TicketsDec. 13, 2006
Box Score | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery
CINCINNATI, Ohio - In a game that was supposed to bring the inexperience of Cincinnati into sharp contrast with a Xavier squad starting two seniors and three juniors, it was the newcomers who played like veterans in leading the Bearcats to a 67-57 win in the 2006-07 edition of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout.
Mick Cronin became the first rookie coach in the last seven at either school to win his first Shootout and it was UC's only freshman, Deonta Vaughn, who led the way as UC improved to 7-2 in front of a sold out crowd of 13,176 at Fifth Third Arena. Vaughn had 24 points and five rebounds for UC and junior John Williamson, also playing in his first Shootout, carded 18 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Led by the backcourt of Vaughn and Jamual Warren, UC committed just eight turnovers and forced 18 by XU (7-3), scoring 22 points off of them. The Bearcats held the Musketeers to 33 percent shooting in the second half and outrebounded them 23-17 in the stanza.
Warren was the third Bearcat in double-figures, hitting the entire box score with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Cedric McGowan added eight points and seven rebounds and Marcus Sikes recorded six rebounds and four assists.
UC, which entered the game making just 66 percent of its free throws, was 19-of-26 from the charity stripe (.731).
Josh Duncan and Justin Cage led XU with 14 points apiece. Justin Doellman was held to four points (six below his average) and Stanley Burrell (11.8 pts/g) went scoreless on 0-10 shooting.
After McGowan's three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Bearcats a 32-29 halftime lead, they came out flying on the strength of Williamson to start the second half. The junior scored inside on the Bearcats' first possession and then converted off a Sikes steal to give UC a 36-29 lead less than 40 seconds into the half.
After XU closed to within four, Williamson scored again inside and Vaughn followed with a pair of free throws to extend the lead to eight, 42-34, with 16:21 left.
Johnny Wolf hit a three-pointer to pull the Musketeers within three, but Williamson scored on a three-point play and Vaughn followed with two driving lay-ups that gave the Bearcats their biggest lead so far, 49-39, with 12:59 on the clock.
UC went cold after that, going six minutes without a field goal. In that time, XU looked to exploit its advantage inside. All four baskets in a 10-1 run came in the paint, including consecutive three-point plays by Cage. Cole's lay-in with 7:16 remaining made the score 50-49.
That would be Xavier's final basket until 40 seconds remained in the game.
Now it was time for Vaughn to respond, making UC's first three-pointer of the half after seven misses and following with a jumper to push the advantage to 55-49 with 6:07 on the clock.
A Sikes putback and foul, followed by a pair of Williamson free throws, extended the lead to 60-51 with 2:24 left. Free throws by McGowan and Warren gave UC its largest lead of the game, 63-52, with 49 seconds to go.
The Bearcats face their second neutral-site battle in three games when they take on No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday, Dec. 16 in Indianapolis as part of the John Wooden Tradition. The 3:45 pm game, the first between the schools since UC's national championship victory over the Buckeyes in 1962, will be broadcast on CBS.
The Bearcats ended the first half on top, 32-29, despite shooting just 34 percent and losing the rebounding battle, 18-15. They forced 10 Xavier turnovers and committed just three while making five three-pointers.
Duncan's three to open the game gave XU the early lead, but the Musketeers missed their next five shots and the Bearcats pulled ahead, 6-3, on a Williamson trey two minutes in.
XU, which owned an 18-10 edge in the paint in the opening half, got the ball inside for two Derrick Brown dunks as part of a 6-0 run that opened up a 9-6 lead. Again, Williamson hit a triple, this time tying the game at the 14:03 mark.
Three more baskets inside for the Musketeers gave them a 17-11 lead as UC went without a field goal for four minutes.
The Bearcats scored the next four to pull within two, but a Duncan lay-up and Drew Lavender three-pointer gave XU its largest lead of the half, 22-15, with 7:19 to play.
The lead was still seven when Vaughn drilled a three-pointer that would start a 15-5 Bearcat run to end the half. Warren made a spinning lay-up and Vaughn sunk a jumper to even the score at 24-24 with 2:36 on the clock.
After the Musketeers scored the next five points, McGowan scored his only points of the half on two three-pointers sandwiched around a Warren lay-in. McGowan's second triple dropped in as the halftime buzzer sounded. The three-point lead at the break matched UC's largest of the half.
Vaughn had a game-high 11 points at the break and Warren had eight. Duncan led XU with nine, but had three of its 10 turnovers. The visitors shot 52 percent from the field.