Cincinnati Bearcats at Pittsburgh Panthers, Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh PA
Saturday, February 5, 2011, 6:00 pm Eastern, TV: ESPN3
Opening Line: Pitt -9
Current Line: Pitt -9
Opening Total: 132.5
Current Total: 130.5
Money Line: Pitt -475 / Cincinnati +375
The Cincinnati Bearcats (18-4, 5-4) have suffered all of their losses this season in conference play following a 13-0 start and will face their biggest challenge yet on Saturday when they visit the fourth-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers (20-2, 8-1). The Bearcats are coming off a disappointing 66-55 home loss to West Virginia last Saturday while the Panthers (-9) have also had a week off after winning a close one at Rutgers.
Pitt will also be trying to avoid consecutive home losses to Big East opponents for the first and only time back in 2006. That will be extremely difficult for a Cincinnati team that has dropped 16 road games in a row to ranked conference teams. The Bearcats have not beaten a Top 25 team in league play away from home since winning at Marquette more than seven years ago.
Cincy head coach Mick Cronin is starting to feel the pressure of trying to make the NCAA tournament, something he has not accomplished in his first four years there. The Bearcats could certainly use a signature win to solidify their case, as their best Big East performance so far came in a 53-51 victory at St. John’s on January 22. Their latest loss to former head coach Bob Huggins and his Mountaineers at home only made the road to the Big Dance more difficult.
Cashmere Wright led Cincinnati with a game-high 24 points on 9 of 13 shooting from the field against West Virginia, but he was the only player on his team to make more than 43 percent of his shots. The Bearcats made just 35 percent overall and were outrebounded by a 36-27 margin.
“You have to be great at rebounding, and we weren’t great at rebounding,” Cronin said. “Not enough to make up for our lack of rebounding.”
The Panthers squeaked out a 65-62 win against the Scarlet Knights thanks in part to a monster 36-22 advantage on the boards. Five players grabbed at least four rebounds, led by Gary McGee with eight before he fouled out. McGee is averaging eight rebounds per game this season and has totaled nine or more is six of the last nine games.
Pittsburgh also outrebounded Notre Dame 28-21 in its last home game but could not overcome 40 percent shooting from the field in a 56-51 loss on January 24. Ashton Gibbs struggled against the Fighting Irish, scoring nine points on 4 of 13 shooting. But Gibbs bounced back big-time against Rutgers with a game-high 24 points on 7 of 14 shooting.
Cincinnati has dropped the last four meetings with the Panthers, but three of those games were decided by six points or less. The OVER has surprisingly cashed in the last four games between the teams.
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