TicketsMarch 17, 2006
CINCINNATI, Ohio - Five players scored in double-figures as a full team effort propelled Cincinnati to an 86-80 win over Charlotte in first round NIT action on Friday night at Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats were led by double-doubles by Eric Hicks and Cedric McGowan. Hicks scored a game-high 23 points with a career-best 18 rebounds, while McGowan added 20 points and 13 rebounds. Hicks also had four blocks to pull within one of Kenyon Martin's single-season record of 107.
Jihad Muhammad scored 17 points and handed out a career-high eight assists, while James White scored 12 points and Devan Downey had 11.
The Bearcats (20-12) advance to host Minnesota in second round action on Wednesday, March 21 at 9 p.m. Season ticket holders and UC students can purchase tickets online at www.UCBearcats.com starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Additionally, the UC Ticket Office at One Edwards Center will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m. and can be reached at 513-556-CATS. Remaining tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. on Monday morning.
Charlotte was led by 20 points and 15 rebounds by Curtis Withers. Leemire Goldwire added 13 points and De'Angelo Alexander recorded 11 points and six rebounds.
UC shot .476 from the field and held Charlotte to .354 shooting. The Bearcats were 19-of-28 from the line and withstood a three-point barrage by the 49ers, who took 29 triples and made 10.
Trailing by seven with 7:45 to play, the Bearcat little guys stepped up big, as Downey and Muhammad scored all the points in an 11-3 run in which Charlotte managed only a Mitchell Baldwin triple in an almost four-minute stretch.
Downey and Muhammad opened the run with back-to-back floaters, followed by a lay-in by Muhammad on a give-and-go with Hicks. Following Baldwin's trey, Muhammad answered with one of his own and Downey put in another driving lay-up with 4:48 left for a 70-69 UC lead.
Withers then scored five points in a 7-2 run by the 49ers that pushed them back ahead, 76-72, with 3:07 left.
The big men would provide the winning push with a three-point play by Hicks and a put-back by McGowan regaining the lead for UC. Muhammad added a jumper to give the Bearcats a 79-76 edge with 1:09 on the clock.
UC made 7-of-10 free throws in the final minute as four points by Baldwin were Charlotte's only scores in the final three minutes.
UC made four of its first five shots to jump out to an 8-1 lead in less than two minutes. Hicks had two of the baskets and assisted on another. Charlotte finally made a field goal when Alexander hit a three-pointer with 17:11 on the clock, but James White answered with a three of his own.
The Bearcats stayed hot, pushing the lead to 11 on threes by Muhammad and McGowan, the latter giving UC a 21-10 lead with 14:11 left.
UNCC closed within seven on back-to-back scores by Goldwire and Alexander, but UC responded with a 7-2 run. Domonic Tilford hit a triple, followed by two Hicks free throws and a Downey jumper to pull out to a 35-23 lead with 6:07 left in the half.
Goldwire drained consecutive treys to move the 49ers within six with 1:46 remaining, but UC pulled back out by nine on a McGowan jumper with 50 seconds left. Charlotte was able to close within five at the break, 40-35, on a put-back by Courtney Williams and two free throws by Goldwire when he was fouled taking a three-pointer with 1.8 seconds left.
The Bearcats ended up shooting .455 for the half and made 4-of-8 three-pointers. Charlotte shot .419 from the floor and was 4-of-10 from behind the arc. Goldwire had three of those triples to lead all scorers with 13 points.
First team All-Atlantic 10 member Withers had six points and five rebounds, but was held to 2-of-8 shooting.
McGowan led UC with 11 points and seven rebounds, while Hicks added nine points and six boards.
The Bearcats recorded assists on 12 of their 15 baskets, led by Muhammad's five.
The 49ers scored the first five points of the second half, tying the game on a follow dunk by Withers. Hicks drained a three-pointer, but Withers and Chris Nance scored the next four points to give Charlotte a 44-43 lead.
After trading the lead back and forth, Marcus Bennett ignited a 9-0 run by the 49ers with a trey. It was followed by four free throws and an Antwon Coleman jumper as UC went scoreless for three minutes to fall behind, 56-48, with 12:34 to go.
Following a timeout, Muhammad drained a trey and Hicks block of Withers led to a Downey lay-up and brought the Fifth Third Arena crowd back to life. A pair of free throws and a Hicks jumper were countered by only a single Charlotte score as UC pulled to 58-57 with 9:52 to play.
Charlotte answered with a three-point play by Alexander and Bennett hit a three to cap an 8-2 burst that put the 49ers ahead, 66-59, at the 7:45 mark.