TicketsBearcats Rout Southern Miss, 83-51
Hicks, Maxiell lead UC to win
Contact: Brian Teter
2/16/2005
Eric Hicks posted his 10th career double-double in UC's win over Southern Miss. photo by Mark Bealer |
CINCINNATI, Ohio---Jason Maxiell and Eric Hicks combined for 38 points, helping No. 21 Cincinnati snap a three-game Conference USA losing streak with a convincing 83-51 win over Southern Miss on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Arena.
Maxiell led all scorers with 20 points, while Hicks added 18. The latter also led a Bearcat domination on the glass, as UC outrebounded Southern Miss by a 44-19 margin. Hicks paced the charge with 12 boards for his 10th career double-double. The 6-6 junior also converted 9 of 14 field goals to give him 19 of 25 shooting over the past two games.
For the game, the Bearcats matched a season-high by shooting .525 from the field.
Jihad Muhammad also reached double figures for the Bearcats (19-6, 7-4 C-USA), coming off the bench to score 15 points. Southern Miss (10-14, 1-11 C-USA) was led by 16 points by Rashaad Carruth.
?I think if we will just play together, we will be fine,? stated Bearcat head coach Bob Huggins. ?I think that our problem is that too many of us want to do things we can?t rather than doing things we can. We can do some very positive things if we?re consistent.?
The Golden Eagles took advantage of a slow start by the Bearcats, jumping to an 8-2 lead four minutes into the game. Cincinnati quickly answered though, getting thunderous dunks by Maxiell and Hicks and a lay-up by Muhammad to tie the game.
The Bearcats fell behind again, however as David Haywood drained a three with 10:43 to play to put the visitors up 17-13. That would prove to be the last Southern Miss lead of the night, however, as an 11-0 Bearcat run pushed the home team into the lead to stay. Hicks, Maxiell and Nick Williams scored all 11 points of the run for Cincinnati.
The Golden Eagles continued to hang around as back-to-back scores by Carruth drew USM back to within two. Seven straight Bearcat points pushed the UC advantage back to nine. Down the stretch, Southern Miss could get no closer than six, with that coming on another Haywood three with 1:00 left.
Heading into the break, Cincinnati held a 38-32, but the balance of the stat sheet wasn?t nearly as close. Southern Miss did shoot .481 in the first half to .517 for the Bearcats, but were dominated on the boards by a 21-7 margin. Hicks and Maxiell were both in double digits at the break, with 14 and 10, respectively. Haywood paced the Golden Eagles with 11 first half points.
The first five minutes of the second half saw the Bearcat lead hover around 10 until Cincinnati broke the game wide open. Maxiell?s two free throws with 15:10 to play ignited a back breaking run for the Bearcats that saw them outscore Southern Miss by a 19-2 margin over the next 5:14 of the game. Armein Kirkland scored all nine of his points during the spurt, while Maxiell added five.
In the waning moments of the contest, the Bearcats continued their domination, pushing the lead to a game-high 32 when Ryan Patzwald scored the last two of his career-high five points with just under a minute remaining.
Two Golden Eagle players joined Carruth in double figures as Haywood finished with 13 and Mildon Ambres tacked on 10. Southern Miss finished the game shooting .385 from the floor, but made just 7 of 20 (.350) three point attempts.
?The game wasn?t much,? said Southern Miss coach Larry Eustachy, ?but we are who we are. I?m real impressed with Cincinnati. They just keep coming at you with their heart and their athleticism.?
The Bearcats will continue their three-game homestand when they return to the court to face UAB on Saturday (Feb. 19) at 4 p.m. The game is already been announced as a sellout, but will be televised nationally on ESPN. UC wraps up the homestand against Marquette next Thursday (Feb. 24), with tip-off set for 9 p.m.