TicketsNov. 1, 2010
CINCINNATI - Yancy Gates (Cincinnati, Ohio/Withrow), Dion Dixon (Chicago, Ill./Crane Technical Prep), Sean Kilpatrick (White Plains, N.Y./Notre Dame Prep) and the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team defeated the Carleton Ravens just two months ago in a three-game foreign tour and tonight's 2010-11 season-opening exhibition game was no different. The Bearcats handled the visiting Canadians with ease, using 23 points from Gates, 19 from Dixon, and 16 from Kilpatrick in the 89-57 victory.
Eleven different players scored for UC, which dominated in the paint with 38 points. Cincinnati didn't score a fast break point until Justin Jackson (Cocoa Beach, Fla./Arlington Country Day) picked Kevin Churchill's pocket and made a layup with 4:28 remaining left in the first half. Regardless, the Bearcats were steady on the offensive end, clawing back from a 6-0 deficit to start the game and using a 14-0 run - six from Dixon - to go up 14-6 at the 12:04 mark.
Carleton went on a 9-0 run behind Elliot Thompson to regain the lead, 15-14, with 11:07 on the clock. The two teams traded the lead over the next 5:12 and were tied at 24 when Dixon hit a layup with 5:45 left in the first half. Dixon finished the play with a free throw and UC never gave up the lead again.
Dixon served up an alley-oop for Gates to end the first half, one of five Cincinnati dunks on the night, and UC went into the locker room with a 40-30 advantage. The Bearcats did not miss a free throw in the first half, 13-for-13, and pushed that streak to 14 before missing at the charity stripe.
Gates and Kilpatrick did most of their offensive work in the second half, scoring 15 and nine, respectively. Jackson was equally as entertaining, scoring five points, grabbing five rebounds, and picking up a team-high four steals before fouling out.
The Bearcats out-rebounded the Ravens, 33-25, shot 48.3 percent from the floor, and 72.5 percent from the free throw line. The defensive effort showed on the stat sheet as UC scored 32 points off of turnovers and had 12 steals as a team.
Cashmere Wright (Savannah, Ga./Urban Christian Academy) dished out a team-high five assists for the Bearcats. Thompson finished with a team-high 20 points for Carleton.
Cincinnati will play another exhibition game on Tuesday, Nov. 9, in a 7 p.m. contest against Indiana University Southeast at Fifth Third Arena.