No. 19 Cincinnati needs to avoid letdown (Jan 29, 2017)

CINCINNATI -- Coming off an emotional victory over crosstown rival Xavier on Thursday night, No. 19 Cincinnati will be looking to avoid a letdown on Sunday when it hosts undermanned South Florida.

The Bearcats (18-2, 7-0 American Athletic) have won 20 straight games at home and are off to their best start under head coach Mick Cronin. The Bulls (6-13, 0-8), meanwhile, have lost eight straight and are winless in conference play.

Aside from ending a three-game losing streak against its city neighbors on Thursday, the victory over the 24th-ranked Musketeers also was a signature win for Cincinnati, helping to further bolster its NCAA Tournament resume.

The Bearcats can ill-afford to take a step back on Sunday afternoon. That would seem unlikely considering the struggles for South Florida and the overall depth the Bearcats possess.

"We have guys that can make plays," Cronin said. "We different have guys that can hurt you and different guys can carry us at different points in the game."

That was evident on Thursday night when freshman Jarron Cumberland scored 15 points, including several key baskets in the second half to stave off a Xavier comeback.

"(Cumberland) is a great player," said Cronin. "He's a big body. We know that he can score."

Cumberland shoots 36.5 percent from 3-point range while averaging 6.6 points. Jacob Evans leads the Bearcats with 14.5 points per game and Kyle Washington adds 13.3 as part of a balanced attack for Cincinnati, which hasn't lost at Fifth Third Arena since falling to Temple 77-70 on Dec. 29, 2015.

The Bearcats' 11-game winning streak is their longest since the 2013-14 season.

If there's a concern right now for Cincinnati, it's free-throw shooting. The Bearcats shoot just 64.7 percent as a team and went 18 of 37 in the win over Xavier.

While free throws might be the only concern for Cincinnati at this point in the season, South Florida has myriad issues. The Bulls fired head coach Orlando Antigua just 13 games into the season and hired former East Tennessee State coach Murry Bartow as interim coach earlier this month.

South Florida still is looking for its first win under Bartow. The Bulls led in the second half against Connecticut on Wednesday before falling 81-60.

"They are a really resilient group," said Bartow of his team. "They continue to be up and play with energy. They compete, they fight ... we have to just keep plugging away. That's all we can do."

South Florida is led by Geno Thorpe, who averages 13.4 points over 19 games. Jahmal McMurray averages 20.3 points, which would lead the AAC had he not played in only three games.

Facing the Bearcats on the road always is a tall order for the Bulls. Cincinnati leads the series 29-8, including wins in the past six meetings. South Florida hasn't beaten the Bearcats in Cincinnati since 1988.

That said, a letdown for Cincinnati on Sunday seems unlikely.

"This year, our guys have done a great job focusing on our opponent and treating everybody with great respect," Cronin said earlier this season. "I think that is because we have tremendous maturity in the kids on this team."