FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — When Marcus Sasser crumbled awkwardly to the court after his ft slipped from below him whereas dribbling previous midcourt, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson knew one thing was once circulate even without in fact seeing what had took place.
“Marcus goes down, it plot he’s wound,” Sampson acknowledged. “We continuously notify pain is an concept. Some younger of us accept as true with a excessive concept. Some younger of us accept as true with a low concept. But Marcus doesn’t plod down. He by no plot misses practice, by no plot misses a receive. He’s continuously there.”
Sasser, the American Athletic Conference participant of the year, suffered an apparent groin damage with about 6 1/2 minutes left within the first half of the stop-ranked Cougars’ 69-48 assume over Cincinnati of their AAC match semifinal game Saturday.
Houston (31-2), which led at some stage in, was once up by eight when Sasser obtained wound and expanded that to 15 by halftime.
Sampson acknowledged Sasser would be re-evaluated, but indicated that the senior guard couldn’t play when the two-time reigning frequent-season champion Cougars strive to imagine their third consecutive AAC match title in opposition to Memphis on Sunday.
“I’d potentially err on the side of maintaining him out thanks to how most indispensable subsequent week is,” Sampson acknowledged. “But the largest thing is Marcus … his healthy going forward is the largest thing here.”
Jamal Shead had 16 functions and 9 assists for the Cougars within the AAC semifinal, which matched two groups that are inviting to the Worthy 12 subsequent season. J’Wan Roberts had two 2nd-chance layups within the game’s first minute to build apart Houston forward to defend. He performed with 16 functions and eight rebounds, whereas Jarace Walker had 13 functions.
“Right shimmering that Marcus came out of the game and we mute accept as true with teammates that we know that advance off the bench and advance with that similar vitality, it correct presentations plenty about our group,” Roberts acknowledged. “It correct presentations everybody has every assorted’s assist and we by no plot fetch away from what we’re doing, correct staying together.”
Houston is a undeniable bet to be a No. 1 seed when the NCAA Match bracket comes out Sunday, regardless of what occurs in its fifth straight AAC Match championship game.
Landers Nolley II had 14 functions for Cincinnati (21-12), which shot a season-worst 25.5% (13 of 51) from the discipline.
After 30 functions for the Cougars on Friday, Sasser had four functions in 9 minutes in opposition to Cincinnati sooner than the non-contact damage. He was once dribbling between the conference value and the 3-point line when his correct foot perceived to tear, throwing him off-balance sooner than his left foot slipped as neatly, sending him into an awkward spoil up.
Sasser was once a starter on the Cougars’ 2021 Final Four group but neglected their shuffle to the NCAA Elite Eight final year thanks to a damaged bone in his left foot sooner than Christmas. He didn’t evaluate with the media after the game.
Cincinnati was once within 44-35 on a 3-point by Nolley with about 15 minutes left — the finest time after halftime the Bearcats were within single digits. Shead then started a 17-3 shuffle with a jumper, and had seven functions within the spurt that pushed Houston’s outcome in 61-38.
“Obviously, they’re the No. 1-ranked group within the country for a reason, and additionally they’re an advanced group to rating on,” Bearcats coach Wes Miller acknowledged. “It was once a tricky evening for us, because we didn’t rating and we didn’t defend neatly. So that’s the plot you fetch that more or less a lopsided margin.”
BIG PICTURE
Cincinnati: The Bearcats will circulate over the NCAA Match again, their final look being 2019, which was once their ninth in a row. … For the 2nd straight day, Cincinnati was once down 10 functions no longer up to seven minutes into the game. But there would be no comeback admire Friday’s 84-54 victory over Temple for the Bearcats’ largest-ever a success margin in a conference match game. As a replacement, they misplaced by bigger than 20 functions for easiest the 2nd time this season.
Houston: The Cougars bounced assist from Friday’s season-worst shooting game (28.1% total, 16 of 57). They virtually doubled that within the semifinal game, shooting 50.9% (29 of 57). … Houston is 11-0 in Dickies Arena, and mute hasn’t misplaced away from home this season.
