Kil-ing them softly

Photo Courtesy of Cincinnati.com

By: Hunter Tickel

En route to its second road win over a top-15 team in the past week, the University of Cincinnati nearly let one go.

Guard Sean Kilpatrick hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining to break the deadlock, as the Bearcats escaped Storrs, Conn. with a 70-67 upset of No. 13/11 Connecticut on Wednesday.

“Once I saw [Kilpatrick] had [the ball], I liked our chances,” said UC head coach Mick Cronin. “If they come up, he can [get to the free throw line]. If they back up, he is a confident shooter. You just roll the dice in that situation. My belief in him took over; I just let him go.”

With less than two minutes remaining, UConn stormed back from an eight-point deficient as guard Shabazz Napier dropped 10 points during that span, including a long-range jumper to tie the game with nine seconds left.

UC (15-4, 5-1) did just enough to come away victorious after missing the front end of two one-and-ones, while shooting 1-of-4 from the free throw line down the stretch.

“It would have been a tragic loss,” Cronin said. “We started missing free throws up eight [points] with our best foul shooters getting fouled. If we walk up there and make the first [two], you’re up 10, and the game is over. I guess we kept it exciting for ESPN.”

UConn guard Jeremy Lamb converted two shots from the charity stripe at the 6:52 mark to complete a 20-7 run and give his team its final lead of the contest.

The Bearcats answered with a 10-0 spurt, capped by a Kilpatrick corner 3-ball to extend their lead to eight.

“We’ve got answers on the offensive end,” Cronin said. “We weathered the storm. In the last 10 minutes of the game, we are a different team defensively. We really lock down. A big part of that was rebounding.”

Senior forward Yancy Gates grabbed a game-high 12 boards to go along with 13 points, for his fifth double-double of the season and 18th as a Bearcat.

Four other teammates joined Gates in double figures, with Kilpartick netting a team-best 16 points including 4-of-9 shooting from distance.

The Huskies dropped their first home game of the season as Cincinnati garnered its seventh consecutive road win in the Big East, dating back to last year.

Napier carried the Huskies while burying a game-high 27 points, in addition to seven assists.

Just past the midway point of the first half, UC held a two-point advantage before notching a 10-0 run for its largest lead of the game.

Cincinnati shot 7-of-14 from 3-point range in the opening period as it took a nine-advantage into
the intermission.

The Bearcats will face former head coach Bob Huggins as they travel to Morgantown, W. Va., Saturday for a 3 p.m. tip-off on ESPNU.

“It gets a lot easier,” Cronin said. “Just as long as we have [Kilpatrick], we’ll be fine.”