TicketsBearcats Battle First-Place 49ers
UC to try to move back into first place in C-USA
Contact: Brian Teter
1/17/2005
CINCINNATI vs. CHARLOTTE
GAME FACTS
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2005
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Site: Fifth Third Arena (13,176), Cincinnati, Ohio
Records:
Cincinnati (13USA/18AP): 14-2, 3-1 C-USA (tie-2nd)
Charlotte: 12-2, 3-0 C-USA (1st)
TV: WXIX-TV 19 (Jeff Piecoro, Anthony Buford); ESPN (Dave Pasch, Fran Fraschilla).
Radio: WLW-AM 700 (Dan Hoard, Chuck Machock).
Tickets: Available, $25, 513-556-CATS or www.UCBearcats.com.
Series: Cincinnati leads, 13-7.
Last Meeting: Feb. 28, 2004 in Charlotte; UC 75, Charlotte 67.
The Coaches:
? BOB HUGGINS (West Virginia ?77)
At Cincinnati: 16th year, 388-121 (.762)
Overall: 24th year, 556-193 (.742)
Huggins is the nation?s sixth-winningest active coach and is 12th in victories. He is 13-7 vs. Charlotte.
? BOBBY LUTZ (Charlotte ?80)
At Charlotte: 7th year, 126-77 (.621)
Overall: 16th year, 307-168 (.643)
Lutz has piloted Charlotte to five postseason tournament berths. He is 6-9 vs. Cincinnati.
CINCINNATI PROBABLE STARTERS 2004-05 Statistics
F 33 Armein Kirkland, 6-8 Jr., Tyler, Texas......12.8 pts, 3.9 reb, 2.3 ast
F 14 Eric Hicks, 6-6 Jr., Greensboro, N.C........12.7 pts, 8.5 reb, 2.4 blk
F 54 Jason Maxiell, 6-7 Sr., Carrollton, Texas...15.8 pts, 7.9 reb, 3.3 blk
G 21 James White, 6-7 Jr., Kensington, Md........10.3 pts, 4.5 reb, 2.8 ast
G 13 Jihad Muhammad, 5-11 Jr., Plainfield, N.J...11.2 pts, 3.3 reb, 2.8 ast
CHARLOTTE PROBABLE STARTERS 2004-05 Statistics
F 3 Curtis Withers, 6-8 Jr., Charlotte, N.C.....14.3 pts, 7.8 reb, 2.1 ast
F 13 Eddie Basden, 6-5 Sr., Upper Marlboro, Md...14.2 pts, 7.9 reb, 3.7 ast
C 2 Martin Iti, 7-0 So., Sydney, Australia.......7.0 pts, 5.3 reb, 2.0 blk
G 5 Brendan Plavich, 6-2 Sr., Dalton, Ga........12.9 pts, 3.0 reb, 1.7 ast
G 12 Leemire Goldwire, 6-1 Fr., Palm Beach Gardens, Fla..7.2 pts, 2.1 reb, 1.8 ast
SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati will try to climb back on top of the Conference USA standings on Wednesday when the Bearcats host Charlotte at 7 p.m. in Fifth Third Arena. The 49ers, 12-2 overall, are the lone unbeaten team in C-USA play (3-0), giving them sole possesion of first place. Cincinnati (14-2, 3-1) is in a three-way tie for second place with Louisville and UAB. Charlotte enters the game on a nine-game win streak. The 49ers defeated Saint Louis, 65-59, on Saturday. Cincinnati (No. 13 ESPN/USA Today, No. 18 AP) dropped a 69-66 decision on Saturday to No. 19 Louisville.
NOTE STARTING TIME CHANGE: The starting time for Wednesday?s UC-Charlotte game has been changed from 8 p.m. to 7 p.m. The switch was to allow ESPN to add the game to its national television schedule. The game will be televised in Cincinnati by WXIX-TV 19.
BEARCATS IN THE POLLS: Cincinnati climbed seven spots, to No. 13, in last week?s ESPN/USA Today poll and rose five spots to No. 18 in the Associated Press poll. In the computer ratings, UC is No. 18 in the Sagarin Index (1/17/05) and No. 41 in the RPI (1/17/05).
LAST TIME VS. CHARLOTTE: Jason Maxiell scored 18 points while Cincinnati chilled Charlotte?s league-leading offense, holding the 49ers to .382 shooting, for a 75-67 win in Charlotte on Feb. 28, 2004. UC overcame a six-point deficit with 11:30 remaining and held the 49ers to three field goals the remainder of the game. James White dished out his career-high nine assists in the contest.
LAST TIME AT FIFTH THIRD ARENA: Charlotte overcame a pair of Cincinnati comebacks in the final nine minutes to upset the No. 7 Bearcats, 86-83, on Jan. 31, 2004. The victory was the 49ers? first ever over UC at Fifth Third Arena. Martin Iti?s basket and free throw put Charlotte ahead, 82-79, with 2:10 remaining. Brendan Plavich led five 49er double-digit scorers with 17 points. Kareem Johnson led UC with 15 points.
STORY LINES:
? Cincinnati has lost 28 games in Fifth Third Arena since the building was opened in 1989-90, but the Bearcats have never suffered consecutive losses in the arena. UC, which dropped a 69-66 decision to No. 19 Louisville last Saturday, will put that streak to the test when hosting Charlotte on Wednesday.
? Cincinnati is 67-7 in Fifth Third in C-USA play. UC is 8-1 vs. Charlotte in games played at Fifth Third Arena. UC has an all-time record of 213-28 (.884) in Fifth Third Arena since the building opened in 1989.
? The Bearcat defense will get a second straight tough test vs. Charlotte. The 49ers rank third Conference USA in scoring offense (79.5) and second in 3-point field goal percentate offense (.392). In Saturday?s game vs. Louisville, the Bearcats held the Cardinals, who led C-USA in scoring, 15.2 points under their scoring average. UofL, which boasted the league?s top field goal percentage offense (.491), shot just .375 from the field in the game, a season-low for the Cards.
? Cincinnati is ranked first in C-USA and third nationally in field goal percentage defense (.362) and is second in scoring defense (61.5).
? Cincinnati and Charlotte have played three common opponents, Valparaiso, East Carolina and Saint Louis. Both are 3-0 vs. those foes.
? Jason Maxiell can climb several rungs on the Cincinnati career scoring list. Maxiell, who is No. 19 with 1,313 career points, needs three points to reach 18th place, held by Damon Flint (1994-97) with 1,316 points. Within immediate reach are are former teammate Leonard Stokes (2000-03), 17th with 1,318; Levertis Robinson (1988-91), 16th with 1,320; and Derrek Dickey (1971-73), 15th with 1,328.
? Maxiell will be playing in his 113th consecutive game when UC and Charlotte clash. He is currently tied for second place with Dwight Jones (1979-83) for consecutive games. The UC record is 131 set by Keith Gregor (1992-96).
RECAPPING THE LOUISVILLE GAME:
? Nick Williams? 18 points was his career high as a Bearcat. The senior tallied 19 vs. North Texas in 2000-01 while at Kansas State. Williams set a personal best with six 3-point field goals.
? Williams? six 3-pointers was an individual UC high for the season and helped the Bearcats post a 2004-05 high of 11 treys.
? Louisville won the rebounding battle, 42-30. The Bearcats have been outrebounded in the last two games by an average margin of 13.5.
? UC held Louisville?s Francisco Garcia, who entered the contest as the No. 5 scorer in Conference USA (17.6), to a season-low seven points. On Jan. 6, UC limited C-USA scoring leader Quemont Greer (22.4) to 12 points.
? The 17-point lead which UC ultimately lost in the game was not the largest lead which an opponent has overcome in Fifth Third Arena. Canisius came back from a 20-point deficit to defeat UC, 72-69, on Dec. 9, 1994.
BEARCAT BITES:
? Cincinnati has beaten 12 of its opponents by 10 or more points, and 11 of those foes by at least 16 points. UC is second in C-USA and 14th nationally in average scoring margin.
? The Bearcats have held 12 opponents to sub-.400 shooting, six to 32 percent or less. UC held two opponents, Detroit (.293) and Jackson State (.239) under 30 percent.
? UC has had four or more players reach double figures in scoring in nine of the 15 games. Five players have reached double digits in two games and six reached the twins mark in two other contests.
? Cincinnati is ranked No. 3 nationally in field goal percentage defense (.361).
? The Bearcats, who had gotten off to a good start in free throw shooting, have struggled at the line recently. UC has shot just .605 foul stripe the past five games, lowering the team free throw percentage from .737 to .702.
? Nine of UC?s first 16 opponents appeared in postseason play in 2003-04.
KINGS OF C-USA: Cincinnati is the winningest team in the history of Conference USA, both in league play and overall. The Bearcats have compiled a 114-30 ledger (.792) in C-USA play, winning or sharing the regular season crown in all but one of those years. The Bearcats have posted a 248-64 (.795) overall record during this span. With the inclusion of Cincinnati?s four previous seasons in the Great Midwest Conference, the Bearcats have been regular season champions 10 times in the past 13 seasons. UC has won either a regular season or tournament title in 12 of the past 13 seasons, and six times during that span, UC has claimed both during the same season.
WILLIAMS TAKING AIM: Nick Williams has been Cincinnati?s top long-distance scoring threat recently. Over the past two games, the senior has averaged 14.5 points, shooting .563 (9-of-16) from the field and .583 (7-of-12) from 3-point range. Williams scored 18 points vs. Louisville last Saturday, making a career-high six 3-pointers.
MUHAMMAD DIRECTING THE SHOW: Jihad Muhammad recently set career highs for assists in back-to-back games. The 5-11 junior dished out six assists in the Jan. 8 win over Saint Louis and had seven assists in Jan. 12 victory over East Carolina. Since returning to the starting lineup at point guard four games ago, Muhammad has averaged 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals, while committing just six turnovers during that span, none in his last four contests.
BLOCK PARTY: Cincinnati leads Conference USA and is ranked third nationally in blocked shots (7.3). Jason Maxiell leads C-USA and is sixth nationally in blocks (3.3) with Eric Hicks (2.4) fourth in C-USA and 30th nationally. The Bearcats recorded a season-high 13 blocks in their Dec. 27 win over Miami (Ohio) and had 10 blocks on four other occasions. Maxiell was responsible for six rejections vs. Miami and has twice matched his career high of seven blocks.
KIRKLAND EARNS C-USA HONORS: Armein Kirkland became the first Bearcat to earn Conference USA Player of the Week honors (Jan. 10) after averaging 20.0 points in leading Cincinnati to a pair of C-USA victories over DePaul and Saint Louis. Kirkland scored 18 points and grabbed a career-high nine rebounds in the Jan. 6 win over DePaul, and tallied 22 points in the Jan. 8 win over Saint Louis. Kirkland shot .593 from the field and averaged 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists during the two games.
WAY TO START: Cincinnati has won 16 of 18 jump balls the Bearcats have encountered this season. UC has captured the opening tip in 13 games, and captured the tipoffs of both overtime periods of its Nov. 24 victory over Northern Iowa. Jason Maxiell has been the jumper in each of the tipoffs.
MAXIELL A SENIOR CLASS NOMINEE: Jason Maxiell is one of 30 college basketball seniors nominated for the fourth annual Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award. The award, an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, honors the seniors who have remained at their schools to pursue the many rewards that a senior season can bring.
LOOKING AHEAD: Cincinnati?s three-game homestand concludes on Saturday when the Bearcats host No. 3 Wake Forest . The 1 p.m. contest will be televised by ABC. UC then hits the road for a Jan. 27 date at USF, which will be televised by ESPN2 at 7 p.m.