• Recap
• Bleachers

Gates, Cincy down South Florida in Big East tourney

Mar 10, 2011 - 3:28 AM New York, NY (Sports Network) - Yancy Gates hit 10-of-11 shots on the way to scoring a career-high 25 points and added four rebounds as 25th-ranked Cincinnati downed South Florida, 87-61, in the second round of the Big East Tournament.

Dion Dixon supplied 21 points and six boards while Sean Kilpatrick added 12 points for the Bearcats (25-7), who will face second-seeded Notre Dame in Thursday's semifinals.

Augustus Gilchrist totaled 16 points and five caroms and Shaun Noriega provided 12 points for the Bulls (10-23), who were coming off a surprising and dramatic 70-69 win over Villanova in the opening round of the tournament on Tuesday.

Anthony Crater, who scored the game-winning bucket against the Wildcats to finish off a 16-point comeback, posted one point in 19 first-half minutes but did not play in the second half due to a shoulder injury.

Gates scored eight points as Cincinnati opened the game with a 12-3 burst before South Florida went on an 11-4 run to trim the deficit to 24-22 with four minutes left before the half.

A Kilpatrick tip-in that was followed by consecutive threes from Dixon quickly stretched the lead back to 10, and the Bearcats went to the break holding a 32-24 advantage.

Another Dixon triple increased the Bearcats' lead to 50-35 seven minutes into the second half, and the lead grew to 19 a little later on a pair of foul shots by Darnell Wilks.

Cincinnati cruised the rest of the way to a sixth win in seven games.

Game Notes

Cincinnati shot 57 percent from the floor in the win...Dixon was 5-of-9 from the floor and 8-of-9 at the line, from where the Bearcats went 26- of-33...South Florida was 16-of-18 at the stripe...Gilchrist made 6-of-15 shots and all four of his free throws...South Florida finished shooting 36 percent from the floor...Both teams made five from beyond the arc.