma Sooners, fans are left pondering whether their team can bounce back from a recent stumble. The Bearcats' last outing on February 24 against TCU's Horned Frogs was less than stellar, with a final score of 57-75. Despite putting up a valiant first half and leading with 32 points to TCU's 39, CIN couldn't maintain their momentum into the second half, adding only 25 more points to their tally.

The statistics from that game paint a picture of struggle for CIN; they shot at a modest 42 percent from the field and were particularly lackluster from the free-throw line with just 57 percent accuracy. Their three-point attempts hovered around an average of 36 percent success rate. On top of that, turnovers were an Achilles' heel for CIN as they gave away possession on 17 occasions.

However, it's not all doom and gloom for Cincinnati fans. Looking back at their home game against Oklahoma State Cowboys just two days prior paints a different picture—one where CIN showed resilience and offensive firepower. They put up an impressive fight scoring 76 points but narrowly lost by four points in what was undoubtedly a high-scoring affair (76-80). That day saw them improve their shooting percentage significantly across all fronts—50 percent field goal accuracy and converting nearly three out of every five two-point attempts.

Moreover, when comparing both teams' performances in recent games, it becomes evident that while OKLA might have home-court advantage at Lloyd Noble Center come March 5th, they shouldn't rest easy. The Bearcats have shown they can put up big numbers in paint scoring (44 against OKST) and have demonstrated tenacity on defense with blocks (6 against both OKST and TCU) which could disrupt OKLA’s offensive schemes.

The upcoming clash is set to be an intriguing one as both teams will be looking to assert dominance early on. For Cincinnati supporters hoping for victory away from home soil, there is reason for cautious optimism if their team can tighten up defensively while maintaining offensive efficiency seen in glimpses during previous games.

Fans should mark their calendars for March 5th when these two teams lock horns at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman at precisely eight o'clock PM Eastern Time. The action will be available live via ESPN+, ensuring supporters won't miss what promises to be an enthralling encounter between these collegiate rivals.