TicketsFeb. 18, 2007
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CINCINNATI, Ohio - John Williamson scored 23 points to lead the University of Cincinnati, but Notre Dame made 13 3-pointers to pull away to a 76-64 victory at Fifth Third Arena.
Deonta Vaughn left the game in the waning seconds after totaling 22 for UC. Cincinnati wore throwback uniforms honoring its 1961 team, which won the first of the Bearcats' consecutive national titles.
The Fighting Irish (20-6, 8-5 Big East) used their balance and outside shooting to lead the entire game against Cincinnati (10-16, 1-11).
Falls scored a team-high 23 points and went 5-of-8 from behind the arc, moving ahead of Chris Thomas for the school record. Falls has 205 3s during his career, which is three more than Thomas.
Notre Dame's Ryan Ayers added a career-high 12 points, going 4-of-4 from behind the arc. Russell Carter, who leads the Irish with 17.7 points per game, went only 1-of-6 for three points in limited play.
The Fighting Irish were 13-of-20 overall on 3-pointers. Tory Jackson made a pair of 3s that got the Fighting Irish rolling in the opening minutes. Notre Dame went 7-of-10 from behind the arc in the first half, pulling ahead 37-30.
In the first half, the Bearcats closed the margin to 20-16 after Jamual Warren's lay-in and ensuing free throw set a traditional 3-point play. Warren's pass set up Cedric McGowan's layup that made it a four-point game with 9:50 left in the opening frame.
Vaughn tirelessly kept Cincinnati close, hitting a pair of late 3-pointers and scoring 12 points overall in the first 20 minutes.
Cincinnati switched defenses - man-to-man, zone, full-court press - to slow the league's top-scoring team. UC also set about getting the ball inside in the second half.
Williamson scored 10 of Cincinnati's first 12 points in the second half, six of them on free throws. His rebound and put-back made it a four-point game at 44-40, shortly after the first media timeout of the second period. The Columbus, Ohio product got his fourth foul with 11 minutes remaining, limiting him the rest of the way.
Ayers, who had never scored more than seven points in a game, made his fourth 3-pointer for a 54-43 lead. Cincinnati got to within seven points on Williamson's short jumper with 3:03 remaining, but could get no closer the rest of the way.