TicketsMarch 2, 2013
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CINCINNATI (AP) - Sean Kilpatrick scored 20 points and made a pair of late free throws Saturday, and Cincinnati ended a three-game losing streak with a 61-56 victory over Connecticut, Saturday in BIG EAST Conference action inside Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats (20-9, 8-8 BIG EAST) got only their second win in their last six games. They split their season series with UConn (19-9, 9-7 BIG EAST), which couldn't overcome the loss of top scorer Shabazz Napier, who averages 17.1 points.
After a Cincinnati turnover, Kilpatrick stole the tipped inbound pass, was fouled and made both free throws with 13.1 seconds left for a 59-56 lead. Ryan Boatright turned it over on an over-and-back call with 5.2 seconds left.
Boatright led UConn with 22 points, going 14 of 15 on free throws. DeAndre Daniels added 18 points.
Napier's right foot -- which had surgery last year -- has been bothering him the last few weeks and was aggravated in a double-overtime loss to Georgetown on Wednesday. The foot had been a chronic problem for Napier, who had a screw inserted in it last September for a stress fracture.
The Bearcats also were missing a player. Forward Justin Jackson wore a boot on his left foot.
Point guard Cashmere Wright had 10 points on Saturday. Cincinnati was only 12 of 21 on free throws, but scored its last eight points from the line.
Coach Mick Cronin's solution to the lack of offense was to go back to getting points off turnovers. It worked at the outset. Cincinnati scored nine points off seven UConn turnovers. Kilpatrick had a bank shot and a 3-pointer curing a 10-point run that extended the lead to 21-16.
Phillip Nolan and Daniels rallied the Huskies through a 13-3 spurt to finish the half for a 29-24 lead. Daniels had a dunk and an off-balance flip that went in with 4 seconds left in the half, giving him nine points at the break.
Wright made a 3-pointer -- his first basket after eight misses -- and the Bearcats pulled ahead 46-37 with a 16-4 run that featured a technical foul on Cronin. He yanked off his black jacket, flung it at the floor and yelled at the officials, angry that they didn't make a foul call.
Another 3 by Kilpatrick helped push it to 51-39 with 9:15 left, the biggest lead of the game. Daniels and Boatright scored all the points during a 14-2 run that cut it to 55-53 with 2:19 left, with Boatright hitting seven free throws.
Nolan made the second of his two free throws with 20 seconds left, cutting it to 57-56, but UConn then turned it over twice.