Filed under: Cincinnati, Louisville, Big East
Cashmere Wright scored 20 points and Sean Kilpatrick had 16 as Cincinnati got a big home win over Louisville Wednesday, 63-54.The Bearcats jumped on the Cards early and never looked back, leading by as much as 15 in the second half. Though Louisville went on one of its patented second half runs, they were only able to cut the lead to four.
This was definitely a résumé win for Cincinnati (20-6, 7-6), which reeled off 15 straight wins to start the season thanks to a soft schedule. The Bearcats may still have some work to do -- and they can't afford a slip -- but this game will go a long way when it comes to attaining an NCAA tournament bid.
No. 16 Louisville (19-7, 8-5) now falls into a four-way tie for fourth place in the Big East. The Cardinals were led in scoring by Terrence Jennings who had only 12 points. Preston Knowles had 11, and no other Louisville players reached double figures.
How it was won: Defense. Cincinnati held Louisville to only 4-for-17 from behind the 3-point line, a place where the Cards are usually efficient. Louisville's 54 points was its second-lowest output of the season.
How it was lost: Free throw margin. Whether the Bearcats were more aggressive or the beneficiaries of some home cookin' is debatable, but Cincy shot 24 free throws to Louisville's seven. Had the Cardinals been able to get to the line more, perhaps they wouldn't have found themselves in such a hole.
Where to from here: Louisville, which is fighting for one of the top four spots in the conference, welcomes fellow fourth-place dweller UConn Friday night. Cincinnati now heads to Providence and Georgetown for back-to-back road games. It needs at least a split to keep tournament hopes alive.
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Source: http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2011/02/16/cincinnati-knocks-off-no-16-louisville/
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