Kilpatrick lays in game-winner in OT victory over Marquette
Jan. 19, 2013 10:02 PM,
Cincinnati guard Sean Kilpatrick (23) drives to the basket against Marquette Jamil Wilson Saturday. / The Enquirer/ Joseph Fuqua II
Sean Kilpatrick’s driving left-handed layup with 4.3 seconds left in overtime lifted the University of Cincinnati Bearcats to a 71-69 victory over Marquette on Saturday at Fifth Third Arena.
With the score tied at 69-69 following a 3-point play by Marquette’s Davante Gardner, Kilpatrick - who scored a career-high 36 points - drove the lane and laid the ball in. Marquette raced down the floor, with Junior Coudigan attempting a shot that would have tied the score, but the ball was tipped errantly by a Golden Eagle player as time expired.
The Bearcats (16-3 overall, 4-2 in the Big East) ended a three-game home losing streak before 12,812 fans, the largest crowd of the season at Fifth Third. Playing with senior point guard Cashmere Wright, UC built a 16-point halftime lead then had to hold off Marquette’s second-half comeback to post the victory.
Marquette scored first in overtime on Todd Mayo’s 3-point shot, but the Bearcats scored the next five points, four by Kilpatrick, to take a 68-66 lead with 51.4 seconds left. After Mayo’s 3-point attempt was no good, the ball went out of bounds to UC with 39 seconds to play.
UC inbounded the ball to JaQuon Parker who called timeout with 34.4 seconds remaining after he was trapped in front of the Marquette bench. Kilpatrick saved Titus Rubles’ errant inbounds pass and was fouled by Derrick Wilson with 25 seconds left. Kilpatrick made one of two free throws and UC had a three-point lead.
Marquette’s Davante Gardner, who had a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds, was fouled by Justin Jackson as he made a follow shot with 14.8 seconds left. Gardner converted the 3-point play to tie the score at 69-69, setting the stage for Kilpatrick’s game-winning basket.
Wright, who sprained his right knee on Tuesday against DePaul, ended a streak of 24 straight starts. He was averaging 16.3 points over his last six games. Sophomore Jermaine Sanders made his first career start in Wright’s absence, with Parker sliding over from his wing position to play point guard.
No. 25 Marquette (13-4, 4-1) now counts two overtime games and a one-point decision among its conference victories.
With the score tied, 61-61, in regulation, Kilpatrick made two free throws for UC with 14.6 seconds left in regulation. After a Marquette timeout, the Golden Eagles dumped the ball inside to Gardner, who was fouled by David Nyarsuk with 2.9 seconds remaining. Gardner, an 83.5 percent shooter from the line, made both free throws to tie the score at 63-63.
UC called timeout, followed by another Marquette timeout as the Bearcats lined up under the Marquette basket to inbound the ball. After the timeout, Rubles heaved the ball into the UC frontcourt for Justin Jackson, but Jackson couldn’t handle it. Marquette's Vander Blue grabbed the ball and launched a long shot that was not good, as time expired, sending the game into overtime.
The Golden Eagles, who failed to make a 3-point shot in nine attempts in the first half, started the second half with three quick treys by Vander Blue to cut UC’s 29-13 halftime lead to 31-24. The Bearcats increased the lead back to 11, but after Marquette cut it to seven again, UC coach Mick Cronin called timeout with 12:48 remaining.
UC badly missed Wright against Marquette’s full-court pressure in the second half. The Golden Eagles continued to connect from long range and pulled to within one point at 47-46 with 7:10 left. At that point, they were six-for-eight from long range in the second half.
Kilpatrick then drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put UC back on top by four. With the Bearcats still leading by four, Parker retrieved an offensive rebound and converted a jump shot in the lane to give UC a 55-49 lead with 4:57 to play. Marquette came right back to get within one again on two free throws by Gardner and a 3-pointer from the corner by Jamil Wilson with 3:59 left.
UC dominated the first half with its defense. The Bearcats, who almost always plays man-to-man, opened in a zone and it seemed to take the Golden Eagles by surprise. They missed 11 of their first 12 shots and never did get into any rhythm offensively.
With Marquette struggling to score, UC stayed in the zone for the entire first half. The Golden Eagles shot 17.9 percent (5-for-28) in the first half. The Golden Eagles’ 13 points were the fewest allowed by a UC team since Cronin became head coach in 2006.
Sanders made two quick 3-point shots early in the game as the Bearcats jumped out to an 8-2 lead. Kilpatrick struggled with his shot in the early going, but continued to fire away and eventually got results. He scored 13 points in the first half.
UC dominated the glass in the first half, out-rebounding Marquette, 26-18, with 10 offensvie rebounds that led to 10 points.
Things got a little testy late in the half when UC’s Nyarsuk and Marquette’s Gardner tumbled to the floor in pursuit of a rebound under the Marquette basket. The two players had to be separated after they got to their feet. Nyarsuk was called for a personal foul and both players were assessed a technical after the officials met with both head coaches at mid-court.
The Bearcats led, 25-9, after a Kilpatrick trey with 4:21 to play. The Golden Eagles closed to within 12, but UC scored the last four points of the half to take a 16-point advantage into halftime.
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