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Postgame Press Conference - Head Coach Tim  Jankovich, Kendric  Davis 
Tournament Central

IRVING, Texas – Fifth-seeded Cincinnati pushed out to a big second-half lead and held on to defeat No. 4 seed SMU, 74-71, in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Air Force Reserve American Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Championship Thursday afternoon at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

With the win, the Bearcats (11-10) advance to the semifinals for the fourth time and will face top-seeded Wichita State on Saturday, March 13 at 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT on ESPN2.

The Bearcats opened the second half on a 16-3 run to jump out to a 20-point lead with 14:16 remaining at 46-26. The Mustangs (11-5) used a late surge to get the game close, pulling within three with a tip-in at the buzzer.

Jeremiah Davenport scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Cincinnati, while Mike Saunders Jr. added 12 points and six rebounds.

Kendric Davis scored a career-high 35 points for SMU, which is also the tournament high so far. The unanimous All-American Athletic Conference First-Team selection was 9-of-16 from the field with four 3-pointers and 13-of-17 from the free throw line.

Cincinnati has won seven consecutive games in the American Athletic Conference Championship, tying SMU's record for the longest winning streak in tournament history. Cincinnati is the two-time defending champion of the tournament (2018, 2019).

All of the latest information regarding the tournament can be found on Championship Central at TheAmerican.org/mbb.

SMU Postgame Notes – March 12, 2021
No. 5 Cincinnati 74, No. 4 SMU 71
Cincinnati (11-10), SMU (11-5)
Air Force Reserve American Athletic Conference Champions - Quarterfinal
Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, Texas
 
NOTES
Starters: #1 Feron Hunt, #2 Darius McNeill, #3 Kendric Davis, #5 Emmanuel Bandoumel, #25 Ethan Chargois

• First start for #2 Darius McNeill
• #1 Feron Hunt, #3 Kendric Davis, #5 Emmanuel Bandoumel and #25 Ethan Chargois have started every game

SMU is 11-5 on the season

• 5-3 away from home

SMU is 8-4 all-time in the American Athletic Conference Championship
 
ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUAL NOTES
 
Ethan Chargois (#25, Sr., F)

• 7 points
• Tied career high with 12 rebounds (entered game 16^th in AAC at 5.1)
  • 5^th game this season with 9+

Kendric Davis (#3, Jr., G) - All-AAC First Team, Lute Olson National Player of the Year Mid-Season Watch List

• Career-high 35 points (entered game 3^rd in AAC at 17.7)
  • Most by an SMU player since 36 Semi Ojeleye vs. East Carolina 3/10/2017 AAC Quarterfinal
  • 2^nd 30-point game of the season
  • 9^th 20-point game of the season
  • Most points in a game against an American Athletic Conference opponent
  • Double-figure scoring in 14 of 16 games this season
• 4 assists (entered game 1^st in AAC and 3^rd NCAA at 7.6)
• 3 steals (entered game 4^th in AAC at 1.5)

Feron Hunt (#1, Jr., F) – All-AAC Third Team

• Only played 14 minutes (injury)

Isiah Jasey (#22, Sr., F)

• Tied career high with 3 blocks
  • 4^th multi-block this season

Charles Smith IV (#4, So., G)

• 2-5 on 3-pointers (entered game 1^st in AAC at 46.3%)

SMU CAREER RECORDS
 
SMU Career Rebounds
Rank      Rebounds
27           562        Mike Wilson, 1990-93
28           554        Gene Phillips, 1968-71
29           550        Wilbur Marsh, 1957-60
30           539        Bob Begert, 1964-67
31           535        Joe Swedlund, 1974-78
32           533        Feron Hunt, 2018-
33           530        Jay Poerner, 1994-98
34           527        Ethan Chargois, 2017-
 
SMU Career Points
Rank      Points
32           1110      Sterling Brown, 2013-17
33           1096      Jan Loudermilk, 1959-62
34           1093      Eric Castro, 2001-05
35           1077      Steve Strange, 1958-61
36           1046      John Colborne, 1985-90
37           1041      Gerald Lewis, 1989-93
38           1027      Bobby Mills, 1954-57
39           1026      Kevin Lewis, 1982-86
40           1020      Ethan Chargois, 2017-
 
SMU Career Assists
Rank      Assists
13           337        Shake Milton, 2015-18
14           334        Scott Johnson, 1983-87
15           323        Stephen Woods, 1996-00
16           294        Sterling Brown, 2013-17
17           291        Kendric Davis, 2019-
 
SMU Career 3FG Made
10           133        Jeryl Sasser, 1997-01
11           131        Mike Walker, 2007-11
12           128        Sterling Brown, 2013-17
13           121        Jemeil Rich, 1994-97
14           120        Ethan Chargois, 2017-