Cincinnati Bearcats at Georgetown Hoyas, Verizon Center, Washington, DC
Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 9:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN3
Opening Line: Georgetown -7
Current Line: Georgetown -7
Opening Total: 131.5
Current Total: 132
Money Line: Georgetown -300 / Cincinnati +250
The Cincinnati Bearcats (21-6, 8-6 Big East) and Georgetown Hoyas (21-6, 10-5) may have identical records overall, but the home team clearly has more respect from the pollsters heading into their crucial league matchup on Wednesday. The 11th-ranked Hoyas (-7) have won nine of their past 10 games following a season-high three-game losing streak, with all of them coming against conference opponents.
Georgetown rebounded from a 78-70 loss at #14 Connecticut with a 61-55 victory at South Florida on Saturday but failed to cover the spread for the second straight game. Chris Wright led the Hoyas with a game-high 26 points while leading scorer Austin Freeman suffered through his worst game of the season. Freeman totaled a season-low four points on 2 of 10 shooting from the field, missing all four of his attempts from 3-point range. He had scored in double figures in the previous 11 games, averaging over 18 points during that stretch.
Cincinnati has won its last two games both straight-up and against the spread, coming up with big after dropping three of four nearly killed the team’s NCAA tournament hopes. The Bearcats figure to be in the mix for an invitation to the Big Dance following a 63-54 home win over #16 Louisville a week ago followed by a 93-81 overtime victory at Providence on Saturday.
Rashad Bishop scored a season-high 23 points against the Friars, making 8 of 13 shots from the field and adding six rebounds. Yancy Gates also totaled 21 points and a team-high eight rebounds in 35 minutes of action, the most time he has seen in a game since playing 37 in a 66-46 rout of Xavier back on January 6. Gates had his minutes cut by head coach Mick Cronin in a few games recently in hopes of changing his attitude. Cronin is trying to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in five seasons with Cincy.
The Bearcats have won two of the last three meetings with Georgetown both SU and ATS but were beaten 74-47 last season. Freeman scored a game-high 24 points in that blowout win while only one Cincinnati player totaled more than seven. That player was departed senior Lance Stephenson, who scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds but is now a rookie with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers. Gates finished with seven points and six rebounds. The UNDER has cashed in the last three games between the teams along with five of the past seven for the Hoyas overall.
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