No. 3 Houston will defend its home court against Cincinnati in an AAC showdown on CBS on Saturday. The Cougars lost their most recent game to Temple last Sunday at the Fertitta Center. The loss knocked Houston out of the top spot in the national rankings and ruined its hopes of remaining undefeated in AAC competition in the program’s final season before heading to the Big 12.
Oddly enough, both of Houston’s losses this season have come at home, as the Cougars (19-2, 7-1 AAC) also lost to Alabama 71-65 at the Fertitta Center on Dec. 10. . But if Cincinnati (14-7, 5-3) will become the third team to beat Houston this season, it will require a bigger effort than it took in the first meeting between these two teams.
The Cougars beat Cincinnati 72-59 on Jan. 8, trailing rookie talent Jarace Walker by 21 points. Houston’s defense, though, was stellar as the Cougars turned Cincinnati’s 17 turnovers into 26 points. By contrast, the Bearcats scored just four points on Houston’s seven turnovers.
In the weeks since the first meeting, Houston has shown a vulnerable side. The Cougars narrowly escaped a Jan. 11 win at South Florida and were bitten by a poor shooting night in a Sanctuary loss. The Cougars got back on track with an 82-71 road win over an elite UCF team on Wednesday night as redshirt freshman guard Emmanuel Sharp tied his career with 18 points off the bench new highs.
The Bearcats had a three-game winning streak after their first meeting with Houston, but their streak was snapped in Sunday’s 75-68 home loss to Memphis. The team has improved markedly under second-year coach Wes Miller, but has been plagued by turnovers and poor free-throw shooting at times.
How to watch Houston vs. Cincinnati live
date: Saturday, January 28 | time: 2:15 p.m. ET
Place: Fertitta Center – Houston
television: CBS | live: CBSSports.com, the CBS Sports App (Free)
Houston vs. Cincinnati predictions, picks
featured games | Houston Cougars vs. Cincinnati Bearcats
Houston’s tenacious defense unnerved Cincinnati in their first meeting of the month as the Cougars prevailed, but the Bearcats have won three straight since then and should be motivated to play a more composed game in the rematch. The Cougars have been surprisingly vulnerable at home this season. Both of their losses have come inside the Fertitta Center, with teams like UCF and South Florida playing Houston nearby. Look for Bearcats to hang out. prophecy: Cincinnati +14.5
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