TicketsFeb. 6, 2006
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CINCINNATI, Ohio---A balanced Bearcat attack helped Cincinnati extract revenge for an earlier defeat to archrival Louisville as UC earned a hard fought 74-68 win over the Cardinals on Monday night. The game, broadcast to a national television audience as part of ESPN's Big Monday package was played before a vocal sellout crowd in UC's Fifth Third Arena.
The victory, a much needed triumph for the Bearcats inside the ultra-competitive BIG EAST, moves UC into eighth place in the league standings, evening the squad's league record at 5-5. Cincinnati stands at 16-8 overall. The Cardinals fall to 3-7 in the league and 15-8 overall with the defeat.
Cincinnati's warrior, Eric Hicks, showed as much toughness as ever, playing nearly the entire second half after suffering a mild concussion just before halftime. Hicks showed no ill effects, however, as he scored 14 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. Jihad Muhammad led four UC players in double figures as he scored 19, including dropping in 5 of 10 from behind the arc.
In addition to a convincing 42 to 30 edge on the boards, UC made history with its performance from the free throw line. The Bearcats connected on all 18 of their free throw attempts, setting a school record with the 100 percent. Hicks, just a 64 percent shooter entering the game, knocked down all 10 of his attempts from the line to lead the way.
The victory was not without cost for UC, as in addition to Hicks' concussion, the Bearcats' leading scorer James White, left the game with just over three minutes remaining after reinjuring his right ankle. White was outstanding for UC, scoring 14 points and adding a season-high nine rebounds. Devan Downey scored 15 points and handed out four assists from his point guard position to round out the Bearcats' double figure scorers.
The Bearcats jumped into an early lead, getting the crowd of 13,176 into a frenzy when Muhammad buried his first two three point attempts. Later, the home team threatened to turn the battle into a rout, as UC jumped out to an 18-6 lead.
After a dominating first six and a half minutes, the momentum turned in the Cardinals' favor, as a 15-2 Louisville run spanning nearly five minutes gave U of L its first lead at 21-20. For the Cards, Brandon Jenkins got hot during the run, scoring six of his game-high 20 points, while Juan Palacios tacked on four.
Following the Louisville spurt, Hicks single handedly brought UC back into the lead as he scored six straight points to push the home team back in front, 26-21. By the half, the score would be tied twice and Louisville would briefly regain the lead, but Taquan Dean's two free throws made it 34-33 at the break.
As had been the case in the first 20 minutes, the second half was another back and forth affair with four ties and six lead changes occurring after the break. The Cardinals took the lead first on a David Padgett jumper, but nearly eight minutes into the stanza, the scoreboard showed a 54-45 lead in favor of the Bearcats. Forced to play catch-up once again, Louisville did just that, using an 11-3 run to draw within 57-56. U of L tried to apply the dagger when Dean was fouled while burying an off-balance three, but after missing the free throw, Muhammad answered with a lay-in to tie the game at 59.
A quick 5-0 Cincinnati spurt made the Cardinal deficit six, but two Jenkins free throws and another Dean three made it a one-point game with 3:42 remaining. Even without a hobbling White, the Bearcats would stretch its lead down the stretch, getting five points from Downey in a game-closing 7-2 run.
In addition to Jenkins' 20 points, UC got 16 points and seven rebounds from Dean. Andre McGee connected on 4 of 7 three-point tries to finish with 14 points for the Cards. After exploding for 19 points and 12 rebounds in the first meeting of the schools, Palacios was held to six points and six rebounds. Padgett, averaging over 12 points and five rebounds per contest, struggled for the second straight time against UC, fouling out with six points and eight boards.
The Bearcats, now one-half game ahead of Syracuse for eighth place in the BIG EAST standings, must now travel to ninth-ranked Pittsburgh for a Sunday afternoon battle. Tip-off from the Steel City is set for 2 p.m.