East Carolina ready to challenge No. 12 Bearcats' defense (Jan 20, 2018)
The phrase "winning ugly" is a matter of perception. At the University of Cincinnati, it's often the Bearcats' preferred and most effective style of play.
Going into the season, head coach Mick Cronin figured to have a good defensive team, considering its depth and experience. On Tuesday, the 12th-ranked Bearcats scored just 49 points at Central Florida and still won by 11.
"They swarm you," said UCF head coach Johnny Dawkins. "They're athletic, they make plays and they're either deflecting balls or changing your shot. That's a really good defensive team."
Cincinnati ranks second nationally in defensive efficiency. The Bearcats haven't given up more than 56 points through five American Athletic Conference games. They rank third nationally in field-goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 36 percent.
Cincinnati (16-2, 5-0 AAC) will be looking to extend the nation's longest home winning streak to 36 on Saturday afternoon when it hosts East Carolina at BB&T Arena on the campus of Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Ky.
The Bearcats are expected to return to Fifth Third Arena next season once an $87 million renovation is finished.
East Carolina (8-10, 2-5) is coming off a 90-52 win over South Florida on Wednesday. The Pirates shot better than 61 percent from the floor, and were led by Shawn Williams, who had a game-high 22 points on 8 of 12 with six 3-pointers.
It was East Carolina's largest margin of victory in a league game in early 50 years, and the win snapped a three-game losing streak.
Rebuilding has been slow under Pirates interim head coach Michael Perry, who replaced Jeff Lebo in November.
"This has been a building process," Perry said, according to the Reflector. "It's very difficult to see sometimes the improvement when you're playing Wichita State and Houston, but there has been improvement. The team is getting better, and it's just great to see all it all come together. Sometimes you spend all the time working but you don't get to see the results."
Cincinnati has won the last three meetings and leads the series against East Carolina 11-1, including a 6-0 mark at home.
The Bearcats are among the most experienced and accomplished teams in the country with four players already having amassed 1,000 career points.
And, don't let the defensive numbers fool you. This also is Cronin's best offensive team, averaging more than 77 points. Jacob Evans averages a team-high 13.7 points. Gary Clark adds 12.8 points and nearly nine rebounds per game.
East Carolina, the conference leader in 3-point percentage defense, is led in scoring by B.J. Tyson, who ranks 10th in the AAC at 15.3 points. Tyson also is an 81 percent free-throw shooter.
Cincinnati begins a two-game homestand on Saturday following the two-game swing through Florida.
"The second game of a two-day road trip in college basketball is tough," Cronin said. "Our will to win is tremendous right now. Players decide winning and losing. You hear them talking amongst themselves. They want to win as much as the coaches do, and that's a rarity in sports."
