TicketsJan. 9, 2012
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WASHINGTON - Sean Kilpatrick scored a career-high 27 points, Dion Dixon added 22 and the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team earned a 68-64 win over No. 11 Georgetown at Verizon Center on Monday, giving Mick Cronin win No. 100 as the UC head coach.
With the win, Cincinnati (13-4, 3-1 BIG EAST) has won six consecutive BIG EAST Conference road games dating back to last season.
The Bearcats trailed by six points with less than 6 minutes left before Kilpatrick nailed a three-pointer from the top of the key that made the score 59-62 and sparked UC's 15-5 run to close out the game.
The Bearcats combated Georgetown's 59 percent shooting from field-goal range by converting 19 Hoyas turnovers in 20 points and outscoring Georgetown (13-3, 3-2 BIG EAST) by 12 points from the free-throw line after making 18 of 22 from the charity stripe.
Kilpatrick scored 13 of UC's first 14 points in the second half to keep the Bearcats within striking distance as Georgetown went on a tear shooting the ball, making 10 of its first 12 from field-goal range.
Cincinnati's defense finally started to slow down Georgetown's offense after the under eight-minute media timeout, when UC switched in and out of a zone defense.
A dunk and two free throws from Yancy Gates gave UC the lead at 60-59 with 2:12 left in the game, the Bearcats' first lead since they were up 39-38.
Two free throws from GU forward Henry Sims put the Hoyas in front 61-60 with less than 2 minutes left; but on the next possession, Sims was whistled for goaltending Dixon's drive to the layup that put UC ahead 62-61 with 1:43 left.
Georgetown's Jason Clark made one of two free throws with 1:33 left, tying the score 62-62.
On the ensuing possession, UC junior point guard Cashmere Wright drove to the lane, got fouled and hit two free throws that put Cincinnati ahead 64-62.
Sophomore forward Justin Jackson hounded GU forward Otto Porter in the closing moments and caused Porter to dribble the basketball out of bounds him 7.2 seconds left.
Dixon closed out the Hoyas by hitting four free throws in the final 7 seconds to end the game.
UC trailed at halftime 34-32 after Georgetown's Hollis Thompson made an improbable three-pointer that banked off the glass and fell through the rim as the halftime horn sounded.
Dixon, who scored 13 points on 6 of 9 shooting in the first half, was in a duel with Thompson, who totaled 14 points on 5 of 5, including 4 of 4 from three-point range in the first half, but was shutout in the second half.
The first half saw seven ties and eight lead changes thanks in large part to big runs from each team.
Georgetown opened the game with an early 9-2 lead after UC began the game shooting 1 for 10 from the field.
UC's scoring draught ended after 6:29 passed when Dixon hit a fade-away from the right elbow, which started a 14-2 run and put the Bearcats ahead 16-11.
The Hoyas responded to UC's run by making a 9-2 run of their own and put them back in front 20-18.
GU's 56 percent field goal percentage in first half was neutralized by nine turnovers, which UC turned into 13 points.
Gates returned to the starting lineup for the first time since his six-game suspension for his part in the Dec. 10 brawl against Xavier. Gates, who had come off the bench for two games after the suspension, finished with eight points and seven rebounds.
Cincinnati plays host to Villanova University on Saturday at noon at Fifth Third Arena. The game will be televised live on Channel 12 (WKRC-TV) in Cincinnati and regionally on the BIG EAST Network.