Wednesday, January 05, 2000
UC-Charlotte missing edge this time
49ers have been toughest C-USA foe for 'Cats
BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
If you are a Cincinnati Bearcats fan pondering getting even with UNC Charlotte in tonight's game at the Shoemaker Center, you've got a pretty fair memory or a well-developed sense of vengeance.
You need to think beyond last month's loss to Xavier, back through the five weeks UC spent as this season's No.1 as well as the productive offseason that included the signing of DerMarr Johnson and past the NCAA Tournament defeat against Temple.
|
UNC CHARLOTTE at UC
|
• When: 8 p.m. today
• Where: Shoemaker Center
• Records: UC 12-1, 1-0 in C-USA; UNCC 7-5, 0-0
• TV: Channel 19
• Radio: WLW-AM (700)
BY THE NUMBERS
• 3-3: UNCC's record vs. UC the past two seasons.
• 0: 0: Number of other teams to beat the Bearcats three times since 1997.
|
Last March 5, UNCC beat the Bearcats in the Conference USA tournament semifinals. A lot has happened since. And that is unfortunate for what Conference USA assistant commissioner Brian Teter calls, “maybe the most heated rivalry in the league.”
This game (8 p.m.) between No.3-ranked UC (12-1, 1-0) and UNCC (7-5, 0-0) does not have the sort of preamble that made the past two regular-season visits by the 49ers to the Shoe so invigorating.
In the previous two seasons, by the time the 49ers visited the Shoe, they'd already beaten and/or inflamed the Bearcats during games in Charlotte:
• In February 1997, the rivalry was launched when Bearcats guard Charles Williams was struck on the cheek by a coin thrown from the stands, and following UC's 77-67 victory, the Bearcats responded to being doused with liquids as they left the court by throwing basketballs into the stands.
• In February 1998, UNCC beat the Bearcats 69-62 in a game marked by an altercation between UC's Bobby Brannen and 49ers guard Shawn Colson.
• In January 1999, UNCC ruined UC's unbeaten record after 15 consecutive wins, with guard Diego Guevara making four 3-pointers in the final minutes and blowing a kiss to his wife in the stands after each one.
“That was kind of just like an insult to us,” UC forward Ryan Fletcher said. “Do your kissing after the game's over.”
“If there's one team that's had our number in the conference,” said UC center Kenyon Martin, "they've had it.”
A big reason the first meet ing is at the Shoe is ESPN wanted UC-UNCC for a telecast during its rivalry week promotion early next month. The network preferred the game be televised from Charlotte, because higher-ranked teams naturally face more competitive games when on the road.
Sending UNCC on the road to play the Bearcats in the teams' first meeting of the season, though, risks tinkering with the chemistry of the rivalry.
The 49ers enter only two games above .500, which has become a habit for this program. They were a combined 18-13 on Jan.1 the past three seasons, and 47-17 afterward.
Part of the problem is an inability to schedule record-building wins and an aversion to playing home games during the holiday break. Mostly, the 49ers usually have to build themselves into an efficient unit. They are not overwhelmingly talented, but coach Bobby Lutz is able to turn what he has into NCAA-caliber teams.
UNCC relies on the long-distance shooting of Guevara, Jobey Thomas, James Zimmerman and Dalonte Hill, who have combined for 79 3-pointers. Guevara, though, has started slowly (30 percent on threes) following an appendectomy that kept him out four games.
The 49ers have missed the inside presence provided last season by Kelvin Price and expected this year from 6-foot-9 Rodney White, who has not been eligible to compete as a freshman.
“We've played pretty well at times. We haven't been as consistent as we'd like to be — on the perimeter, which is our strength, or on the inside, which is our concern,” Lutz said. “We see signs, but we certainly haven't played our best basketball to this point.”
Which is not to say fans — and players — from both sides don't have reason to be excited by the matchup.
“Not having that game down there, it's not as big a game as it was the past couple years, because we were trying to avenge our earlier loss,” said Fletcher. “At the same time, we still owe them one from the tournament.
“They seem to give us the most competition every time we play them. Just because we're playing at home ... we realize it could seem like an easy game for us but we're not anticipating that at all.”
Bearcats Stories
Who wants to be a Bengal?
Arbitration could hit Reds where it counts: In the pocketbook
Xavier blows Top 25 chance
FSU gets trophy, but Vick steals show
Register online for Flying Pig Marathon
Kentucky Speedway seat count: 65,989
Georgia Tech tall order for UK
Mount promotes Huber to head coach
OSU's Diggs skipping senior season
Purcell Marian 64, McNicholas 50
Cincinnati boys basketball roundup
Cincinnati girls basketball roundup
Ohio boys basketball scores
Ohio girls basketball scores
Simon Kenton 73, Ryle 60
N.Ky. boys basketball roundup
N.Ky. girls basketball roundup
Kentucky boys basketball scores
Kentucky girls basketball scores
Kentucky 3, Mighty Ducks 0
