TicketsNov. 16, 2008
CINCINNATI - In his collegiate debut, freshman forward Yancy Gates (Cincinnati, Ohio/Withrow) recorded his first career double-doulble and junior guard Deonta Vaughn (Indianapolis, Ind./Harmony Community) became the 45th player in Bearcat history to score 1,000 career points, as the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team downed South Dakota, 77-46, in its season opener Sunday evening at Fifth Third Arena.
Vaughn's three-pointer with 14:06 to play in the second half gave him 12 points in the game and 1,000 career points on the number. Vaughn reached the milestone in 63 games, tying him with Jim Ard (1968-70) as the sixth-fastest player to reach the 1,000-point plateau in program history. Vaughn's trey at the also gave Cincinnati a 36-point lead, 63-27, its largest of the evening.
Senior forward Mike Williams (Camden, Ala./Wilcox Central), junior forward Steve Toyloy (West Palm Beach, Fla./Palm Beach Lakes), and freshman guard Dion Dixon (Chicago, Ill./Crane Technical Prep) also scored eight points each in their Cincinnati debuts.
The new-look front line for Cincinnati carried the team to a 37-24 halftime lead, scoring 24 of the team's 37 points. The trio of Gates, Toyloy, and Williams combined to score 24 points and grab 14 rebounds in the first 20 minutes.
A 24-3 run over a 9:07 stretch switched the momentum and put UC on top, 32-18. During the run, Dixon buried a pair of 3-pointers and converted a fastbreak lay-up, while Gates and Williams also added six points apiece.
South Dakota used a pair of lay-ups and a 3-pointer by Dylan Grimsley to open up a 15-8 lead at the 12:26 mark of the opening stanza.
UC got off to a slow start as South Dakota took an 8-6 lead by the first media timeout. Gates and Toyloy combined to score the first six points for UC as they both recorded their first baskets as Bearcats.
The Bearcats have a quick turnaround before playing their second game on Tuesday night as UC welcomes Texas Southern to Fifth Third Arena for a 7:30 p.m. tip.