It looked like a replay of the closing moments from the Crosstown Shootout, but his smile sneaked out the closer UC came to the end of this one. He'd earned a break.
Levett's 20 points and career-high 11 rebounds led a rejuvenated UC front line and helped the Bearcats to an 81-71 victory over Minnesota Wednesday night at the Shoemaker Center. Bothered by cramps, he acted as though his 36 minutes also marked a career-high, although he'd gone longer twice before this season.
''That's a lot for me. I haven't played that long since high school,'' Levett said. ''At some point, you've got to take me out. I needed it.''
The Bearcats (5-2) faced a zone defense through most of the game and responded the majority of the time with patient execution that led to 41 free throws. Bobby Brannen scored 18 of his 20 points from the line, matching the fourth-best free-throw performance in UC history.
Rather than break down the zone with three-point shots, which was difficult with leading scorer D'Juan Baker in constant foul trouble, they moved the ball to the front line and let Brannen and center Kenyon Martin exert stress on the Gopher defense. Martin scored 14 and grabbed 13 rebounds.
''Their zone was pretty wide,'' Levett said, ''and we knew if we could attack just a little bit and make some of those guys close in on us, somebody would be open inside.''
What they missed, Levett cleaned up. He scored on two spectacular follows in the early stages of the first half, helping UC keep its lead over the Gophers (4-4) in the double-figure neighborhood.
''I think his effort's more consistent,'' coach Bob Huggins said. ''Before, Mel would make a play, and everybody would ooh and aah, and he would stand around for five or six minutes and not make another play.''
The Bearcats got a combined 30 points from the starting front line, including 14 from Levett, in building a 44-35 halftime lead. Martin had eight at the half and clearly was on the way to his best game since his 15-point, 14-rebound effort in the opening win over Detroit.
''Foul trouble,'' said Martin, asked to explain the games in between. ''I didn't get any bad calls tonight. I need to be on the court to produce.''
ESPN gave the nation's cable-ready citizens the opportunity to watch this basketball game, but that's not why it was a must win for the Bearcats.
Xavier gave the Bearcats a devastating beating in their most recent game, but that's not why it was a must win.
UC needed this game because it represented one of its best chances for a victory in the six games against major-conference opponents before the Jan. 18 return of forward Ruben Patterson.
UC also plays Massachusetts in Cleveland Dec. 27, at Houston in the Conference USA opener Jan. 4 and then consecutive home games against Memphis, Marquette and Southern Mississippi. If the Bearcats win only the home games in that sequence, they will welcome back Patterson with a 10-4 record.
Although Minnesota reached the Final Four last season, this is a far less talented team. Starter Sam Jacobson remains, but he has struggled.
He appeared to be renewed when he got a look at the UC defense. Jacobson finished with 24 points, making 9-of-20 shots.
Although UC was marginally effective controlling him, it broke apart the Minnesota attack with ball pressure that produced 20 turnovers. Point guard Michael Horton, playing with the flu, picked up five of UC's 13 steals.
''There's going to be teams we do that to, and teams we can't,'' Huggins said. ''Tonight, we had the opportunity to take them out of their offense. We didn't want to let them bang the ball inside.'' The Bearcats gave up five quick points to Jacobson as the second half began, helping the Gophers cut their deficit to 47-43.
With Shawn Myrick nailing a three-pointer, only his third of the season, followed by Brannen's two free throws and a follow basket by Martin, UC had a 68-56 lead. UC kept its advantage in double figures in the final five minutes.
Petrus gets more than he bargained for Tim Sullivan column
Recruiting class in Top 5
MINNESOTA (71)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Lewis 33 8-16 0-0 0-3 1 4 18
Tarver 35 0-7 4-4 0-3 2 3 4
Sanden 13 1-2 0-0 1-1 1 4 2
Jacobson 34 9-20 4-6 1-4 0 3 24
Harris 33 2-5 0-1 2-6 4 5 4
Broxsie 11 2-2 0-0 3-4 0 4 4
Clark 16 4-4 0-2 0-1 2 2 8
Schoenrock 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 3 0
Archambault 13 1-4 1-2 0-0 0 1 3
Stanford 7 2-3 0-0 0-0 0 2 4
Nathaniel 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 200 29-63 9-15 7-22 10 31 71
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.460, FT-.600. 3-Point Goals:
4-20, .200 (Lewis 2-8, Jacobson 2-7, Harris 0-2,
Archambault 0-2, Stanford 0-1). Team rebounds: 3.
Blocked shots: 4 (Lewis 2, Tarver, Broxsie).
Turnovers: 20 (Archambault 4, Clark 4, Jacobson
4, Lewis 4, Broxsie 2, Harris 2). Steals: 6
(Jacobson 2, Clark, Harris, Lewis, Tarver).
CINCINNATI (81)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Levett 36 8-20 2-4 5-11 1 1 20
Brannen 31 1-6 18-20 5-9 0 3 20
Martin 37 7-15 0-2 5-13 0 3 14
Baker 17 3-7 3-6 0-1 1 4 10
Horton 29 2-4 2-4 0-0 8 1 6
Myrick 15 2-3 0-1 0-1 2 1 6
Petrus 23 1-5 1-2 3-4 1 2 3
Fletcher 8 0-0 2-2 1-3 0 1 2
Jackson 4 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 200 24-61 28-41 19-42 13 16 81
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.393, FT-.683. 3-Point Goals:
5-14, .357 (Levett 2-7, Baker 1-4, Myrick 2-3).
Team rebounds: 6. Blocked shots: 2 (Martin 2).
Turnovers: 19 (Baker 5, Horton 5, Myrick 3,
Brannen 2, Martin 2, Petrus). Steals: 13 (Horton
5, Brannen 2, Martin 2, Myrick 2, Levett, Petrus).
__________________________________
Minnesota 35 36 - 71
Cincinnati 44 37 - 81
__________________________________
Technical fouls: Minnesota 1 (Harris).
Cincinnati 1 (Myrick). A: 10,808. Officials: Jim
Burr, Steve Welmer, David Bair.
