If the University of Cincinnati men’s basketball team wanted a better chance at the end, all the Bearcats needed was one more defensive rebound.
Since 2012, Cincinnati has been one of the best rebounding teams in the American Athletic Conference. Even when the Bearcats’ offense struggled with shot creation or three-point shooting, their ability to win the battle in the paint led them to success.
So Wednesday’s conference opener against USF was uncharacteristic.
The Bulls rebounded the ball as often as the Bearcats did when USF missed a shot. The Bulls based their game-plan on getting shots near the basket, and it worked.