Cincinnati turned in one of its worst defensive efforts of the season in Saturday's 95-78 loss at Marquette. After taking a 12-point lead in the game's first four minutes, UC fell apart. Head coach Mick Cronin said following the game he was surprised by his team's response considering the fact that UC won at Marquette last season.
"I don't know what they've been watching all season," Cronin said. "I don't know what they've been doing for the last 48 hours as we've been preparing for them. But like I said, we weren't ready to play. We weren't ready for what was going to happen."
The Golden Eagles' pressure defense pestered the Bearcats into 14 turnovers which they converted into 16 points. Marquette outran UC outscoring them 17-6 on fast breaks.
"You think they're going to let us win two in a row at Marquette?" Cronin said. "We weren't ready for their intensity level."
The loss sets up an important stretch for the Bearcats who had lost four of six games and were clinging to slim NCAA Tournament hopes. UC plays three consecutive home games beginning with Wednesday night's game against last-place Providence followed by games against Seton Hall and Louisville.
In an effort to jumpstart the offense Cronin has returned to the four-guard lineup which proved successful when UC won 10 of 11 games from mid-December to mid-January. But it hasn't prevented the occasional defensive lapses that resulted in losses at Rutgers and Marquette.
Cincinnati begins the week alone in seventh place in the Big East Conference, and an opportunity this week to distance itself from the bottom half of the league.
NOTES, QUOTES
Marquette loss worst of Bearcats' season
--Saturday's 95-78 loss at Marquette was Cincinnati's most lopsided defeat of the season, besting the 23-point loss at Xavier on Dec. 10.
--Despite being blown out at Marquette, UC still ranked fourth in the Big East Conference in scoring defense allowing just 61.5 points per game. The Bearcats have held 19 of 25 opponents under 70 points this season.
BY THE NUMBERS: 24 -- Consecutive games in which Sean Kilpatrick hit a 3-pointer, through the weekend. He was averaging 2.9 3-pointers in that stretch. He entered this week having hit a 3-pointer in 47 of his 60 career games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I think it was a must-win. We lost to them in Cincinnati so we had to come here and get a win. We're trying to make the tourney for Yancy (Gates) and Dion (Dixon) for their senior season so we had to get a win." -- G Cashmere Wright on UC's win at St. John's last week.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
THIS WEEK'S GAMES:
--vs. Providence, Feb. 15
KEY MATCHUPS: The Friars entered the week with four players averaging double figures led by Vincent Council's 16.1 points per game, but turnovers have been an issue. Providence has a minus-1.6 turnover margin. Opponents are shooting 33-percent from 3-point range against the Friars.
--vs. Seton Hall, Feb. 18
KEY MATCHUPS: The Bearcats will need to slow Seton Hall's duo of Jordan Theodore and Herb Pope who each average better than 15 points per game. The Pirates allow just 63.1 points per game and opponents were shooting just 28 percent from 3-point range. The Bearcats expect a defensive struggle.
FUTURES MARKET: Injuries and a suspension after the Xavier brawl have slowed Cheikh Mbodj's progress. But the junior center has been a defensive force of late. After having 10 blocks in the previous 14 games, Mbodj had seven last week in the win at St. John's and loss Saturday at Marquette. But he did not score and played just four minutes in the Marquette game. He has just nine points in the past five games as the Bearcats have returned to a more guard-oriented offense.
PLAYER NOTES
--Senior F Yancy Gates, who moved into 17th place on the school's all-time scoring list in the win over St. John's, recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds in the loss at Marquette.
--Junior G JaQuon Parker made his third straight start at Marquette and scored 15 points with four assists. Parker returned to the starting lineup replacing Justin Jackson last week when Mick Cronin went back to using a four-guard starting lineup for the first time since Jan. 9.
--Junior G Alex Eppensteiner played two minutes in the win over St. John's. He hit one of two free throws and grabbed a rebound. It was his first appearance in a game since Dec. 23 against Chicago State.
