PITTSBURGH — One of Jay Twyman's co-workers sent out an e-mail this week to customers and employees at Bear Stearns & Co., an investment bank in New York, with this trivia question:

        The last time Boston University and the University of Cincinnati played, in 1982, can you name the shooting guard who hit the winning shot in overtime?

        Jay Twyman is, of course, the answer.

        And if his last name sounds familiar to Bearcat fans, it's because Twyman's father, Jack, is a former UC star, a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of three former Bearcats to have his jersey number retired.

        Jack Twyman has no mixed feelings about whom to root for tonight when the Bearcats and Terriers square off in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He's for UC all the way.

        As for Jay? “I'm sort of torn,” he said. His kids are big Bearcat fans. Two of them attend Bob Huggins' basketball camp in the summer. “It's going to be fun,” Jay said.

        It should be noted that he forked over $49 to DirecTV to get the March Madness package so he could watch tonight's game with his family in their West Chester County home, and that his wife, Marion, is a former Boston University track team member who will be on the Terriers' side.

        Now, back to 1982.

        Jay Twyman, 42, starred at St.Xavier High School and began his college career playing for Frank McGuire at South Carolina. It was too much of “an NBA-type atmosphere” for Twyman, who called Boston University's first-year coach Rick Pitino looking to transfer. As an assistant at Syracuse, Pitino had recruited Twyman.

        Twyman suspects the Bearcats were scheduled for his benefit, and if that was true, he rewarded his coach. The first time the schools met (Jan.12, 1981), Twyman scored a career-high 28 points in a 102-82 loss.

        Then came the rematch Feb.6, 1982 in Boston. The Terriers came in with a different plan and slowed down the game, allowing BU to stay close the whole way.

        It was tied at 50 in overtime. Boston had the ball and called a timeout.

        “Pitino drew up a play that was actually supposed to go to somebody else,” Twyman said. “He couldn't get open, and I ran and grabbed the ball and took it from the guy inbounding it. I only had one move, and I used it. Bobby Austin was guarding me. I took him baseline, faked and he went for the fake. The shot went in and I was fouled.

        “I was so excited, I missed the free throw. But I tell everybody Pitino told me to miss it.”

        “It was terrific,” Jack Twyman said. “When your son wins the game, it's great. I was happy for him. And I was long gone (from UC).”

        Jay said he e-mailed Boston University coach Dennis Wolff this week to offer congratulations and encouragement saying, “It could happen again.”

Huggins: Next win will be his 500th DAUGHERTY: March Madness Confident Bearcats thinking big Twyman family nostalgic as UC-BU matchup nears UC notebook UC Women: For Pirtle, tourney was season-long

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