Cincy looks to sweep ECU
Cincinnati (16-8, 9-3) vs. East Carolina (10-15, 4-8)
Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum, Greenville, North Carolina; Sunday, 12 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Cincinnati goes for the season sweep over East Carolina after winning the previous matchup in Cincinnati. The teams last faced each other on Jan. 19, when the Bearcats outshot East Carolina from the field 45.5 percent to 32.8 percent and had seven fewer turnovers en route to an 82-57 victory.
ARE YOU EXPERIENCED: Cincinnati has leaned on senior leadership while East Carolina has been fueled heavily by freshmen this year. For the Bearcats, seniors Tre Scott, Jarron Cumberland, Chris Vogt and Jaevin Cumberland have combined to account for 63 percent of the team’s scoring, including 76 percent of all points over its last five. On the other bench, freshmen Jayden Gardner, Tristen Newton and Brandon Suggs have collectively accounted for 57 percent of East Carolina’s scoring this season and 60 percent of the team’s points over its last five games.
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENTS: The Bearcats have given up only 63.8 points per game to conference opponents thus far, an improvement from the 69.2 per game they allowed over 12 non-conference games.
CREATING OFFENSE: Jarron Cumberland has either made or assisted on 47 percent of all Cincinnati field goals over the last five games. Jarron Cumberland has 25 field goals and 35 assists in those games.
SLIPPING AT 75: East Carolina is 0-8 this year when it allows 75 points or more and 10-7 when holding opponents to fewer than 75.
ASSIST-TO-FG RATIO: The Pirates have recently used assists to create buckets more often than the Bearcats. East Carolina has 46 assists on 71 field goals (64.8 percent) across its previous three contests while Cincinnati has assists on 48 of 84 field goals (57.1 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: Cincinnati has attempted the second-most free throws among all AAC teams. The Bearcats have averaged 22.2 free throws per game and 25.7 per game over their last three games.
