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Xavier follows Cincy's footsteps in blowing lead in loss

Andy Lyons / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The city of Cincinnati had a bad day Sunday.

Hours after the South Region No. 2 Bearcats blew a 22-point lead in a second-round loss to Nevada, the West No. 1 Xavier Musketeers let an 11-point lead with under nine minutes left slip away against Florida State.

And like that, any dream of two Queen City schools reaching the Final Four ended - sparking multiple hot takes.

For Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin, it's another first-weekend exit from the NCAA tournament. The Bearcats have reached the Sweet 16 only once since Cronin took the reins of the program in 2006. Presented with that fact Sunday, he said he didn't care about reaching the Sweet 16, and is only "trying to win a national championship."

Across town at Xavier, Sunday was a tough end to the college careers of the four seniors who led them to the Elite Eight last season: Trevon Bluiett, J.P. Macura, Kerem Kanter, and Sean O'Mara.

The "brutality" of Sunday's losses, unfortunately, pretty much remains on-brand for the city of Cincinnati.

Team Last title Notable shortcoming
Bengals -- 0-7 in playoffs since 2005
Reds 1990 Haven't won playoff series since 1995
Musketeers basketball -- 0-3 all-time in Elite Eight
Bearcats basketball 1962 1 Sweet 16 appearance in 17 years
Bearcats football -- 0-3 in last 3 bowl appearances

Not quite pre-2016 Cleveland yet, but the southern Ohio city could be in the early stages of giving its northern counterpart a run for its years of futility.

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