|
 Octavius Ellis collected 13 rebounds and four blocks to go with
seven points for Cincinnati (3-0), which improved to 41-5 against
current members of the Ohio Valley Conference. Shaq Thomas added
nine points for the Bearcats, who survived despite 19 turnovers.
Eastern Illinois (1-3) took care of the ball, committing only nine
turnovers, but had difficulty putting it in the basket, shooting
29.5 percent. Trae Anderson and Reggie Smith each scored 12 points
to pace the Panthers while Chris Olivier added 11.
 Neither team led by more than five until the Panthers went cold in
the second half and allowed Cincinnati to ease away. After Olivier
pulled Eastern Illinois within 41-40 with 10:41 left, the Panthers
missed 12 of their next 13 field-goal attempts and went scoreless
nearly 5 1/2 minutes as the Bearcats pulled out to a 51-42 lead and
held on.
The Bearcats looked as though they might begin to pull away when
they reeled off a 6-0 spurt capped by Caupain's jumper to make it
20-15 with 6:39 left in the first half, but Olivier responded with a
jumper and Smith converted a three-point play to tie it. The teams
traded scores for the remainder of the half and went to the locker
room tied at 26 after Thomas tipped in a Farad Cobb miss at the
buzzer.
[to top of second column] |
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Bearcats have won 53 of their last 57
regular-season home games against non-conference opponents and are
21-1 at home since the start of last season. … Eastern Illinois
entered the game shooting 42 percent from 3-point range but was just
3-of-17 from behind the arc. … Cincinnati G Kevin Johnson, who made
his first career start in place of Ge'Lawn Guyn (finger), was
0-for-6 from the field and finished with two points.
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