Cincinnati @ Southern Methodist preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 2, 2019 ) Southern Methodist 68, Cincinnati 73

Cincinnati has not enjoyed a comfortable victory in more than a month so the No. 22 Bearcats look to make things easier on themselves when they visit struggling SMU on Wednesday night for an American Athletic Conference contest. Second-place Cincinnati has won three in a row and 11 of the last 12 contests - seven by five points or fewer, including a 73-68 win over SMU - after surviving a scare at Connecticut with a 64-60 triumph Sunday.

The Bearcats have won the last two games by a total of nine points without big performances from leading scorer Jarron Cumberland as the junior guard went 6-of-22 from the field while scoring 19 combined against Central Florida and UConn. “If we could guard everybody in our league the way Jarron was guarded the last two games, we’d give up about 22 points a game, as good as we are on defense,” Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin told reporters after Sunday’s win. “If we were allowed to be as physical as the last two teams have been against Jarron.” The Bearcats entered the week ranked 11th in the nation in scoring defense (61.5) and will take on an SMU team which is coming off the worst loss in program history at UCF - its sixth defeat in seven games. The Mustangs on Sunday shot 24.6 percent from the field overall and scored 18 points in the first half before suffering a 95-48 setback without anyone reaching double figures.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network

ABOUT CINCINNATI (23-4, 12-2 American): Cumberland leads the team in scoring (18.6) along with assists (3.6) and sophomore guard Keith Williams (11.0) is the only other player averaging in double figures. Senior guard Cane Broome (8.4 points) is averaging 10.3 over the last four games while draining 7-of-11 from 3-point range, including the decisive triple in the final seconds at UConn. “Cane’s attitude has been great,” Cronin told reporters. “He’s a guy that scored 1,100 points in two years (at Sacred Heart) and came here to play at the high level where it’s just a lot harder and a lot more physical. He gives us an extra scorer.”

ABOUT SMU (13-13, 5-9): Senior guard Jahmal McMurray leads the team in scoring (17.6) and 3-point makes (80), but was 3-of-17 from the field (1-of-5 from behind the arc) at UCF after averaging 23.5 in the previous two contests. Sophomore forward Ethan Chargois (12.4 points, team-high 6.6 rebounds) scored a team-high nine in the loss at UCF, but was 2-of-9 from the field Feb. 2 at Cincinnati. Junior guard Jimmy Whitt Jr. tops the team in assists (4.2) and averages 12.2 points, but made 5-of-22 from the field the last two games, while sophomore forward Isiaha Mike (12.2) is the fourth player scoring in double figures while averaging 5.5 rebounds.

TIP-INS

1. SMU freshman F Feron Hunt had 11 points and seven rebounds in the first matchup with the Bearcats.

2. Cincinnati senior G Justin Jenifer started the week fourth in the nation in assist-turnover ratio (4.00).

3. The Mustangs, who have lost four straight to the Bearcats, are second in the American in 3-pointers per game (8.5).

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 76, SMU 62