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Cincinnati-Xavier Preview

Dec 12, 2009 - 7:30 PM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Cincinnati (6-1) at Xavier (5-3), 7:00 p.m. EDT

Xavier's had the best of intracity rival Cincinnati of late. That could change this year.

The 19th-ranked Bearcats look to avoid a third straight loss as they visit the Musketeers on Sunday for the annual Crosstown Shootout.

This is the 77th meeting between schools separated by a few miles. While Cincinnati leads 47-29 in the all-time series, Xavier has won the last two and seven of 10. The Musketeers also have won the last three on their home floor at the Cintas Center.

This season, however, it's the Bearcats (6-1) who are ranked after Xavier was the only one in the Top 25 the past two meetings.

Cincinnati is coming off a 63-59 win over in-state rival Miami of Ohio on Thursday for its second straight victory since losing 61-59 to Gonzaga in overtime of the Maui Invitational on Nov. 25.

Freshman guard Lance Stephenson had a season-high 17 points and Cashmere Wright added 12 off the bench as the Bearcats overcame a 41.7-percent shooting effort to beat the methodical RedHawks.

Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin knows his team's overall effort Sunday must be better than it was against Miami.

"We looked a little sluggish," Cronin said. "Our execution wasn't there. They expose your weaknesses. This was a good game for us."

Stephenson, a highly-touted recruit from Brooklyn, N.Y., is tied for the team lead with 11.6 points per game. The 6-foot Wright, meanwhile, is coming off a solid effort after missing his entire freshman year last season with a knee injury.

"I think my confidence is coming back," said Wright, who had started the previous six games. "It is more about learning my position and what coach wants me to do."

Cincinnati senior guard Deonta Vaughn is averaging 10.3 points, but looks to bounce back after being held scoreless in 26 minutes against Miami. Vaughn is averaging 20.3 points in three games against Xavier and had 27 in last season's 76-66 home loss to the then-No. 10 Musketeers.

After winning 82 games the past three seasons, Xavier (5-3) is in a rebuilding mode under first-year coach Chris Mack, who replaced Sean Miller after he left for Arizona.

Xavier has lost three of five after falling 71-56 at Kansas State on Tuesday.

Though the Musketeers lost their top three scorers from last season's squad that lost to Pittsburgh in the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament, Indiana transfer Jordan Crawford is trying his best to pick up some of the offensive slack.

The sophomore guard averaged 9.7 points for the Hoosiers in 2007-08, and is scoring 18.5 per game in his first season at Xavier.

Crawford and Brad Redford each had 16 points Tuesday for the Musketeers, who shot a season-low 29.4 percent and were outrebounded 46-33 by the Wildcats.

A much better shooting team than it showed in its last contest, Xavier shot 57.7 percent while going 4-0 at home and 48.0 percent overall.

The Musketeers have won 13 straight at home since losing 74-65 to Butler on Dec. 23. Cincinnati's last road win in the series was 75-55 on Dec. 14, 2001.