CINCINNATI (AP) – Cashmere Wright’s fadeaway jumper at the buzzer gave No. 17 Cincinnati a 58-56 victory over Alabama on Saturday in a matchup of unbeaten teams that play shutdown defense.
In the final seconds, Cincinnati (7-0) was a bit better on defense.
Trevor Releford had a chance to give Alabama (6-1) the lead, but Justin Jackson swatted away his driving jump shot. Cincinnati got the rebound and called timeout with 6 seconds left.
Wright took the inbound pass at midcourt, drove to the left side of the basket and hit his fadeaway along the baseline over the outstretched arm of 7-foot center Moussa Gueye.
JaQuon Parker and Sean Kilpatrick had 13 apiece for Cincinnati. Trevor Lacey led Alabama with 16.
Cincinnati opened the game with a 17-4 run, but the Crimson Tide regrouped and kept it tight throughout the second half, which featured five ties and eight lead changes. The Bearcats went more than 6 minutes without a field goal.
Releford, who missed Alabama’s last game with a stomach virus, got Alabama in position to take the late lead, but Jackson’s fourth block of the game kept it tied at 56 and set up the final shot.
Alabama was the next team into the Top 25 this week, getting the 26th-most points while going 6-0 for the second season in a row. The Crimson Tide spent the first half overcoming a bad start, then had it come down to Wright’s shot.
The Crimson Tide had eight turnovers during Cincinnati’s opening 17-4 run. The Crimson Tide got back into the game by dominating the boards and taking care of the ball – only eight turnovers the rest of the way.
Alabama’s 7-foot-1 center Carl Engstrom fell on the court and hurt his left knee less than 4 minutes into the game. He limped off and didn’t return.
Cincinnati’s defensive pressure quickly had an effect, setting up that early run. The Crimson Tide settled down and started playing a little pressure defense of their own during an 11-2 spurt that cut it to 21-18. Lacey’s back-to-back baskets completed the run.
Alabama kept it close in the first half by dominating the boards 20-11 against Cincinnati’s three-guard lineup. Releford’s 3-pointer at the buzzer cut the Bearcats’ lead to 33-27 at halftime.
The Crimson Tide didn’t shoot a free throw in the first half, while Cincinnati went 8 of 11 from the line. Gueye had a three-point play – including Alabama’s first point from the line – during an 11-4 run that opened the second half. Lacey’s pull-up jumper from the baseline gave Alabama its first lead, 38-37, with 14:16 to go.
Neither team led by more than three points the rest of the way.
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