Memorable Bearcat Games: Xavier 83 Cincinnati 79

Yesterday's post about Lance Stephenson got me to thinking about this past season. While this wasn't the greatest year for Cincinnati basketball, there sure as hell were some entertaining contests. One in particular was exceptionally great. That game was the Crosstown Shootout. Now I know what some of you are thinking.Why that game happened in December, how you can you wax nostalgic about that? I thought this series was about football games? I thought this was about wins? No to all of those. It's about memorable games, and sometimes the most memorable are the losses. The old poker saying is that you can't remember the hands you win, but you remember with absolute clarity the hands you lost. This is kinda like that too. Plus, like 4 people read what I wrote in December, so this is new to you.

The Crosstown Shootout didn't have as much luster as normally, partially due to a Sunday night start time on a weird station, ESPNU. That didn't stop the teams from putting on an instant classic. I know it was an instant classic, because when it replayed on ESPNU, it said instant classic. Xavier got off to a solid start, jumping out to a 12-5 lead. The Muskies blocked 4 of the first 8 UC shots, 1 by Jamel McLean and Kenny Frease and 2 by Jason Love. As Charles and Kenny say on Inside the NBA, it was a block party and the Bearcats were invited. Xavier scored point 12 at the 14:35 mark, and that's when Cincinnati's defense shut down the Muskies. The Muskies didn't score until the 7 minute mark, 2 free throws by Dante Jackson, and didn't get a field goal until the 6:52 mark. Cincinnati went on a 14 point run during that span, getting buckets by Larry Davis, Deonta Vaughn, a pair of threes by Darnell Wilks, an assist by Wilks to Yancy Gates, and a Lance Stephenson lay up. Xavier closed the half on a 20-7 run of their own, and lead 31-26. Terrell Holloway scored 11 points in that span for the Muskies, getting to the line and drilling threes. The fireworks came in the middle of the half. At the 7 minute mark, Jordan Crawford and Rashad Bishop got into a war of words, both receiving technical fouls. The chippyness helped the Musketeers, as you can see from when they started scoring again. Things got even more high strung with 3:30 to go in the half. Lance Stephenson was driving in for a lay up, when Jason Love gave him a hard foul. It was called intentional. The benches cleared going into the media timeout. Terrell Holloway pushed Ibrahima Thomas away, leading to this

Cooler heads would prevail after, but the tension was underlying the rest of the game.

The second half started where the first half ended, with Xavier in charge. The teams traded buckets, but Xavier held on to their lead, with Cincinnati chipping the lead to 4 a couple of times. The Muskies got a Jason Love lay up, a Frease free throw and a Crawford triple to push the lead to 10. The Bearcats slowly chipped away at the disadvantage, at the under 12, the score was 45-39. A pair for Mark Lyon freebies pushed the lead to 7, 51-44, before Lance Stephenson took over. Stephenson scored a lay up, a three pointer from Vaughn, and pulled down a rebound, drove down court and calmly sank a jumper to tie. Cashmere Wright gave UC the lead on a lay up, followed by a Vaughn lay up for a 4 point lead with 5:44 to go. Cincinnati would go on a cold streak the next 3 minutes, allowing Xavier to go on a 6 point run to take the lead by 2. Rashad Bishop tied the score seconds before Holloway would drive for the Xavier lead. Yancy Gates hit 2 free throws with a minute left to tie. Holloway gave X the lead with 26 seconds left on a jumper. Stephenson hit a jumper for UC with 15 seconds left to tie. Holloway drained the clock, but missed a last second runner. Dante Jackson pulled down the rebound, threw up a shot that fell, and celebrated. But, it was after the buzzer and we went to overtime.

Cincinnati took the early overtime lead by 4. Gates hit a shot, and Lance Stephenson crossed Holloway over badly and hit a step back j. Here's proof.


Nasty wasn't it? Lyons got Xavier back into the game with a jumper and a pair of free throws. Gates and Frease exchanged scores before UC took a 3 point lead on a free throw by Bishop and another silly move by Stephenson. Lance shook the defender, spun, and hit an up and under lay up. Watch.



The video kinda sucks, but the move is still sweet. Deonta Vaughn pulled down a rebound and drove for a lay up, giving UC a 5 point lead with 55 seconds left. Holloway took over. He drew a foul on Vaughn and made both shots. Rashad Bishop had the ball stolen by Love, leading to Holloway getting fouled by Gates going to the rim. Holloway hit both again. Xavier had to foul, and they fouled my best friend Dion Dixon. Dixon calmly nailed both to push the lead back to 3. For some reason unknown to anyone, and completely illogical, Mick Cronin tapped Jaquan Parker off the bench. Parker didn't play any of the second half, or any of the overtime. He had Holloway blow by him earlier in the game and was benched. 19 seconds to go, Holloway has the ball. Of course he drives to the rim. Of course he makes a lay up. Of course he's fouled by Parker. Of course he ties the score. Of course he does. UC had a chance to win. Stephenson missed a step back three, and Dixon missed on a put back. That sent us to double overtime.

Cincinnati jumped out to another lead to start overtime. Cash hit a free throw, followed by a Vaughn lay up. Holloway scored for Xavier, but Gates scored on a lay up to push the lead back to 3. Xavier would tie the score thanks to sloppy play by UC. Crawford hit a free throw, followed by a Gates travel. On the Xavier possession, Love made a lay up for the tie. Stephenson would get called for a charge, but X couldn't take the lead. UC held the ball the next minute, but were unable to score. Vaughn missed a lay up, foreshadow, and Steve Toyloy bricked a couple of huge free throws. Holloway drove down the lane and dropped off a pass that Love converted for the Xavier lead. Lance Stephenson played really hard and smart in this game, but he made a silly move with about 25 seconds left. Instead of circling back out and making a strong move with the ball, he passed to Dixon. Dixon threw up a horribly ill advised three that was a brick leaving his hand. He fouled Dante Jackson, who made 1 of 2. Vaughn took the inbound pass and decided to go for the lay up to cut the Muskie lead to 1. Great plan, but terrible execution, as he blew a wide open lay up. Love got the rebound, his 19th of the game, and iced things with a free throw. Desperate threes by UC missed, and that lead to this vomit inducing photo.

Ok, I couldn't find the real picture, but Mick looking like he's taking a dump will do. This was a wild game. Stephenson and Yancy Gates dominated for UC. Stephenson had 22 on 9-19 shooting, with 6 rebounds. Gates had 18 and 6. Vaughn was the other Bearcat in double digits with 13, but he was 6-19. He did have 9 rebounds. Holloway had a career high 26 for Xavier, while Crawford put up 16 on 5-16 shooting.

This wasn't the prettiest Crosstown Shootout, despite the pretty moves by Stephenson. X shot 41%, and UC 37%, but this was the game that brought the intensity back out. This was a blood and guts Crosstown Shootout. We had pull aparts, hard fouls, trash talking, big shots, clutch moments, and breakout performances. Unfortunately, it was a UC loss. But, it was one hell of a game, and that's why it's a Memorable Bearcat game.

Xavier 83 Cincinnati 79

In what was one of the most intense, hardly contested Crosstown Shootouts ever, the Xavier Musketeers had what it took down the stretch to beat the Cincinnati Bearcats in double overtime. This was definitely one of the best Shootouts since the Huggins era. Unfortunately, the Cats couldn't come up victorious and lost to Xavier for the 3rd year in a row. As always, there were some plusses, and there were some minuses. Do I smell a list? Yes, yes I do.

+ Lance Stephenson. #33 took this game over when the Bearcats trailed by 10 in the second half, and put in a career high 22. He was by the best player on the court tonight, with all due respect to Terrell Holloway. Lance scored 7 straight to give UC the lead after being down 6. The crossover lay up to tie the score was amazing. Lance then hit a jumper after another killer crossover to make it 65-61 in OT. And in his last display of awesome, he hit a reverse lay up, driving from the left baseline to under the basket. I wasn't a fan of the shot in OT, but he shook Holloway and it was a decent shot.
- Lance Stephenson. Barking at Chris Mack is stupid. Lance says he didn't remember that, but I tend to believe the coach. Also, and more importantly, Lance should not have given up the ball to Dion Dixon in OT 2. The ball had to be in his or Deonta Vaughn's hands, and he gave up it to Dixon. Dixon didn't take a horrible shot, but he sucks at shooting 3s.
+ Defense. Xavier made only 5-18 from 3 point land, and that was quite a statement. Xavier only shot 41% for the game. Jordan Crawford was 5-16 and clearly frustrated. Jason Love made the big lay up, but was only 3-9. 3 point ace Brad Redford didn't get off a shot. The 8 and a half minute lockdown on X was brilliant. The Cats forced Xavier deep into the shot clock while making up the difference in the second half.
- Offense. The shooting was putrid. 32-85 fgs, 5-23 from 3, 10-22 fts. That's horrible no matter how you slice it.
+ Mick Cronin. Mick made adjustments to the offense and it paid off in the second half. The team drove more to the basket. Larry Davis drove to the rim 3 times in the first half twice leading to points. He was the only one to get the message then, but the rest of the team came along the second half. It was a nice adjustment, and one that almost lead to victory.
- Mick Cronin. What in the bloody hell was Jaquon Parker doing in the game at the end of overtime? Ice cold off the bench, and you stick him on Holloway? It was a stupid foul, but not one that I put on Parker fully. He should never have been in that position. Earlier in the game, Holloway blew past Parker. I don't understand that substitution at all. Dion Dixon and I both had the same look after the foul. Mick took the blame for this loss, and he deserved it.
+ The pull aparts. Sportsmanship, schasmortzmanship. Nothing got the blood pumping like seeing all the Bearcats coming to support Lance Stephenson after Jason Love put him down with the intentional foul. It was nice to see the team sticking up for each other. Ibrahima Thomas was pushed by Terrell Holloway while walking back to the bench, that's why he was so pissed. Overall, it was good to see the players fired up.
-UC after the pull apart. The Bearcats became more concerned with talking shit than playing basketball. Xavier out bullied UC and worked it to their advantage.
The rest of these are negatives, since I can't think of any positives. Do I smell bullet points?

• Deonta Vaughn, where have you gone? 6-19 from the field, and blowing the lay up down 3. Vaughn missed at least 2 more lay ups. Not the strongest game from 5. 9 boards is nice, but we need you to score
• Yancy Gates stop taking jump shots. Start rebounding more. Jason Love pushed you around
• I would single out someone for not guarding Terrell Holloway, but since no one did, I can't
• Yancy Gates 2-6, Cashmere Wright 2-4, Lance Stephenson 2-4, Steve Toyloy 0-2. Practice free throws all week men.
• Xavier got 11 offensive rebounds off 35 misses. 
• 5 point lead with 55 seconds left. Got to finish. Mark Lyons and Holloway both penetrated to tie the score. Can't blow these. 
• Seriously, why the fuck was Parker on Holloway? That is up there with Charles Williams losing the ball off his shoe in the pantheon of UC blowing it to X moments. 

I would be remiss if I didn't give credit to where credit is due. Xavier knew how important this game was, and they played like it. Terrell Holloway went for 26, and was 11-11 at the stripe. Every one of those turned out to be important. He played strong defense on Lance in overtime and the second ot. Jason Love hit the glass hard with 19 rebounds. Chris Mack has a good team. Congratulations Xavier.

The Enquirer/Ernest Coleman

Know Your Opponent: Xavier Musketeers edition

It's Crosstown Shootout time. No words needed. But, here are some anyway. This is going to be a battle. Xavier really needs this game to avoid tanking to every good team they've played. The Bearcats need this one because it's fucking Xavier. You can throw the records out the window when the ball goes up tonight. My prediction and the stats, after the jump.