I’ve missed the last few games. For that, I apologize, and I’ll penalize myself by giving myself a pay cut.

Cincinnati walked into Moody Coliseum for the last time as a member of the AAC and held off SMU for a 54-52 win.

This was a get on the plane and apologize for nothing type of win. It wasn’t pretty, but the team defense as a whole was pretty awesome. The Bearcats held Zhuric Phelps and Zach Nutall to a combined 10-35 from the field. Those are two legit scorers who Cincinnati held to a combined 24 points on 28 percent shooting.

The biggest win for this team though was in the frontcourt. Cincinnati won this game with their rebounding, particularly on the offensive glass. They had 19 offensive boards and were plus-11 in rebounding margin as a whole.

The rim protection was also brilliant as the Cats blocked 12 shots.

This wasn’t a sterling offensive performance. Cincinnati shot just 33 percent from the field, but as the old saying goes “Defense travels.” And if you want to win on the road when shooting 33 percent, you have to guard, and they did.

I don’t want to think about where this team would be without Landers Nolley II. He’s been a godsend on the glass as of late, and he’s been the most consistent offensive player this year. The only gripe today was his five turnovers.

I owe Mika Adams-Woods an apology. What a season for him. He made a few big threes to quash a few SMU runs. Shoey was spectacular on the defensive end by locking down Phelps and adding four steals.

Ody Oguama is a frustrating player to watch on offense. However, he’s been a solid rebounder for much of the year. Ody kept a ton of possessions alive with seven offensive rebounds today.

Take a bow, Viktor (B)Lakhin. Sorry, that was lame, but eight blocks! One came with SMU trying to tie the game with under 10 seconds to go. My man almost pulled off a triple-double with blocks and rebounds. His free throw shenanigans almost gave me a heart attack at the end, though. Let’s not do that again.

Just a tough go for Dave DeJulius right now. I figured there would be a bit of regression after a scorching start to the year, but he’s 8-38 from the floor in his last four games. I still think he will turn this around, but he’s hit a rough patch.

In what’s been a hot and cold shooting display from Jeremiah Davenport over the past few weeks, I give him credit for his rebounding. Wes Miller challenged him to become a better rebounder after the Temple loss, and he’s averaging six boards over his last four games. Still, I’m hoping his shot selection becomes more consistent.

The Bearcats need to clean up the turnovers because 17 is far too many, but I don’t care how they did it. They won. Take it and don’t apologize for it. One final trip to the prestigious Sun Dome at USF awaits on Wednesday night. Keep it rolling.

Game ball:

Viktor Lakhin (2)

Featured Image credit: Sam Greene/Cincinnati Enquirer