Cincinnati 61, Houston 60

[January 08, 2014]  HOUSTON — Cincinnati 61, Houston 60: Sean Kilpatrick scored 17 points as the visiting Bearcats held off a late Cougars rally to remain unbeaten in American Athletic Conference play.

Jermaine Sanders finished with 11 points and Titus Rubles added seven points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for Cincinnati (14-2, 3-0 AAC). The Bearcats, who led by nine points with a little over three minutes to go, needed a pair of free throws from freshman guard Kevin Johnson — the second of which hit the back of the rim and went straight up before coming down through the net — with 11 seconds left to seal the win.

Brandon Morris tied his career high with 17 points, including five 3-pointers, to lead Houston (10-6, 2-1). Jherrod Stiggers scored 11 points, TaShawn Thomas finished with 10 points and nine rebounds and Danrad Knowles added nine points and 10 rebounds for the Cougars, who had a three-game win streak snapped.

Kilpatrick scored 12 of his points while leading Cincinnati to a 40-24 halftime lead. The Bearcats, who never trailed in the contest, closed the half with a 14-4 run capped by a Kilpatrick jumper.

Cincinnati extended its lead to 19 points on a three-point play by Justin Jackson, but Houston rallied to close to within 50-47 as Morris connected on four 3-pointers over a 7 1/2-minute span. After Morris missed a 3-pointer that would have tied it, the Bearcats went on an 8-0 run to regain control and held off a late Cougar rally that concluded with a 3-pointer by Tione Womack as the final buzzer sounded.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Cincinnati has held its last 23 opponents to less than 70 points, the nation's longest active streak. ... The Bearcats improved to 23-1 all-time against the Cougars, including 12-1 in Houston. ... Cincinnati finished with a 10-0 edge in steals including three by Kilpatrick.

[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.