TicketsBearcats Edge UAB, 72-69, to Garner 20th Win
Contact: Brian Teter
2/19/2005
Armein Kirkland recorded 14 points and seven rebounds. |
CINCINNATI, Ohio ? Like many of their predecesors, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats found a way and toughed out a grueling 72-69 win over UAB before a sellout crowd of 13,176 fans at Fifth Third Arena on Saturday. It was UC?s first win since early January in a game decided by seven points or less as the Bearcats had dropped their last four close games.
The victory kept the Bearcats in contention for a first round bye in next month?s Conference USA Tournament as UC improved to 8-4 in league play, just a game out of third place, while the win also gave the Bearcats (20-6) their 20th win of the season. It is the 13th time in the last 14 years Cincinnati has accomplished that feat, and the 14th time in head coach Bob Huggins? 16 years at UC.
Despite making just one field goal in the game?s final 6:38, the Bearcats made 10 straight free throws to hold off a scrappy UAB unit, which lost its fourth straight game to fall to 16-9 overall and 6-6 in C-USA action. Jason Maxiell led four Bearcats in double figures with a game-high 22 points and he also added 11 rebounds for his 19th career double-double and fifth of the season.
Armein Kirkland?s two free throws with 10 seconds remaining gave UC a 72-69 advantage, and then UAB?s Carldell ?Squeaky? Johnson missed a three-pointer with three seconds left to secure the win for UC, who had starters Eric Hicks and James White struggling with flu-like symptoms and missing most of practices the past two days. Backup point guard Chadd Moore missed his second straight game with a viral infection.
?I?m relieved. This time of the year, you just have to try and find a way to win, and that is what we did. We really toughed it out,? explained Huggins. ?They (UAB) made some hard plays and had a great effort today. But we?ve got four regular season games left and we will see what happens and hopefully play as long as possible in March.?
The game has its share of sloppy moments throughout as the Bearcats matched a season-high with 22 turnovers against the pressing and swarming UAB defense, while the Blazers missed 11 of 21 free throws, including their first eight in the second half.
UC started fast, jumping out to a quick 9-2 lead, but UAB went on a 6-0 run midway through the first half to tie the game at 18-18. The Blazers took their first lead of the opening half at 25-24 on a three-pointer by Richard Jones. UAB would lead at halftime 29-26, converting 14 UC turnovers into 15 points.
?This game was not a thing of beauty, but that is how we like it,? UAB head coach Mike Anderson said. ?Cincinnati is very good at home, but I thought the biggest discrepancy was a the free throw line. They (UC) gutted it out and that is what good teams do ? find a way to win.?
UAB took its biggest lead of the game early in the second half at 33-27 before the Bearcats went on a 16-6 run over the next five minutes to lead 43-39 with 13:45 remaining. The UC lead would get to as large at nine (63-54) after a pair of James White free throws following a technical foul called on Anderson, but the Blazers responded with a 9-2 run over the next three minutes to trim UC?s margin to 65-63 with 3:05 left.
White?s three pointer from the left corner gave UC a 68-63 lead, only to see UAB slice to margin to 68-67 after a driving layup by Marvett McDonald, who shared scoring honors with Donell Taylor for the Blazers, each scoring 16 points. Maxiell and Kirkland both made their free throws around another McDonald basket to provide the final margin.
?We want to take every game step by step, but we want to get on a winning streak going into the tournament,? said Maxiell. ?We want to finish out the season strong and go into the conference tournament, play well, and then get a good seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Complimenting Maxiell?s game-high 22 points were Kirkland and White, who each tallied 14 and Nick Williams added 13, including a pair of three-pointers which gave UC control of the game midway through the second half. Despite shooting just 38 percent from the field, the Bearcats converted 76 percent from the free throw line (29-38).
The Bearcats, for the second straight game, dominated the backboard, out-rebounding UAB 49-25. This comes off UC owning a 44-19 (+25) advantage over Southern Miss on Wednesday night.
Cincinnati returns to action by completing its homestand on Thursday, Feb. 24 by hosting Marquette in Fifth Third Arena. Game time is set for 9:00 p.m. EST.
GAME NOTES
-- UC?s 20-win season is the 27th in the storied history of the program, and 14th in 16 seasons under Bob Huggins.
-- Jason Maxiell moved into 12th place on the all-time scoring list at UC. He has now scored 1,463 points, passing Dwight Jones (1979-82) who scored 1,451.
-- The -13 turnover differential against UAB was its largest of the season.
-- UAB, who leads the nation for the third straight year in steals, had 11 vs. UC, the most by a Bearcat opponent this season.
-- Eric Hicks? 13 rebounds was his ninth double-digit rebounding effort of the year.