TicketsDescribing a game as the “Battle of the Century” is a tall task. It requires two teams at the height of their powers colliding at the perfect moment, setting up a game so impactful that it dominates the headlines around the country and leaves people scrambling to find any way inside the arena so they can witness something they can tell their grandchildren about decades later. On today’s date, 63 years ago, one of those battles, inside historic Chicago Stadium, included the Bearcats.
In January 1963, Cincinnati was on top of the basketball world. They had won the last two national championships, were ranked number one in the country, and hadn’t lost a game in more than 380 days. Under head coach Ed Jucker, UC had become the national gold standard in college basketball. Players couldn’t go out to eat without getting photographed, and Jucker couldn’t have a road game without being mobbed by the press. As enamoring as they were to the city of Cincinnati, they were just as terrifying for the teams on their schedule. They were the best defensive team in the country, focused on slowing the game down and making it miserable for opponents. A sportswriter from Champaign, Illinois, wrote that they were “as exciting to watch as kissing a mop.”
Their opponent on this day, however, was the complete opposite. The No. 3-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini were all about a fast-paced game that featured scoring in bunches. Led by three-time team MVP Dave Downey, Illinois averaged nearly 89 points a game, good for second in the country. They were going to be the toughest task the Bearcats had faced so far that season.
There was some drama before the game, though. Both teams would be picked up by the same bus from their hotels on their way to the arena. Illinois was picked up first and then had to wait more than 30 minutes in reported subzero temperatures before the Bearcats finally came out to the bus. “We merely appeared when we were told to appear,” Jucker said to reporters. Both teams eventually made it to the stadium without any problems.
So, in front of one of the largest crowds in the history of the “Madhouse on Madison,” it would be the greatest team in the country on a 32-game winning streak, facing off against an offensive juggernaut. The scene was certainly deserving of its nickname.
More than 22,000 fans were on hand as the game tipped off, with Illinois hitting two quick jumpers to earn a 4-2 lead. However, their lead would disappear quickly, as Tom “The Cobra” Thacker and Tony Yates both scored on the other end to give UC an early advantage––crucial to their style of play.
Midway through the first half, the Bearcats began to take real control of the game, going on a 7-0 run to push their lead to eight. The Fighting Illini’s explosive offense was dormant, registering only 13 points in the first 14 minutes of play. Cincinnati’s gameplan was working perfectly. Slow the game down on offense, then throw Illinois’ offense out of rhythm with relentless pressure. UPI wrote that the Illini were “harassed by the pressing Bearcat man-to-man defense.”
UC’s lead swelled to 14 in the last part of the first half, thanks to some baskets from George Wilson and Larry Shingleton. At halftime, it was 33-23 Cincinnati, with Illinois shooting just 26% from the field. They were as cold on the court as they were on that bus waiting outside UC’s hotel.
The Bearcats started the second half slowly, allowing the Illini to cut the lead to four. The shots were starting to fall for Illinois, and the game was within striking distance for most of the second half. Guard Bill Small would hit three consecutive shots at one point, making it a five-point game with 12 minutes left.
With eight minutes to go on the clock, and the lead only at four, Ed Jucker called a timeout. Giving his guys a chance to breathe before the last minutes of the game was a genius decision, as Cincy went on another 7-0 run to push their lead to 11 with 6:20 remaining.
With Illinois struggling once again on offense, the Bearcats used this as a perfect time to execute their “cat-and-mouse" game that was loved by those in Clifton and despised everywhere else. A desperate crowd, filled mostly with Illinois fans, booed as Cincinnati wouldn’t let the Illini score for another two minutes. They finally got another basket with 3:15 to go, still trailing the ‘Cats by eight.
Illinois would bring it back within five once again, but a crucial three-point play with 30 seconds left from Ron “The Bomb” Bonham capped off his brilliant 26-point performance and put the game officially out of reach. Thacker and Yates added four more points from free throws, making the final score 62-53 in favor of Cincinnati. Dick Forbes of the Enquirer mentioned the “glue-like defense” that “drove the Illini crazy” as the deciding factor in the matchup, giving UC their 33rd consecutive victory.
After the game, both teams had to share the same bus again. And while coach Jucker’s team was feeling joyful in the front, Tom Thacker noticed Illinois wasn’t feeling the same emotions in the back.
“They sat in the back and didn’t say very much,” said Thacker. “They weren’t feeling much like talking.”