Valparaiso @ Cincinnati preview

After self-destructing in the semifinals of the Paradise Jam, Cincinnati will play Valparaiso for third place Monday in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The Bearcats blew a 10-point lead in the final four minutes and had an eight-game winning streak in regular-season tournament games snapped with a 91-84 loss to Bowling Green on Sunday night.

The Bearcats only had themselves to blame for their second loss of the season because of horrendous free-throw shooting and 18 turnovers. Cincinnati attempted 55 foul shots and made 56.4 percent. Point guard Chris McNeal was 10-for-21 from the line and 3-for-11 from the field, and the Bearcats' best player - Jarron Cumberland - was 2-for-6 from the stripe and held to 11 points. Valparaiso fell into the third-place game with a 84-59 loss to Nevada earlier Sunday.

TV: 5:45 p.m. ET, No TV

ABOUT VALPARAISO (4-2): The Crusaders shot 37.9 percent from the field and were 3-for-19 from 3-point range against Nevada. Javon Freeman-Liberty scored a team-high 21 points Sunday, and leads the team in scoring at 22 per game and also in rebounding (6.5) and steals (2.2). Ryan Fazekas and Nick Robinson averaged 13.0 and 10.7 points per game, respectively.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (3-2): Chris Vogt fell short of a third straight double-double when the 7-foot-1 center finished with 10 points and seven rebounds against Bowling Green while contributing to the Bearcats' woes at the free throw line by making 4-of-8. Cincinnati is now shooting a subpar 62.6 percent from the line. Trevon Scott, the Bearcats' leading rebounder this season, pulled down a team-high 11 against Bowling Green.

TIP-INS

1. Cincinnati coach John Brannen wasn't sure whether Jaevin Cumberland would play against Bowling Green because of a knee injury, but he led Cincinnati with 21 points and buried six 3-pointers.

2. Jarron Cumberland, Jaevin's cousin and Cincinnati's leading scorer this season, suffered an ankle injury in the first half and was limited to 27 minutes - nine in the second half - against Bowling Green.

3. Freeman-Liberty has scored 19 or more points in every game this season, including a season-high 39 against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 74, Valparaiso 68