The title game for the American Athletic Conference Tournament is set, and it features two former Big East teams with rich histories boasting talented and versatile rosters. Defending national champions Louisville will meet UConn after the Huskies outlasted top-seeded Cincinnati in a game that went down to the wire.
AAC Tournament 2014 schedule and bracket: Louisville, UConn to battle for championship
Saturday brings the first-ever final of the newly-minted American Athletic Conference.
Andy Lyons
Road to the Title
UConn earned the win, 58-56, when Bearcats star Sean Kilpatrick missed a layup at the buzzer. UConn trailed by four at halftime, but went on a run in the second half with big efforts from Shabazz Napier and DeAndre Daniels to complete the comeback. Napier scored 15 points to lead the Huskies, and was one of four UConn scorers in double-figures. Kilpatrick led Cincinnati with 14 points but shot only 5-of-15 from the field.
No. 2 Louisville dashed any hopes of Houston making a run for an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament, slamming the Cougars in the semifinals. Russ Smith scored 27 of his career-high 42 points in the first half, nearly outscoring Houston in the first 20 minutes by himself. The preseason All-American shot 14-of-22 from the field, scoring at will in the semifinal game. Smith's previous career high was 36, set in Louisville's loss to North Carolina earlier this season. Louisville now reaches the finals after winning their first two games in the conference tournament by a combined 90 points.
UConn and Louisville played on March 8, with the Cardinals winning in a blowout, 81-48. The Cardinals also defeated the Huskies in their home gym on Jan. 18, 76-64.
Saturday’s schedule of games:
No. 5 Louisville vs. UConn, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN
Here’s a link to the entire AAC bracket.
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