No. 12 Houston is your 2019 AAC champion after defeating No. 20 Cincinnati, 85-69, in primetime on Sunday afternoon. This is Houston's first conference title since 1992, when the Cougars were Conference USA champions.
Houston went into the game with a one-game lead in the conference standings, which meant the Cougars were already guaranteed a share of the title. But a win would give them sole possession of the crown.
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After a close first half, Houston rode an offensive explosion and a career performance from Corey Davis Jr. to an easy win.
A second-half shooting streak put Houston on top for good
Houston led by two points after halftime, but Cincinnati led by six points with 13:32 left. That's when the Cougars made their move. Four minutes later, Houston, aided by back-to-back Nate Hinton 3-pointers, held its own seven-point lead.
What ended up as a 29-10 Houston run put the Cougars on top by 13 points, and the lead just kept growing. Both teams shot better in the second half after poor showings in the opening 20 minutes, but Houston was on a different level from the Bearcats.
Corey Davis Jr. put on a show for the Cougars
Corey Davis Jr. has been Houston's most consistent scoring threat this season, averaging a team-high 16 points per game. He scored a career-high 31 points on Saturday, as Cincinnati defenders were no match for the senior guard.
Corey Davis Jr @CoreyDavisJr_ STEPBACK game is CRAZY 🤯pic.twitter.com/39shYRQToB
— VERSACEBOYENT (@VersaceBoyEnt2) March 10, 2019
He added six assists and zero turnovers to complete a career performance in his final regular season game. Davis has been a steady presence for Houston all year, and he picked a good time to go off.
