Cincinnati @ Wichita St. preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 16, 2019 ) Wichita St. 63, Cincinnati 66

Given the way Cincinnati's defense is playing, that could pose bad news for Wichita State on Thursday. The Shockers need to find their offensive footing if they are going to stick with the visiting Bearcats in this American Athletic Conference matchup.

Cincinnati has won four straight games, allowing 62 points or fewer in three of those games, including a two-point win over a solid Houston team its last time out. "That's a big win," said the Bearcats' Trevon Scott. "It'll help our confidence, showing we are who we are when we stick together and stick to the game plan and go out and play hard. The tougher team won." Wichita State, meanwhile, has lost three of its last five and has scored more than 56 points only once in that five-game stretch. The most recent defeat for the Shockers came on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer against Tulsa in a game where Wichita State shot just 34.5 percent from the floor and 6-of-31 from 3-point range.

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN

ABOUT WICHITA STATE (17-4, 5-3 AAC): The Shockers have six players averaging between 7.7 and 12.1 points - a group led by Erik Stevenson, who is just 9-of-39 from the field over the last five games. He went 0-for-6 from 3-point range against Tulsa, while Dexter Dennis was 1-of-7 from the arc after knocking down four 3-pointers in each of the previous two games. Jaime Echenique registered 15 points and 10 rebounds against Tulsa for his third double-double of the season and he picked up two steals in a game for the first time all season.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (14-7, 7-2): Three of the Bearcats' top four scorers shoot below 42 percent from the field, including top scorer Jarron Cumberland (41.3 percent), who averages 15.0 points and has made multiple 3-pointers in four of the last five games. Cumberland registered 17 points against Houston, while Scott contributed 16 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Chris Vogt chipped in with five blocks while making all four of his field goal attempts en route to 10 points.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Cincinnati won the regular-season matchups last season by 11 and 10 points, respectively, before earning a three-point win in the semifinals of the conference tournament.

2. In the last five games, Bearcats G Jaevin Cumberland is 10-of-36 from the field for a 27.8 percent connection rate.

3. This is the lone home game in a four-game stretch for Wichita State that continues with road matchups against Houston and Central Florida.

PREDICTION: Wichita State 74, Cincinnati 67