Bearcats Eliminated

By:  Cooper Ledford


The 6th seeded Cincinnati Bearcats were taking on 3rd seeded Connecticut Huskies in Washington, DC.  Both teams were looking to advance to the Sweet 16 and avoid packing up and heading home.  UC is going home, while UC is celebrating their trip to the Sweet 16, but unfortunately the UC going home is the one whose mascot is a Bearcat.  Connecticut beat Cincinnati, 69-58.


The Bearcats did play a game with Kemba Walker and UConn though, for a while the game was going back-and-forth, but Kemba Walker shined at the end of the game, which allowed the Huskies to to have a comfortable lead and eventually win.


But, fellow Bearcat fans, we cannot hang our heads.  Cincinnati had a great season, a huge improvement from last season, and it looks as if they are back on track.  Expect great things from them in the near future, this is not the last we will see of the NCAA Tournament.


Rashad Bishop was the leading scorer for the 'Cats, as he had 22 points.  Behind him was Yancy Gates who had 11.  Those were the only Bearcats in double-figures, and neither one scored all that much, and that is one reason why they lost.


Kemba Walker, who I think is the best player in all of college basketball, had 33 points, a huge reason why the Huskies won this game.


So the Bearcats head back to the Queen City, as a team that lost in the 3rd round, but in my book, they are winners for having such a great season.

'Cats Beat Tigers, Advance To 3rd Round

Cashmere Wright celebrates from the bench

By:  Cooper Ledford


The 6th seeded Cincinnati Bearcats were in Washington, DC, their opponent was the 11th seeded Missouri Tigers.  This was UC's first NCAA Tournament game since 2005, and it was memorable.  Cincinnati won it 78-63.


Mizzou started the game on a 9-2 run, but before you knew it, Cincinnati had a 39-28 halftime lead.  In the 2nd half, Missouri looked like they were coming back, as they would score on almost every possession, but the Bearcats kept answering back with points of their own.  Then they started to D it up and had a 15 point lead.  Then, it was all down hill from there.  


Yancy Gates, who was benched to start the game, was UC's leading scorer, as he had 18 points, he also added 11 rebounds.  Dion Dixon, who also was on the bench, had 16 points, Sean Kilpatrick, who was ALSO on the bench, had 10 points, and Cashmere Wright who you guessed it, was NOT on the bench, had 11 points. 


Ratliffe lead the way for the Tigers, as he had 13 points.


With this win, Cincinnati advances to the 3rd round of the West region, and will take on Kemba Walker and the UConn Huskies on Saturday.  The time and network are both to be announced.


Here is the play of the game, courtesy of SI.com

Bearcats Down USF, Advance In Big East Tournament

By:  Cooper Ledford

One day ago the Bearcats were wondering who they would be playing today, Villanova or South Florida.  They assumed it would be 'Nova, but USF was able to pull the upset and advance to take on Cincinnati.  With that, today the Bearcats and Bulls went at it at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  UC ended up winning 87-61.

Even with the Bulls beating Villanova last night, Cincy was still favored, in-fact they were supposed to easily win this game.  Well, they did.

A big reason why they won was because of the performance Yancy Gates had.  Yancy had 25 points and 5 rebounds.  His teammate, Dion Dixon, added 21 points, and 6 boards.  There was one other 'Cat in double-figures, which was Sean Kilpatrick, as he had 12 points off the bench.  Sean has looked very good as of late.  He may be a key factor in how Cincy does in the NCAA Tournament.

USF did have 3 players in double-figures, but the difference was: Their leading scorer only had 16 points.  Yup, that'll do it.

Another reason why UC won this game was because they out-rebounded South Florida 33-23.

So, Cincinnati wins this game, and advances to the quarterfinals, where they will take on a tough Notre Dame team.  ND beat UC earlier this season, but now the Bearcats want revenge.  That game is tomorrow at 7 PM ET and will be on ESPN.

Bearcats Stun Hoyas...again

CINCINNATI -- No. 17 Georgetown isn't getting anywhere with its one-man offense.

Yancy Gates scored 10 of his 13 points from the free-throw line, where Cincinnati was nearly flawless, and the Bearcats completed a sweep of the injury-sapped Hoyas with a 69-47 victory on Saturday that left Georgetown with big worries at tournament time.

The fading Hoyas (21-9, 10-8 Big East) take a three-game losing streak into the conference tournament. Senior point guard Chris Wright has missed the last two with a broken left (non-shooting) hand that required surgery.

Georgetown hopes to get him back before the NCAA tournament. On Saturday, he sat on the bench in a suit and watched helplessly as an offense that now revolves around guard Austin Freeman struggled to find open shots.

"Is it hard to deal with?" coach John Thompson III said. "I can't sit here and say everything is peachy. But that's what athletics are about. There are injuries. You have to play the hand you're dealt."

The Bearcats (24-7, 11-7) took full advantage of Wright's absence and completed a breakthrough regular season, putting themselves in position for their first NCAA tournament appearance since Bob Huggins was coach. They won five of their last six, including a pair over the Hoyas.

"It shows progression from last year to this year," Gates said. "This is the perfect time to find what you do best to help you win. For us, it's defense."

And free throws. Cincinnati made 20 of them in a row while pulling away, finishing 24 of 30 from the line.

Cincinnati knew Georgetown would have to rely on Freeman, who missed eight of his first 10 shots. He finished 7 of 23 for the field for 21 points -- not nearly enough to keep up.

"We just tried to make it as hard as possible for them," said Rashad Bishop, who covered Freeman most of the time. "He was really the only person who could create shots for himself. If we eliminate him, it was going to be tough to beat us."

Freeman played 37 minutes and seemed to wear down. Georgetown leads the conference with a 48.5 percent field-goal percentage, but made only 32 percent against Cincinnati's full-court pressure.

"Knowing that Chris is out of the lineup, I have to be aggressive on both ends of the floor," Freeman said. "I tried to get some baskets, get fouls. I just tried to be aggressive and help as much as possible."

Sean Kilpatrick hit a pair of 3s during a 16-3 run that blew the game open midway through the second half. Kilpatrick finished with 13 points. Dion Dixonhad 14.

The Bearcats got a breakthrough win at Georgetown on Feb. 23, holding the Hoyas to four field goals in the second half of a 58-46 victory that snapped a streak of 20 straight road losses against ranked teams. Wright broke his hand during that game.

Cincinnati's strong finish put it in line for its first NCAA appearance since 2005, Huggins' last season as coach. The Bearcats hadn't even managed a winning conference record in their first five seasons as part of the Big East.

The Hoyas came out pushing the pace and got fast-break baskets during a 12-4 run. Cincinnati used its defensive pressure to get back into it. There were four lead changes and three ties in the first half, which ended with Cincinnati getting a technical foul and a bank shot to go in its favor.

After Freeman made a driving bank shot with 44 seconds to go, he got a technical for something he said. The Bearcats made both free throws, and Gates took an inbound pass and banked in a long 3 from the top of the key as the buzzer sounded for a 30-24 halftime lead.

Hoyas reserve center Henry Sims limped off the court with 5:50 left in the first half. A trainer checked his left knee, which already was covered in a brace. Two minutes later, forward Julian Vaughn picked up his third foul, leaving the Hoyas' front line temporarily short-handed. Sims returned for the second half and finished with three points and four rebounds in 16 minutes.

Neither team could put together much of a run because of poor shooting through the first 30 minutes. Both were shooting 33 percent from the field with 10:04 left and Cincinnati up 41-36.

A pair of free throws by Gates and Kilpatrick's 3 started the clinching run.

For highlights, click HERE

Bearcats Pick Up Key Win Over Marquette

MILWAUKEE -- Cashmere Wright scored 15 points and Yancy Gates added 11 points and 11 rebounds to help Cincinnati beat Marquette 67-60 on Wednesday night, likely giving the Bearcats an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament.

The Bearcats (23-7, 10-7 Big East) reached double figures in conference wins for the first time since joining in 2005-06 and will finish with their first winning record in Big East play.

Cincinnati took control early in the second half with a 9-0 run and never let Marquette (18-12, 9-8) get closer than five points down the stretch despite 30 points from senior Jimmy Butler on senior night.

Darius Johnson-Odom added 15 points, but the rest of the team scored just 15 more against the Big East's toughest scoring defense and the Golden Eagles may again be close to the tournament bubble.

UC Huskies Defeat UC Bearcats

CINCINNATI (AP) - Don't get Kemba Walker riled.
Walker scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half, after a courtside fan took to taunting him, and 14th-ranked Connecticut snapped out of its slump by beating Cincinnati 67-59 on Sunday.
The Huskies (21-7, 9-7 Big East) were coming off back-to-back losses, including an overtime defeat at Marquette on Thursday without coach Jim Calhoun. The 68-year-old coach was with his family in New Hampshire after the death of his sister-in-law.
UConn hadn't dropped three in a row all season and came out with a little extra determination against Cincinnati (22-7, 9-7), which was on a hot streak.
The Huskies led for all but 29 seconds.
"We basically had to act like we had something to prove," said Shabazz Napier, who had 11 points and six assists. "We got a lead and kept on going with it."
Walker, who leads the conference in scoring at 23 points per game, had only nine when a fan sitting courtside started taunting him. Walker made three consecutive baskets that built Connecticut's lead to 11 points, then smiled at the fan as he went down the court.
"I missed a shot and he said, 'Chris Paul wouldn't miss that shot,"' Walker said, referring to the New Orleans guard. "That's all right. I came down and made the next one. It was fun."
Jeremy Lamb added 17 for the Huskies, who went 10 of 19 from behind the 3-point arc. Cincinnati set its defense to deny Walker, leaving openings on the perimeter.
"They were so worried about me, the other guys were able to get shots and they took it to them," Walker said.
Yancy Gates had 14 points for Cincinnati, which has lost three of its last four home games. The Bearcats had won their last three overall, including victories over Louisville and Georgetown that put them in position to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since Bob Huggins was coach.
Bearcats players spent an hour and 45 minutes in the locker room afterward, talking about their lost opportunity before meeting the media.
"Everybody was kind of disappointed in our overall play," Gates said. "It wasn't how we've been playing lately. We've worked hard to put ourselves in this position. We're not in bad position, but we should have been more focused on the opportunity we had."
Their guards couldn't keep up with the inspired Walker and company.
"Our guards got as outplayed as you possibly could today," coach Mick Cronin said.
Walker got rolling against the league's stingiest defense when a fan sitting in the courtside seats started taunting him in the second half. Walker made a 3-pointer from the top of the key a few seconds later, turned and smiled at the fan as he ran down the court. He had a steal for a fast-break score, then made another jumper for a 56-45 lead and said something to the fan, who wouldn't taunt him again.
It was a rough week for Calhoun, who took responsibility Friday for recruiting violations. The school was put on three years' probation, lost scholarships and received recruiting restrictions. Calhoun got a three-game suspension that he will serve at the start of the 2011-12 Big East season.
Calhoun referred to the emotional week and praised his young players for coming through.
"I've had some very good teams over the last few years," Calhoun said. "This is one of my favorite teams of all time."
The Huskies appeared to be in trouble when Walker picked up his third foul with 16:37 to go and Cashmere Wright made both free throws for a 33-32 lead, Cincinnati's only one in the game. It didn't last long.
The 3 got UConn back ahead. Roscoe Smith and Napier made shots from behind the arc during a 12-2 run that gave the Huskies their biggest lead, 47-37, with 12:18 to go. Then Walker made his three consecutive shots to put UConn in control the rest of the way.
The long-range shooting was quite out of character. Connecticut ranks 12th in the Big East, making 33.5 percent of its 3-point attempts.

Bearcats Pull Upset vs. Hoyas

Yancy Gates (34) had
17 points and 11 rebounds
in Cincinnati's win over
Georgetown, Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Cincinnati's NCAA hopes look quite secure after the school's first road win over a Top 25 team in seven years, while Georgetown's immediate future is suddenly very cloudy because of Chris Wright's broken hand.
Yancy Gates had 17 points and 11 rebounds Wednesday night, and the Bearcats held Georgetown to four field goals in the second half in a 58-46 win over the No. 11 Hoyas.
The win ended Cincinnati's 20-game road losing streak against ranked teams, their last win coming against then-No. 21 Marquette on Jan. 14, 2004.
It also moved the Bearcats (22-6, 9-6) into a tie for seventh in the Big East standings, which would be good enough for a first-round bye in the conference tournament, and gives another boost to the school's hopes to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in Mick Cronin's five seasons as coach. A loss would have dropped them to 11th in the conference.
"This win really helps our cause," Gates said.
Dion Dixon also scored 17 points, Rashad Bishop had 12, and the Bearcats played more zone than usual to stifle the Hoyas. Georgetown shot 25 percent from the field, its worst shooting game since at least the 1996-97 season.
But the scoresheet wasn't the biggest concern for the Hoyas (21-7, 10-6) - it was the condition of Wright's left, non-shooting hand. The senior point guard was hurt with 15:54 remaining when he lost possession in the paint and committed a foul as he reached for the ball. He had his hand wrapped and stayed in the game for another 30 seconds, then left and returned briefly before grabbing his hand in pain, forcing a stoppage in play and sending him to the bench for good with about 11 minutes to go.
Coach John Thompson III said he did not know which bone was broken or have an estimate for how long Wright might be sidelined.
"I think we have to see how he feels," Thompson said. "I don't know what it means."
The injury is potentially a serious blow to the Hoyas' hopes for a deep postseason run. Wright is averaging 13.1 points, second on the team behind Austin Freeman. He had been playing especially well for the No. 11 Hoyas recently, averaging 21.7 points and shooting 50 percent from the field over his previous three games. He struggled against Cincinnati even before he broke his hand, going 0 for 6 from the field and scoring just two points.
After he left the game for good, the Hoyas were unable to mount any sort of serious comeback threat.
"I just thought we were out of sync," Thompson said. "I thought we went through a phase where we started feeling sorry for ourselves, which we don't need to do."
The Hoyas have lost two of three. Instead of moving into third place in the Big East, which would be worth a double-bye in the conference tournament, they dropped into a tie for fifth.
Freeman broke out of his latest mini-slump to score 19 points for the Hoyas, but he was the only player with any degree of success against a Bearcats team that entered the game leading the Big East in scoring defense, allowing 58.7 points per game.
Overall, Georgetown shot 12 for 48, including 5 for 23 from 3-point range, a stunning display from a team that began the day shooting 49.7 from the field - second in the nation. The Hoyas were 4 for 23 in the second half.
The teams were tied at 26 at halftime, but the Hoyas missed their first eight shots of the second half and committed seven turnovers before finally making a field goal - Hollis Thompson's 3-pointer with 9:31 remaining. By then, the Bearcats had opened the half with a 17-3 run to take a 43-28 lead. Gates scored seven points during the run and was an offensive rebounding force who kept possessions alive.
Georgetown stayed as close as it did because of the game's free-throw discrepancy. The Hoyas made 17 of 20 from the line; the Bearcats took only two free throws in the first 35 minutes and finished 9 for 13 because Georgetown was forced to foul late.
Gates' three-point play put the Bearcats ahead 48-35 with 4:43 to play. Freeman's fast-break layup and Vee Sanford's 3-pointer got the Hoyas within eight, but Bishop banked in a 3-pointer as the shot clock was about to expire to restore a double-digit lead with 3:13 to play. Freeman looked exasperated, slumping his shoulders and rolling his eyes as the shot went in.
"I was surprised it went in, too," Bishop said. "When it went in, I was just happy. It gave us some breathing room after they made a couple of shots, got the crowd back into it, so that was a big play."

Yesterday's Crosstown Shootout Declared ESPN Instant Classic

By: Cooper Ledford

CINCINNATI, OH- The Xavier Musketeers (6-3) were hosting the Cincinnati Bearcats (6-2) in the annual Crosstown Shootout. This was great game, X went on to win in double overtime, 83-79.



"Xavier has now won three straight over its crosstown rivals, six of the last eight meetings, eight of the last 11 and 10 of the last 14.
ESPN Classic will air the game on Monday evening at 10:00 p.m. EST, while ESPNU will air the contest at 3:30 a.m. EST Tuesday morning. Jim Barbar and Fran Fraschilla called the action.
Xavier will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 19, when it visits No. 22 Butler. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m. EST and the contest will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Brent Musburger and Bob Knight are the broadcasters this Saturday from historic Hinkle Fieldhouse." Goxavier.com



Here is how the game went. Xavier had as much as a 10 point lead, but UC caught on and tied it up and the game was a close one until the end of regulation, it was tied up. Into overtime, it was more of a defensive game and not many points for either team, at the end of the 1st overtime, it was tied up once again. The game was going into a 2nd overtime. The two teams entered the second OT tied at 74 and Cincinnati once again took an early lead, 79-76, after Yancey Gates connected on a short jumper at the three-minute mark. But in the theme of the night, XU once again answered the bell. Jordan Crawford made one free throw on the ensuing possession and then Holloway made a big play on the defensive end by taking a charge to force a turnover.
Jason Love then slipped the screen, took a feed from Crawford and converted on the open layup. UC's Steve Toyloy missed both of his attempts from the free throw line on the next possession and Love took advantage by making another big shot to give XU the lead for good, 81-79, with 40-seconds to go.
XU held UC without a field goal for the final three-minutes of the second overtime to clinch the win.

The player of the game was Terrell Holloway who had a career-high 26 points, and played a big part in Xavier's win. Jason Love showed some last minute heroics, making the last two buckets in the second overtime.

As for the Bearcats, Lance Stephenson had a career-high 22 points and had help from Yancy Gates who had 18 points.

Cincinnati will play next at UAB in a 7 p.m. game on Dec. 16 in Birmingham, Alabama. The game will be televised on CBS College Sports.

Next Xavier will travel to Indianapolis to take on a tough Butler team, that game will be on 19th, at 2:00 PM ET and will be televised on ESPN2.

Picture: Terrell Holloway in Xavier double overtime win against rivals, Cincinnati.