TicketsBearcats, Bobbitt Bash No. 5 Ducks
Cincinnati cruises to a 77-52 win.
Contact: Tom Hathaway
12/18/2002
Tony Bobbitt scored 29 points. |
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Tony Bobbitt and the 2002-03 Bearcats served notice to college basketball with a 77-52 thrashing of No. 5 Oregon in the Jimmy V Classic.
Bobbitt, a junior college transfer who had scored only 28 points in his first six games, errupted for 29. The 6-4 junior from Daytona Beach, Fla. was 9-of-14 from the field and 6-of-11 from 3-point range.
Cincinnati's defense, ranked 11th in the NCAA national statistics, held Oregon's third-rated offense 40 points under the Ducks' team scoring average and a paltry .364 shooting. Oregon senior Luke Ridnour, the subject of a 200-foot billboard in nearby Manhattan promoting him for Wooden Award honors, was cut down to size. He managed just 10 points, half of his scoring average, on 3-of-13 shooting, due chiefly to the pressure applied by UC's Taron Barker. Ridnour was the only Duck to score in double figures.
It was the highest-ranked opponent beaten by the Bearcats, who upped their record to 5-2, since UC's 77-75 upset of No. 1-ranked Duke in the championship game of the 1998 Great Alaska Shootout.
The Bearcat victory pinned the first defeat of the season on Oregon, 6-1.
"We made shots," UC head coach Bob Huggins explained. "I think we came out with a lot of confidence. Tony (Bobbitt got going a little bit and I think that helped. I hope that we'll continue to be consistent defensively. If we continue to shoot 48 percent, we're going to beat a lot of people."
The Bearcats, who entered the game shooting .384 on the year, exuded renewed confidence early. UC opened a 17-4 lead in the first 5:18, Bobbitt hitting a pair of treys and Leonard Stokes tallying five points to spark the surge.
Oregon rallied to close the game to seven, 22-15, with eight minutes to play in the half. Cincinnati closed the half with a 22-9 run, Bobbitt keying the spurt with 11 points, to take a 44-24 lead into the locker room.
The Bearcats stretched that margin to 35 points midway through the second half.
"I just paid attention to what Coach told me to do," was Bobbitt's explanation for his success. "He said 'T, get your confidence back and stop worrying about your mistakes because every time you worry about your mistakes you struggle.' So I just came out and played and tried to concentrate on defense because I knew Ridnour and (Luke) Jackson and (James) Davis can shoot the ball."
Bobbitt's performance overshaddowed another fine effort by Jason Maxiell, who tallied a career-high 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. It was Maxiell's fifth career double double and second in two games. It marked the third straight game in which the 6-7 sophomore had reached double figures in rebounds.
Stokes contributed 15 points and Barker added 10. UC shot .475 from the field and out-rebounded Oregon, 43-31.
Defense was the Bearcats' focus, perhaps due to the presence of former UC All-American and current New Jersey Net Kenyon Martin at the game. Martin, who earned co-national defensive player of the year honors as well as national player of the year honors in 2000, had some words with Bobbitt during the game.
"K just said to D-up," Bobbitt related. "I told him that I was trying and he said, 'No, don't try, do it'."
The Bearcats will remain in the area and hold a practice on Wednesday. The team will travel to Greenville, S.C. on Thursday to prepare for Sunday's game with Clemson.