Huggins fuming after Bearcats win

Published 12:00 am Monday, February 28, 2000

The Associated Press

Monday, February 28, 2000

Cincinnati (26-2, 14-0 Conference USA) got up by 18 points in the first half and then went soft despite Huggins’ sideline berating. Louisville (17-10, 8-6) shot 65 percent in the second half and cut the lead to nine points with 3:48 left.

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Kenyon Martin completed another sensational game by scoring the Bearcats’ last eight points to close it out. Martin hit consecutive three-point plays on power moves to the basket to halt the comeback.

Martin also took the lead in the first half, scoring 14 points – only two fewer than Louisville managed as a team – and getting 10 rebounds as Cincinnati went ahead 33-16.

Instead of extending their defensive dominance to the second half, the Bearcats eased up and let Louisville take it to the basket for layups, dunks and easy bank shots.

”They changed what they were doing and we didn’t adjust well,” Martin said. ”In the first half, we handled what they were doing. In the second half, they put their heads down and took it to the hole.”

Louisville did such a good job in the second half that coach Denny Crum came away encouraged.

”They beat us by only nine points on their home floor. That’s not an embarrassing loss,” Crum said. ”We didn’t give up. That’s the main thing from my perspective. Obviously, we were physically outmanned.”

Cincinnati has won the last seven games between them, usually dominating the first half and then holding on in the second.

That’s what happened last month in Louisville, when the Bearcats got up by 18 points in the first half, let the Cardinals get within seven in the second half and then held on for a 75-65 in.

The rematch was a rerun. Cincinnati got ahead by an identical 18-point margin in the first half, then held on after Louisville cut it to nine points.

”I can’t explain it,” said DerMarr Johnson, who had 15 points for Cincinnati. ”In the first half, we took them out of their offense. In the second half, they went 1-on-1.”

What bothered Huggins was the way the Cardinals beat his players 1-on-1.

”We quit playing,” said Huggins, who was as angry after the game as he’s been all season. ”Our guys are the only ones who don’t understand that he (Crum) is a great coach and he’s got great players. They think they’re going to roll over in the second half, I guess. What we did in the second half – that was atrocious.”

Martin asserted himself at the end to save Cincinnati from an even closer call, making consecutive three-point plays and then another close-up basket.

”Kenyon Martin obviously was too much for us to handle,” Crum said. ”Physically, he’s so much better than our kids. He has really elevated his game from a year ago. He does so many things really well.”

Huggins thought that Martin and forward Jermaine Tate did all right, but wondered why their teammates were in such a good mood in the locker room.

”The rest of ’em? Whew. Wow,” Huggins said. ”I can’t stand not to compete. It’s got to bother you. (Louisville) shot 65 percent and they’re in there just happy as can be.”