Shockers drop heartbreaker to Bearcats; fall to 6th in AAC

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Marshall Sunner

Senior Jaime Echenique drives to the basket against Cincinnati on Feb. 6 at Charles Koch Arena.

Wichita State (18-4) fell to Cincinnati 79-80 at home Thursday after Erik’s Stevenson late shot attempt came up short. 

Jarron Cumberland led Cincinnati throughout, and his late-game heroics propelled the Bearcats to the momentous victory.

The second half was back and forth down the stretch, as Grant Sherfield gave WSU the lead with 12 seconds left, but Cumberland’s efforts were too much to overcome. 

For the game, the Shockers shot 48.5% (33-68) from the field and 36.4% (8-22) from downtown.

On the other side, the Bearcats were great throughout, shooting 54.5% from the field and 30% from downtown. Cumberland led the way offensively, tallying 24 points for Cincinnati. 

WSU maintained a balanced attack, with three players scoring in double digits.

Jaime Echenique was dominant for WSU, tallying 19 points along with 11 rebounds. Ultimately, WSU just came up short.

Dexter Dennis and Jamarius Burton were also solid in the loss, as the duo combined for 29 points. Both made clutch shots down the stretch, but the Bearcats always had a response. 

WSU was relatively successful in the paint, where they scored the same number of points as the Bearcats while outrebounding them by three.

Since WSU joined the AAC, Cincinnati has dominated this matchup. The Bearcats have won all three of the contests inside of Charles Koch Arena. Cumberland has played a key role in several of those victories. 

With the loss, the Shockers fall the way to sixth place in the AAC while, Cincinnati takes sole possession of first. The Shockers’ schedule doesn’t get any easier, as they are set to travel to Houston to face the formidable Cougars. Tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.