• Recap
• Bleachers

Cincinnati topples South Florida

Jan 13, 2011 - 6:27 AM Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Sean Kilpatrick posted 18 points, making 4-of-5 shots from beyond the arc, as 25th-ranked Cincinnati bested South Florida, 74-66, at Fifth Third Arena.

Darnell Wilks scored 12 with four steals and Dion Dixon added 11 points for the Bearcats (16-1, 3-1 Big East), who bounced back from their first loss of the season, at Villanova on Sunday.

"It was good to get 39 bench points and play a game with only eight turnovers," said Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin.

Ron Anderson had 13 points with seven rebounds for the Bulls (6-12, 0-5), who have lost seven in a row and dropped into last place in the conference. Augustus Gilchrist scored 11, adding seven boards and four assists in defeat.

"We lost to a good basketball team," said South Florida head coach Stan Heath. "They are better than what we've played in the last couple of years. They have good chemistry, defend, and they are very physical. I think they set the tone for their physicality and their size early in the game. I don't think we played great. We had some miscues with the turnovers."

The Bulls hung tight until the late stages, getting within 56-52 with 7:42 remaining on a Jawanza Poland layup. Wilks hit two free throws to make it a six-point game, then hit two more from the line, and Dixon converted a layup with four minutes to go for a 64-56 contest.

It was a battle of the charity stripe from there, and after Yancy Gates sunk both his tries before the two-minute mark, Cincinnati held a 69-59 advantage and held on until the buzzer.

USF led by as many as six, 25-19, in the first half after a jumper from Gilchrist. But Cincinnati ripped off a 10-0 run, ending on a trey from Kilpatrick with 4:15 remaining.

Dixon's layup pushed the home team's edge to 33-27, and when Dixon cranked one in from long range, Cincinnati held a 36-29 edge. The Bearcats went to intermission up 37-32.

Game Notes

Cincinnati has won 22 of the 29 meetings with USF, though the teams split last season's two meetings...Poland had 10 points for South Florida...Gates ended with nine points for the Bearcats...Cashmere Wright added 11 points and five assists for Cincinnati.