Did Cincinnati Bearcats' Late Rally Fall Short Against Oklahoma Sooners?
In a tightly contested matchup, the Cincinnati Bearcats fell to the Oklahoma Sooners with a final score of 74-71. The Bearcats now stand at 0-1, while the Sooners have evened their record at 1-1.
The game, held at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, was a showcase of resilience and determination from both teams. The Cincinnati Bearcats fought hard throughout the contest, managing to push the game into overtime after trailing by one point at halftime with a score of 28-27. In the second half, they outscored their opponents by one point but couldn't maintain that edge in overtime.
The Bearcats displayed impressive defensive prowess with 11 steals and five blocks during the game. Their offense was fueled by fast break points totaling 16 and points off turnovers which amounted to 21. Despite these efforts, they were unable to secure victory.
Offensively, Cincinnati showed balance but struggled from beyond the arc with only six three-pointers made on twenty-nine attempts for a three-point percentage of just twenty-one percent. Inside scoring was more effective for them as they notched thirty-eight points in paint and had an overall field goal percentage of thirty-nine percent on seventy-one attempts.
Their two-point shooting was notably more efficient than their long-range efforts; hitting fifty-two percent from inside compared to their overall field goal percentage. Free throw accuracy was also strong for Cincinnati as they made eighty-two percent of their free throws.
Rebounding played a significant role in keeping them competitive; total rebounds for Cincinnati stood at thirty-five with thirteen offensive boards contributing significantly to second-chance opportunities resulting in ten second-chance points.
However, personal fouls proved costly for Cincinnati as two players fouled out over the course of play which may have impacted their ability to execute down the stretch. Additionally, twelve turnovers matched those committed by Oklahoma but resulted in more points off turnovers for Cincinnati than what Oklahoma managed against them.
On Oklahoma's side, despite committing fifteen turnovers themselves and having fewer fast break opportunities (only two fast break points), they capitalized on free throws making twenty-eight out of thirty-four attempts which matched an eighty-two percent completion rate similar to that achieved by Cincinnati.
Oklahoma's defense limited its own mistakes better than its opponent did; only one player fouled out compared to two from Cincinnati's side. They also managed four blocks and four steals defensively while securing thirty-two rebounds – slightly less than what was grabbed by The Bearcats but enough to help secure victory through additional possessions provided via eight offensive rebounds leading directly into twenty-one second-chance points – an area where they excelled over The Bearcats who scored ten less in this category.
The next challenge awaiting The University of Cincinnati will be against West Virginia Mountaineers back home at Fifth Third Arena located in Ohio’s Queen City -Cincinnati -on March 9th scheduled for tip-off at 2:00 PM Eastern Time Zone (ET). Fans eager not miss any action can tune into ESPN+ online platform where this encounter will be broadcast live.