SMU edges Cincinnati to keep perfect season going

DALLAS (AP) — Jordan Tolbert tipped in Nic Moore's missed shot for the go-ahead score with 28 seconds left and then had a big block as No. 15 SMU rallied to remain undefeated, beating Cincinnati 59-57 Thursday night.

The short-handed Mustangs (14-0, 3-0 American Athletic Conference), with only seven scholarship players to start the game, overcame a seven-point deficit in the final 3 1/2 minutes. They are off to the best start in school history, but are banned from postseason play because of NCAA sanctions.

Moore finished with 14 points. He had two 3-pointers in the game-ending 11-2 run for SMU, which along with No. 22 South Carolina (14-0) are the only undefeated Division I teams.

When Moore missed, Tolbert followed up to put the Mustangs ahead and then blocked Troy Caupain's shot at the other end. Ben Moore made a free throw with 8 seconds left before Farad Cobb missed a go-ahead 3-pointer on the last shot for Cincinnati (11-5, 1-2).

Cobb, who entered leading the AAC with 2.7 3s per game and shooting 47 percent from long range, had 18 points on his six 3-pointers. Gary Clark had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Bearcats.

Ben Moore had 15 points to lead SMU, while Tolbert and Shake Milton each had 11.

SMU was down to seven scholarship players, with junior guard Keith Frazier away from the team for a second consecutive game because of personal reasons.

Undefeated college basketball teams

That was down to six when Sterling Brown, sporting a Mohawk haircut for the first time, was ejected from the game with 7:11 left in the first half after coming on the floor during a scrum that led technical fouls against both teams.

Brown was at the scoring table waiting to come into the game when Nic Moore was scrambling on the floor for a rebound. Tolbert dived and landed on top of Cincinnati center Coreontae DeBerry, the big men were shoving and pushing on the floor with one official in the fray with them while other players came together with the other officials between them.

Officials took an extended look at replays, including overhead views, before assessing technical fouls against Tolbert and DeBerry and ejecting Brown.

TIP-INS

Cincinnati: The Bearcats haven't been outrebounded this season. They had a 33-32 edge against SMU. ... Cincinnati won both games last season against the Mustangs.

SMU: The Mustangs played only seven players, four of them going at least 31 minutes. ... SMU had 11 blocked shots, five by Ben Moore, and only nine total fouls.

UP NEXT

Cincinnati is at USF on Sunday.

SMU hosts UCF on Sunday.

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