TicketsJan. 14, 2006
CINCINNATI, Ohio---Gerry McNamara scored a game-high 29 points and Cincinnati was held to a season-low 33 percent shooting as Syracuse handed the Bearcats a 77-58 defeat before a sellout crowd in Fifth Third Arena on Saturday night.
Syracuse shut the Bearcats down in the second half, turning a six-point game into a 19-point blowout with stingy defense after the break. UC drew to within six points on a Jihad Muhammad three near the eight minute mark, but were able to muster only two field goals and seven points in the final eight minutes to lead to its demise.
McNamara was nearly unstoppable for the Orange (15-2, 3-0 BIG EAST) as the senior nailed 10 of 18 field goal attempts, including 5 of 9 from behind the arc. He also added six assists and four rebounds. Junior Demetris Nichols was solid on the interior, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 boards. Terrence Roberts also had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
James White scored 16 points to lead Cincinnati (13-4, 2-2 BIG EAST), but tallied just two points in the second half. Devan Downey and Eric Hicks each tacked on nine for the Bearcats.
The Bearcats got off to a fine start, leading for nearly the entire first half, before going into the locker room tied at 34. White buried an early three to stake the Bearcats to a 3-0 lead and after a Syracuse charge, White's lay-in at the 8:33 mark put UC up a first half high of six.
Syracuse would come back, though scoring eight of the next nine points to take its first lead of the evening at 25-24 with 5:31 before the break. The next two and a half minutes would belong to UC as five made free throws and a White jumper pushed the home team back in front by four. The Bearcats appeared poised to take the lead into the half when walk-on Connor Barwin, a member of the UC Football Team making his first appearance on the basketball court, knocked down two charity tosses. But an off-balance three by Nichols as time expired sent the game into a 34-all tie at the break.
The second half started off good for the Bearcats as Ronald Allen nailed a trey from the corner on UC's first possession to snap the tie. The Orange had an answer though, as back-to-back buckets by Nichols pushed Syracuse into the lead for good.
After a Muhammad triple cut the Syracuse lead to two, the Orange dominated the next 10 minutes of play, as the visitors outscored the undermanned Bearcats by a 22-9 count to pull into a 15-point cushion. Cincinnati's scoring woes took over from there, as the Orange put away the Bearcats to secure the victory in the first-ever match-up between the schools.
Syracuse was outstanding in the second half, shooting 55 percent from the field to end the night at 46 percent. Further evidence of the Bearcats' struggles came with a season-low .615 effort from the foul line and a 51-27 deficit on the boards.
UC, having now dropped two straight, must now prepare for its final non-conference contest of the year, the annual Crosstown Shootout against Xavier. This season's edition will be played on Thursday night at XU's Cintas Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m.