TicketsMarch 10, 2009
NEW YORK - The University of Cincinnati men's basketball team could not overcome a cold-shooting second half and fell to DePaul, 67-57, Tuesday in the opening round of the BIG EAST Tournament at Madison Square Garden.
The Blue Demons' Will Walker and Dar Tucker scored 17 points apiece as DePaul (9-23) ended its 18-game losing streak and advanced to the second round against eighth-seeded Providence on Wednesday.
Cincinnati (18-14) led 41-38 before the Blue Demons went on a 15-2 run during which the Bearcats missed 13 of 14 shots from the field.
After scoring two points and dishing out three assists in first half, Deonta Vaughn scored five points in the first 2:25 of the second half and finished with a team-high 15 points, five assists, and five rebounds. UC dropped to 0-3 all-time in the Big East tournament.
Tucker, limited to five minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, scored all his points in the second half - nine in the final 5:30.
Down 18-16 with 7:21 left in the first half, UC went on a 6-2 run over the next 3:24 to take a 22-20 lead. They maintained the two-point lead, going into halftime at 27-25.
Sophomore Darnell Wilks led all Bearcats in scoring during the first half posting six points on two 3-pointers. Wilks who averaged 1.5 points per game coming into the first round of the BIG EAST Championship, has scored 19 points in his last three games.
Mike Williams had two points and four rebounds in the first half before picking up his second foul of the first half at the 10:14. He sat out the remainder of the period. Williams finished with six points and five rebounds.
After DePaul tied of the game at 27-27 coming out of the half, UC went on a 7-0 run to take a 34-27 lead at 18:08 of the second half. Vaughn scored five of the seven points with two layups and a free throw.