There is a time when it's appropriate for a basketball player to go flying into the press table trying to save a possession. When the score is 62-19, that time quite possibly has passed.
UC lost shooting guard Shawn Myrick for the remainder of the EKU game when he fell over the table with 18 minutes left in the second half, trying to save a loose ball. He left at the next whistle to be examined in the dressing room.
He was taken to University Hospital for an MRI, which showed no damage, and the injury was diagnosed as a mild sprain.
''If you stand up, somebody else probably clips you, and then you get hurt worse,'' UC coach Bob Huggins said when asked if Myrick's dive was imprudent. ''Guys very rarely get hurt when they play hard.''
The Bearcats went with walk-on Alex Meacham for a couple of trips at point guard, before he was replaced by sophomore John Carson. Starter Michael Horton was available, but Huggins wanted to rest him because he was bothered by the flu.
Short on subs
Senior Bobby Brannen still was in the game with two minutes left, partly because Huggins did not have many replacements available with guard D'Juan Baker and center Kenyon Martin joining forward Ruben Patterson and guard Charles Smith Williams in sitting out NCAA suspensions.
''It's strange going out there not having the numbers,'' Brannen said. ''Even in warmups - you shoot a layup, and it's your turn again.''
Grid greeting
UC honored the senior members of its bowl-bound football team at halftime. The first two players introduced were wearing basketball uniforms: linebacker - power forward Brad Jackson and wide receiver - shooting guard Brent Petrus.
The football players are headed for the Humanitarian Bowl Dec. 29 in Boise, Idaho.
But Petrus had his mind on the court Saturday. He scored a career-high 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting and tied his career high in rebounds with seven.
Up next
Huggins gave the Bearcats the next four days off so they could travel home for Christmas.
Players have to be back for a practice session Christmas afternoon, after which they'll bus to Cleveland to prepare for Saturday's 9:30 p.m. game against Massachusetts in the Rock 'n' Roll Shootout, which also features Xavier and DePaul.
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