American Athletic Conference Tournament Recaps

Mar 15, 2015 - 12:13 AM Hartford, CT (SportsNetwork.com) - Markus Kennedy totaled 17 points and nine rebounds as No. 20 SMU used a second-half surge to dispatch Temple by a 69-56 count in an AAC semifinal.

Yanick Moreira and Cannen Cunningham each posted 11 points while Sterling Brown pulled down 10 rebounds for the Mustangs (26-6), who advance to face UConn in Sunday's tourney final.

Quenton DeCosey picked up 14 points for the Owls (23-10). Jesse Morgan added 10 points in a losing cause.

The Mustangs moved on top for the first time at 35-34 just over three minutes into the second half after Kennedy's free throws ended a 9-4 burst.

Nic Moore was later good from long distance, followed with a two-point shot and Ryan Manuel added a slam which gave SMU its largest lead of the game to that point at 49-38 with 11:52 remaining.

The Owls whittled their deficit to as little as seven on several occasions, but couldn't continue the push. After Devin Coleman's fastbreak layup made it 63-56, Cunningham answered with a bucket and Brown converted two free throws for an 11-point contest inside of a minute to play.

Temple raced out to an 11-3 lead with less than five minutes played. Will Cummings hit a bucket and a free throw to give the Owls a 17-7 edge just over nine minutes in.

SMU steadily awoke and pulled even at 26-26 after a Cunningham free throw inside the final minute. Obi Enechionyia's jumper -- Temple's first field goal in more than six minutes -- sent it to halftime up by two.

Game Notes

SMU won all three meetings this season ... Temple shot just 4-of-24 from beyond the arc and 29.3 percent overall (17-of-58) from the field.

Final Score: Connecticut 47, Tulsa 42

Hartford, CT (SportsNetwork.com) - Rodney Purvis sank the go-ahead bucket with 46 seconds remaining, and Connecticut held on for a 47-42 decision over Tulsa in an AAC semifinal contest.

Ryan Boatright poured in a game-high 21 points while Purvis added 11 for the Huskies (20-13), the defending national champions who advanced to the conference final on Sunday against SMU.

Shaquille Harrison totaled nine points and five rebounds for the Golden Hurricane (22-10). James Woodard picked up seven points and nine boards in the setback.

Connecticut faced an eight-point hole with 3:41 remaining, but Purvis hit a layup before Daniel Hamilton and Boatright hit back-to-back triples to tie the game at 41-41.

Harrison then split a pair from the line and Purvis connected on the game- deciding bucket.

Boatright finished 4-for-4 from the charity stripe to seal it, and Woodard's desperation three at the buzzer missed.

Neither team led by more than four points in the first half, during which Tulsa shot 30 percent and UConn hit on 38 percent. Harrison's basket provided the Golden Hurricane with a 23-19 edge at the break.

Rashad Smith's successful shot with 6:35 to play gave Tulsa a 38-28 advantage it couldn't hold.