'Pitt game was a 'watershed' moment for UC
Jan. 17, 2014 7:10 PM


Titus Rubles celebrates with Jermaine Lawrence after hitting the game-winning shot against Pittsburgh, which started UC's nine-game winning streak. / USA TODAY Sports

Written by
Bill Koch

TAMPA — At the time, the University of Cincinnati’s 44-43 victory over Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden was nothing more than a huge, collective sigh of relief.

UC had lost two straight games, including a 64-47 blowout loss to crosstown rival Xavier. There was no way to know then what impact that victory would have moving forward. A month later, as they prepare to face South Florida on Saturday at 5 p.m. in the recently renovated Sun Dome, the Bearcats have won nine straight games and risen to No. 19 in the Associated Press Top 25.

They’ve done it with a defense that leads the American Athletic Conference, allowing only 56.2 points per game, which ranks fifth in the country.

Looking back, UC coach Mick Cronin calls that victory over Pitt a watershed moment for the 2013-14 Bearcats.

UC held Pitt to 31.4 percent shooting and displayed mental toughness the players had not shown in their losses to New Mexico and Xavier. They were rewarded for their determination when Titus Rules made a follow shot with 4.2 seconds left to beat the Panthers.

“That was monstrous for our mental state,” Cronin said. “If we had lost that game, I was going to go in (the locker room) and tell the guys how proud I was of them, that if we prepare like that and we compete like that, we’re going to have a great year. But that’s a hard sell if they had been sitting in the locker room in the Garden despondent over a loss because this team cares so much. You talk about watershed moments for a team. That was it. No question.”

UC (16-2 overall, 5-0 in the American) faces a South Florida team Saturday that has played its last seven games without talented point guard Anthony Collins, who has been bothered by soreness in his left knee, which was surgically repaired last summer.

The Bulls (10-7, 1-3) have won their last four games played in Tampa against the Bearcats, who haven’t won here since Jan. 27, 2005. USF is led by forward Victor Rudd, who averages 15.5 points and 7.0 rebounds.

While UC’s turnaround can be traced back to the Pitt game, its genesis was really in the locker room at U.S. Bank Arena following its loss to Xavier on Dec. 14.

Cronin met alone with his players – with no assistant coaches or other support people – and talked about what the Bearcats had to do to win. Senior forward and tri-captain Titus Rubles was one of the principal speakers

“At that time, not us, but a lot of people around the program were panicking,” Rubles said. “At the end of the Xavier game it was the most important moment of our season because everybody stood up and said what they had to say. Basically, people expressed what we’ve got to do to win. I think people bought in 100 percent.”

But talk is cheap. Even the most seemingly fruitful meeting doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t produce results. The Bearcats didn’t have to wait long to get those results.

Three days after the XU game, when they faced unbeaten Pitt in the Jimmy V Classic, they looked like a different team from the one that was blown out by Xavier.

“That was a confidence booster for us because we had two back-to-back losses,” said junior forward Jermaine Sanders.

“We had to get our confidence back and our swagger back. We saw that if we defend and rebound that we can beat anybody in the country with the talent we have on this team. Going into the game they were undefeated.”

Pitt has won six in a row since that game.

Meanwhile, the Bearcats have continued to clamp down defensively on their opponents and count an impressive road win over then-No. 18 Memphis among their victories.

It all started in New York, when Justin Jackson tipped a missed Sean Kilpatrick shot to Rubles, who made the game-winning basket.

“One put-back meant so much,” Cronin said.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20140...-moment-UC

It was the same game Mick had Kenyon come in and give an emotional speech to the team telling them to just play defense and good things will happen.

It was certainly a nerve wracking game.

That game got laughed at because of the score, but Pitt is really good. Like possibly top 10 good. That was a really good win. And I think mick made a good point. It would have been tough to sell the team (and fans) how good the effort was if they didn't pull it out. It was a big boost they did.

We'll know more about Pitt after their game at Syracuse today. They are a top 20 team but a win today should solidify their place in the Top 10.

(01-18-2014 03:01 PM)vabearcat Wrote:  We'll know more about Pitt after their game at Syracuse today. They are a top 20 team but a win today should solidify their place in the Top 10.

Pitt lost a close one to Syracuse 59-54. Not a bad loss when considering Syracuse is ranked #2 and their dome is a tough place to play. I don't believe Pitt is a top 10 team but I agree that they are definitely in the top 25. I find it interesting that Cuse and Pitt are first and tied for first respectively in ACC wins. UNC is 1-3 in the ACC thus far and some tar heel fans and alum down here are saying it's time to move on from Roy Williams! Still, a lot of games yet to be played.....