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University of Louisville
Cincinnati
Cardinals Fall To No. 17 Cincinnati In OT
February 21, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Feb 21, 2004
By JOE KAY
AP Sports Writer
CINCINNATI - The clock was running out, the defender was coming full speed, and No. 17 Cincinnati was facing the possibility of a season-scuttling loss.
Field Williams knew exactly what was at stake when he let it fly.
Williams' fadeaway jumper tied the game at the end of regulation Saturday, and the Bearcats rallied for a 66-61 overtime victory over No. 10 Louisville that may have turned their season.
At least it felt that way as the Bearcats (18-5, 9-3 Conference USA) hugged and headed for the locker room after making amends for their most tormenting loss of the season.
"We knew today that if we did not win, we were done," said Tony Bobbitt, who hit a pivotal 3-pointer and two free throws in overtime. "We needed it."
They'd been looking forward to it for weeks.
Louisville (17-6, 7-5) drubbed the Bearcats by 27 points on Jan. 21, matching their worst loss in coach Bob Huggins' 15 seasons. Both teams have struggled since, lending an extra urgency to the rematch.
"We were 13-0 when we went there and lost," said Eric Hicks, who had a career-high 14 rebounds. "We figured it was only right that we get back on track when they came here. After that loss, a lot of players circled this one on their calendars."
The Cardinals have lost five of their last six, a slump set up by a series of injuries that have sapped the lineup of its depth and offensive threats.
Francisco Garcia rebounded from a nagging ankle injury that had affected his shot. The sophomore scored a career-high 27 points and was the only player on either team who had a shooting touch.
"I knew I had to wake up and get my team back," said Garcia, who missed two games and failed to score in double digits in any of the last three. "Everybody knew I wasn't playing the way I was supposed to play, and our team wasn't playing the way we were supposed to play. Now, we've got our confidence back."
Their shooting touch is another matter.
Cincinnati shot 35 percent from the field and Louisville made 34.4 percent, setting a slog-it-out pace for two teams accustomed to running off big spurts.
Cincinnati led by as many as eight points in the second half, but Nate Daniels' 3-pointer put Louisville ahead 54-52 with 16 seconds to go.
Cincinnati called a timeout to set up a play, but couldn't find an open shot. Williams' desperate jumper over defender Alhaji Mohammed Jr. from just inside the 3-point arc tied it with less than a second left.
"I just wanted to catch it and shoot (a 3-pointer), but he was closing so I had to take a dribble," Williams said. "I was lucky it went in."
The lead changed hands three times in overtime. Bobbitt's 3-pointer and Hicks' driving layup gave the Bearcats a 64-60 lead with 56 seconds to go. Bobbitt made two free throws with 24 seconds left to clinch it.
Another injury sapped the Cardinals' depleted lineup. Leading rebounder Luke Whitehead missed practice during the week because of a sprained ankle and didn't play Saturday.
Cincinnati took full advantage. Hicks had 10 rebounds in the first half, and the Bearcats finished with a 46-39 edge on the boards.
Coach Rick Pitino liked the way his players fought through the setbacks and almost pulled it off.
"I think our confidence is back," Pitino said. "Francisco's back, so that's a big thing for us. We're happy with the way we played."
Both teams were at their peaks when they played on Jan. 21 at Louisville. The Cardinals were No. 5 and had won 13 in a row, and the Bearcats were No. 6 and undefeated after 13 games.
Cincinnati lost its poise and its confidence in a 93-66 drubbing, which led to slumps by both teams. It didn't take long Saturday to see what's gone wrong.
Cincinnati's Jason Maxiell forced a turnaround jumper from the baseline to open the game, and the errant shot smacked awkwardly off the side of the backboard - a preview of what was to come.
Neither team could make an open shot in the first half, which ended with Cincinnati up 20-15. The Bearcats were 7-of-27 from the field (25.9 percent), while the Cardinals went 6-of-30 (20 percent).
After 20 minutes, the teams had more combined turnovers (16) than field goals (13). The half ended on a fitting moment - Daniels dribbling at the top of the key with his head down as time ran out.
Neither team could put together consecutive baskets in the first 6 minutes of the second half.
The terrible shooting was nothing new for either team. Cincinnati's halfcourt offense has been poor all season, and injuries have affected the Cardinals' best shooters. Louisville shot a season-low 28.6 percent in a 25-point loss at TCU on Tuesday.
