Cincinnati Goes Cold From Three, Loses 70-59 to Mississippi State

Jarron Cumberland scored 21 points, but the Cincinatti Bearcats failed to find enough offense in a 70-59 loss to the No. 18 Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday night.

Playing in just their second true road game of the season, the Bearcats (9-2) shot a dismal 37.3 percent from the floor. The biggest weak point was in three-point shooting. UC shot just 21.4 percent and was outscored 36-9 from beyond the arc.

Cumberland made two of the team’s triples and knocked down 7-of-16 shots overall. Keith Williams finished with 15 points on 13 shots of his own. Nysier Brooks netted nine points and secured eight rebounds while Trevon Scott, UC’s third leading scorer this season, managed only five points on 2-of-9 shooting.

To their credit, the Bearcats were fine defensively for most of the night, although a late surge allowed the Bulldogs to connect on 45.8 percent from the floor. What UC lacked all game was perimeter defense. Mississippi State connected on 12-of-23 from long range (52.2 percent) and that proved to be the difference.

Up next for the Bearcats, who had won nine-straight before tonight, is a home test against the UCLA Bruins this Wednesday night.