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Cincinnati closes regular season with win over Hoyas

Mar 5, 2011 - 11:41 PM Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Dion Dixon scored 14 points to help Cincinnati close out the regular season with a 69-47 victory over No. 17 Georgetown at Fifth Third Arena.

Sean Kilpatrick and Yancy Gates both supplied 13 points for the Bearcats (24-7, 11-7 Big East), who earned a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

"A lot of great efforts at different points in the game. So many guys played well," said Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin.

Austin Freeman had a game-high 21 points for the Hoyas (21-9, 10-8), who lost their third straight game.

"They do a good job of guarding, and both of these games, our perimeter shooting was a function of a lack of presence on the inside," said Georgetown head coach John Thompson III.

Georgetown jumped out to an early 12-4 lead, but Cincinnati countered with a 12-3 surge to move ahead. Anthony McClain made a free throw to cap the run for a 16-15 lead. The teams continued to trade buckets, and Gates beat the halftime buzzer from beyond the arc to put the Bearcats up 30-24 at the break.

Cincinnati's lead reach 10 on a pair of Gates' free throws early in the second half.

The Hoyas trimmed their deficit to three at 39-36 with just under 11 minutes remaining, but the Bearcats pulled away with a 21-5 burst that spanned over six minutes. Gates sank two from the foul line to give Cincinnati a comfortable 60-41 lead with 4:31 to play.

Game Notes

Cincinnati shot 48 percent from the field in the second half...The Bearcats made 24-of-30 free throws, while Georgetown converted only 9-of-14...Hollis Thompson scored 12 points for the Hoyas, who shot just 32 percent overall.