he Cincinnati Bearcats defeated the Georgia State Panthers 68-53 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament South Region on Friday, March 16. The Bearcats barely covered the spread at -14, thanks to a ton of Georgia State’s misfired shots late in the match, while the game went under the total of 130 points.
The Bearcats made it to the Round of 32 where they will face the winner of the matchup between Nevada and Texas, and whoever comes out of that clash victorious, will be an underdog in a game with Cincinnati on Sunday.
The odds for the tilt between Cincinnati and Nevada and Texas will be released by BetDSI Sportsbook in a few hours, and considering that the Bearcats are the No. 2 seeded side in the South Region part of the NCAA, they should be able to reach the Sweet 16.
Game Recap
The Bearcats won the opening half by five points, but the Panthers improved early after intermission to cut the lead and even go up by two. However, Mick Cronin’s men didn’t allow Georgia State to take control and switched to the higher gear in the final seven minutes and sealed the victory.
Cincinnati shot 38.7% from the field and hit nine out of 30 attempts from downtown (30%), while they made 11 free-throws in opposite to the Panthers’ three. The Bearcats destroyed the opponents under the rims and recorded 20 more rebounds (46-26) and 11 more assists (14-3).
Jarron Cumberland led all players with a double-double of 27 points and 11 boards; Kyle Washington added 13 points, four rebounds, and a couple of blocks, Gary Clark recorded a double-double of 11 points and 13 boards, while Jacob Evans contributed with ten points and eight rebounds.
Cincinnati’s odds to win the NCAA Tournament can be found at BetDSI and they are pegging the Bearcats at +2500, which means that Mick Cronin’s side can be labeled as the favorites from the shadow to lift the NCAA title this year, being rated at the 12th place, according to odds. The Bearcats’ next possible rivals Nevada (+25000) and Texas (+28000) are not among the teams considered to be serious contenders in this season’s tournament.
