TicketsJan. 7, 2013
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CINCINNATI — Redshirt junior guard Sean Kilpatrick scored 15 points in losing fashion as No. 14/15 Cincinnati fell to No. 21/19 Notre Dame 66-60 Monday evening at Fifth Third Arena.
Notre Dame's offensive efficiency outlasted UC (13-3, 1-2 BIG EAST), as the Irish shot 50 percent from the field and made 9 of 16 from 3-point range. Five UND (14-1, 1-1 BIG EAST) players reached double digits, led by junior guard Jerian Grant's 19 points.
UC managed a 46.9 percent shot percentage and hit 9 of 21 from 3-point range. Kilpatrick was the lone Bearcat to reach double-digit points after shooting 6-for-11 shooting, which included 3 of 6 from behind the arc.
After Notre Dame built a 41-29 lead, the Bearcats went on a 12-2 run that was capped by an and-one basket by Kelvin Gaines that brought UC to within one point, 42-41, at the 15:08 mark of the second half.
A 3-point play by Grant was responded with consecutive 3-pointers by Kilpatrick and sophomore guard Ge'Lawn Guyn to give UC a 47-45 advantage - its first lead since it was up 26-23 in the first half.
The Irish responded by taking a 14-2 run to go back ahead 59-49 at the 5:43 mark. After a dunk by senior center Chiekh Mbodj, who scored eight points and blocked four shots, UC closed the gap to four points with 23 seconds left, but could not complete the comeback.
Cincinnati went into halftime trailing 32-28 thanks in large part to Notre Dame's 6-for-8 shooting from 3-point range. Comparatively, UC shot 5 for 15 from deep for a 33 percent clip in the first period.
Kilpatrick produced a quick seven points within the first eight minutes of the game, helping UC take an early 12-9 advantage. His final five points during that stretch spearheaded a 13-2 run over a span of 6:10 that put Cincinnati in front 20-11 at the 7:13 mark. The run was capped by back-to-back 3-pointers by senior guard JaQuon Parker, who scored seven of his eight points in the first half.
Notre Dame quickly tied the score at 20-20 after sinking three straight shots from downtown before sophomore guard Jermaine Sanders traded a pair of treys with two UND cagers that pushed the score a 26-26 tie at the 3:50 mark.
UND finished the half outscoring Cincinnati 21-8 over the final 5:32 of the first half. UND senior forward Jack Cooley scored Notre Dame's first three baskets and totaled a game-high seven first-half points before finishing the game with 11.
Cincinnati next plays 5 p.m. Saturday when the Bearcats travel to Piscataway, N.J. to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on FOX Sports Ohio.