SMU was undersized, undermanned and tired against No. 8 Cincinnati. What did the Mustangs have left? Their fighting spirit. And they used all of it against the Bearcats.
SMU built a 38-32 advantage early in the second half, which was predicated on sharing the ball and executing zone defense well.
With 15 minutes left in the game, SMU could not hold on to its lead. The fresh-legged Bearcats used their size to outmuscle SMU inside, using offensive rebound after offensive rebound to bury the Mustangs.
While the loss stings, especially for seniors Ben Emelogu and Akoy Agau, SMU has nothing to be ashamed of.