TicketsStokes Tops 1,000 Points in Win Over Miami
Bearcats top RedHawks, 66-44, before 14,276 at U.S. Bank Arena
Contact: Tom Hathaway
12/28/2002
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Leonard Stokes was the main attraction but the senior got a lot from a supporting cast as Cincinnati turned back Miami, 66-54, before 14,276 at the U.S. Bank Arena.
Stokes scored a game-high 18 points to become the 40th Bearcat to top the 1,000-point mark in career scoring. He finished the night with 1,001 career markers.
The 6-6 senior tallied 13 of those points in the first half, during which UC fashioned an eight-point lead. Several teammates stepped up their production in the final 20 minutes to boost Cincinnati to its sixth victory in nine games.
Field Williams, who had struggled with his shot in recent games (nine points, 4-of-24 shooting over his last three games), rediscovered his touch, knocking down nine of his 11 points in the second half. The 6-3 junior went 4-of-6 from the floor.
Derek Hollman, making his first start at center since the season opener, responded with career highs of seven points and four rebounds, six of his points coming in the second half. Armein Kirkland tallied six points while playing a career-best 28 minutes.
Hollman also saw a career-high, 24 minutes of action, due in part to the foul troubles that kept Jason Maxiell on the bench for nearly half of the contest. Maxiell did manage 11 points.
"We didn't have Max (Jason Maxiell) most of the game, so we needed those two and they played great," said Stokes about Hollman and Kirkland. (Derek) has been working in practice and as long as you finish, we'll throw it to him all night."
The backyard brawl featuring two teams which have struggled offensively this season got off to the kind of start their stats would suggest, combining for 11 points in the game's first five minutes. Miami tallied eight of the game's first nine points, but Cincinnati caught up with the RedHawks midway through the first period.
The Bearcats broke a 19-all tie with an 11-0 scoring run in the final five minutes of the half to take control of things. While Cincinnati wasn't able to mount a sizeable margin, its largest lead was 14 points with 1:49 remaining in the game; Miami wasn't able to make much of a comeback.
UC shot .477 from the field while holding Miami to .380. The Bearcats shot a season high .545 from 3-point range (6-of-11) and doubled the RedHawks at the foul line--UC was 18-of-27 while MU was 9-of-11.
"We attacked the basket a lot tonight, which gave us opportunities," stated UC head coach Bob Huggins. "We got the ball in the low block a lot tonight."
Huggins singled out Hollman's play. "He made some good passes from the post and battled for rebounds. We need some more of that.
"The guys who practice hard and work get better," Huggins also said. "Derek kept working. He didn't pout. He just worked and you can see him getting better. We don't have to worry about his effort."
Cincinnati plays host to Chattanooga on Thursday in the Shoemaker Center.
NOTES:
? Miami became the seven team to shoot less than 40 percent against the Bearcats. Cincinnati has held its opposition to .380 shooting this season.
? The two teams combined for 14 turnovers, six by Cincinnati. It was the fifth game this season in which the Bearcats have been in single digits in turnovers.
? The crowd of 14,276 in the 16,600-capacity building gave plenty of encouragement that U.S. Bank Arena will host a Cincinnati game again next season, probably involving Miami.
? Transfer James White was expected to arrive in Cincinnati late Saturday. The transfer from Florida will practice with the team for the first time on Monday (the Bearcats were given Sunday off). White, a 6-6 swing player from Kensington, Md., averaged 6.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 30 games as a backup for the Gators last season. He will be eligible to compete at UC next December.
? Eric Hicks, who remained at his home in Greensboro, N.C. when the Bearcats returned from their holiday break on Christmas day, returned to the team on Friday night and was in uniform for Saturday's game but did not play.