Your 2021 @American_MBB Champion... the @UHouston Cougars#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/fvLUYQMA3s
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
2021 AAC Tournament bracket: Houston cruises to conference championship with convincing win over Cincinnati
Coach Kelvin Sampson and the Cougars capped off an incredible season with a dominant AAC tourney victory
There was plenty of drama in the AAC Tournament, particularly in Saturday's semifinal round during narrow victories for Houston and Cincinnati. But in the end, the league's most dominant team won the tournament title as No. 2 seed Houston cruised to an 91-54 victory over No. 5 seed Cincinnati in Sunday's final.
Though the Cougars were edged by Wichita State for the AAC's regular-season title, they were the only team from the conference to be ranked at any point this season and will enter the NCAA Tournament as the clear standard bearer for the conference. A dominant showing in the title game was just the latest reminder of how solid the Cougars have become under seventh-year coach Kelvin Sampson.
After appearing in the 1992 NCAA Tournament, the program had been just one more time before Sampson took over for the 2014-15 season. Now, Houston has strung together six consecutive 20-win seasons and is headed to its third straight Big Dance.
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Below are the full results from the 2021 AAC Tournament.
2021 AAC Tournament schedule, scores
Location: Dickies Arena -- Fort Worth, Texas
Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free) | Follow live: CBS Sports App
All times Eastern; some start times approximated
First round -- Thursday, March 11
Game 1: No. 9 South Florida 73, No. 8 Temple 71 | Recap
Game 2: No. 10 Tulane 77, No. 7 Tulsa 70 | Recap
Game 3: No. 6 UCF 72, No. 11 East Carolina 62 | Recap
Quarterfinals -- Friday, March 12
Game 4: No. 1 Wichita State 68, No. 9 South Florida 67 | Recap
Game 5: No. 5 Cincinnati 74, No. 4 SMU 71 | Recap
Game 6: No. 2 Houston 77, No. 10 Tulane 52 | Recap
Game 7: No. 3 Memphis 70, No. 6 UCF 62 | Recap
Semifinals -- Saturday, March 13
Game 8: No. 5 Cincinnati 60, No. 1 Wichita State 59 | Recap
Game 9: No. 2 Houston 76, No. 3 Memphis 74 | Recap
AAC Tournament Championship Game -- Sunday, March 14
Game 10: No. 2 Houston vs. No. 5 Cincinnati | 3:15 p.m. on ESPN2
Follow below for updates, analysis and highlights throughout the event.
Live updates
𝘼𝙈𝙀𝙍𝙄𝘾𝘼𝙉 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙈𝙋𝙄𝙊𝙉𝙎 👑
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
Next stop: Indianapolis #ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/jvXLVxk1qQ
COOGS WIN!
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
Houston is the 2021 @American_MBB Tournament Champions! 🏆#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/e8i3FGbcQp
That's a final from Fort Worth.
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) March 14, 2021
The #Bearcats fall in the championship game, snapping our @American_MBB record 8-game tournament win streak. pic.twitter.com/80WdpVEOqH
You love to see it.#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/JA6E3Qhdyw
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
Back-to-back treys off the bench from Cam Tyson! Coogs have made 11 triples this afternoon!#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/1UikVCxM1x
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
U-8 & HOUSTON 2 TIMEOUT
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
#️⃣7️⃣ Houston 69
Cincinnati 44
7:41 left | 2H#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
🔒 QU3NTIN GRIM3S 🔒#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/g3TOsQPodi
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
DOUUUUUUUU! #Bearcats pic.twitter.com/U9EyNVuXsd
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) March 14, 2021
U-12 & CINCINNATI 3 TIMEOUT
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
#️⃣7️⃣ Houston 64
Cincinnati 38
11:43 left | 2H@qdotgrimes with 16 pts... 13 in 2nd half#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/jo5LEgsbnp
DeJulius from deep!#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/ecC19ap1ob
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) March 14, 2021
𝑪𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒐𝒇𝒇 🚀🚀🚀🚀#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/p9ETzzYZPP
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
U-16 TIMEOUT
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
#️⃣7️⃣ Houston 53
Cincinnati 33
14:23 left | 2H@LaDeeky | 10 pts | 5 rebs | 7 asts#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/rJabJ0uyPS
9-0 run by Houston and Cincinnati calls timeout.
— American MBB (@American_MBB) March 14, 2021
2H 16:12@GoBearcatsMBB - 29@UHCougarMBK - 50#AmericanHoops pic.twitter.com/gXkW5YQFij
Transition triple from @qdotgrimes 🎯#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/JFFDavmKKa
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
Ice Mike to open the second half.#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/XFkRrNDHeG
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) March 14, 2021
Cincinnati ball to start the second half...
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
And we are underway
WATCH on @espn, LISTEN on @KPRCradio 950 AM & @tunein#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs
20 down. 20 to go.#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/Ae9qs2XUI9
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
HALFTIME STATS
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
presented by @TheJointChiro#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/89S9zzmQO0
Halftime in Fort Worth
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) March 14, 2021
The #Bearcats put together a 7-0 run late in the half. Davenport leads with 11 points. pic.twitter.com/zBQKcZ15sv
HALFTIME@m_sasser0 | 14 pts | 2 rebs@LaDeeky | 10 pts | 4 rebs | 5 asts@JustinG4_ | 9 pts | 2 rebs | 2 asts#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/LkF6JYEzib
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
U-14 TIMEOUT
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
#️⃣7️⃣ Houston 37 | Cincinnati 22
1:42 left | 1H@m_sasser0 & @LaDeeky lead with 10 pts each#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/AIerC3b5aF
Final media stop of the half. Davenport leads with 8 points.#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/9SaTpiAeFX
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) March 14, 2021
.@m_sasser0 is heatin' up.
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
Lead up to 33-17 with 4:30 to go in the first half. #ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/kCGH4oRxHK
Dou comes in and sinks one at the line.#Bearcats pic.twitter.com/GspaNwGR5g
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) March 14, 2021
Everyone involved early.
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
8⃣ assists on 9⃣ made field goals.#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/iim1pNQXnc
Shooter's *𝓉𝑜𝓊𝒸𝒽* #ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/1FD4EPbJuv
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
Five #Bearcats have scored as we hit the second media timeout of the first half. pic.twitter.com/5hCzQPlXYc
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) March 14, 2021
U-12 TIMEOUT
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021
#️⃣7️⃣ Houston 19 | Cincinnati 11
11:28 left | 1H@JustinG4_ | 7 pts | 1 reb | 2 asts#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/FsGBrlw1DT
.@JustinG4_ came to play.7⃣points for the senior. #ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/dst1qBQCLh
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 14, 2021