By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

UC's Leonard Stokes can... finger roll. (Criag Ruttle photos) | ZOOM |

Jason Maxiell takes it strong to the hole. | ZOOM |

Tony Bobbitt gets the crowd going. | ZOOM |

Louisville coach Rick Pitino leaves the court after getting his second "T". | ZOOM |

In many respects, this season's University of Cincinnati basketball team pales in comparison to its more accomplished predecessors.

But the Bearcats proved Saturday they still have one very important characteristic in common with some of the great UC teams of the past 13 years: They still can win a big game when they have to.

Saddled with five losses in their last six games, including five straight Conference USA defeats, the Bearcats walked into Shoemaker Center with fire in their eyes and dominated fourth-ranked Louisville 101-80 before 13,176 fans who might have seen their heroes seal their 12th straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

UC (15-8, 7-5 C-USA), which began the day ranked No. 27 in the Ratings Percentage Index, has beaten two teams this season that were ranked among the nation's top five at the time and another that was ranked No. 11.

"We've got to finish strong," said UC coach Bob Huggins. "We're in great shape in the RPI. We just have to win games."

Senior forward Leonard Stokes, as assertive as he has been all season, scored a season-high 31 points for UC. Reserve guard Tony Bobbitt scored 25 and center Kareem Johnson had a career-high 10.

"Hopefully we've turned the corner," Huggins said.

For the fifth straight day, the UC players declined to speak to reporters.

"The Cincinnati players voted unanimously as a team to forego doing interviews today," said Brian McCann, the school's associate director of sports information.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino, however, had plenty to say. The loss was the third in four games for Louisville (19-4, 9-3 C-USA).

The Cardinals shot 43.1 percent from the field, committed 21 turnovers and made just 15 of 35 free throws.

They outrebounded UC 49-36 and converted two more field goals than the Bearcats but were overmatched at the free throw line.

Louisville was called for 40 fouls, the most ever for a UC opponent. Those fouls led to 42 free throws in 58 attempts for UC, both school and league records.

Pitino praised the Bearcats for their winning effort, but he couldn't help but wonder about some of the fouls.

UC was called for 28 fouls.

"We got a directive two weeks ago out of the clear blue saying hand checks would be called," Pitino said. "There was no mention of people being thrown out of bounds and almost being assaulted. Hand checking was bothering our league office.

"I think guys just have to referee the game. I haven't been happy with it all season. It's got to be a two-way street. They just evened it up at the end of the game."

Bobbitt's work late in the first half ignited UC. After missing his first three shots, Bobbitt made three straight 3s and scored the last 11 points of the half for UC.

The lead reached 35 points, at 79-44, at about the 10-minute mark of the second half.

By then Pitino was gone, having been ejected after absorbing two straight technical fouls from official Tom O'Neill. Overall, the Cardinals were called for four technicals. UC's Kareem Johnson also was called for one.

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com

Louisville	M	FG	Att	FT	Att	R	A	F	TO	TP
Myles	19	3	5	0	0	3	0	4	4	6
Garcia	21	3	8	1	1	2	2	3	0	8
Stone	24	2	8	0	1	6	3	2	2	4
Dean	15	1	2	1	2	3	1	3	2	4
Gaines	26	5	8	6	13	4	5	4	4	18
Tinch	7	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	0
Dartez	24	4	11	1	6	9	1	3	4	10
Northern	11	1	4	0	0	1	2	4	1	3
Davis	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Mohammed	4	1	3	1	4	1	0	2	0	3
Naydenov	9	1	4	0	0	1	0	3	1	2
Whitehad	6	3	4	1	2	2	1	0	0	7
Brown	20	4	6	1	2	2	1	4	3	12
O'Bannon	5	0	0	3	4	1	0	1	0	3
George	7	0	1	0	0	2	0	3	0	0
Totals	200	28	65	15	35	49	16	40	21	80

Team rebounds: 10.

Cincinnati	M	FG	Att	FT	Att	R	A	F	TO	TP
Stokes	34	7	14	15	18	3	5	1	2	31
Maxiell	14	2	3	2	3	4	0	5	0	6
Johnson	29	4	8	2	5	7	0	4	0	10
Williams	19	1	3	8	11	0	0	4	0	10
Barker	36	1	5	5	6	8	6	3	3	7
Land	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	2
Moore	2	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
Meeker	1	0	1	2	2	1	1	1	1	2
Lucas	4	0	1	1	2	0	0	0	1	1
Hicks	29	2	5	1	4	4	2	3	2	5
Bobbitt	20	8	15	4	5	4	0	2	0	25
Flowers	7	0	1	0	0	2	0	2	0	0
Kirkland	4	0	1	2	2	0	0	2	2	2
Totals	200	26	59	42	58	36	15	28	11	101

Team rebounds: 3.

Louisville	33	47	-80
Cincinnati	47	54	-101

Attendance-13,176. 3-point goals-Louisville 9-22 (Garcia 1-2, Dean 1-2, Gaines 2-3, Dartez 1-5, Northern 1-3, Davis 0-1, Naydenov 0-3, Brown 3-3); UC 7-20 (Stokes 2-6, Williams 0-2, Meeker 0-1, Bobbitt 5-8, Flowers 0-1). Technical fouls-L: Gaines, Tinch, Team (2). Officials-O'Neill, Thornley, Poole.

CONFERENCE USA

American

	Conf.		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Marquette	11	2	20	4
Louisville	9	3	19	4
Cincinnati	7	5	15	8
DePaul	6	6	14	9
St. Louis	6	7	12	12
Charlotte	6	6	11	13
East Carolina	3	10	12	12

National

	Conf.		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Memphis	9	3	18	5
UAB	7	5	15	8
Tulane	6	6	13	12
So. Florida	6	7	13	11
Houston	5	7	7	16
S.Miss	4	9	11	13
TCU	2	11	8	17

Saturday's Games

Marquette 79, TCU 68

Saint Louis 62, DePaul 61

Cincinnati 101, Louisville 80

Southern Miss. 76, Tulane 72

Memphis 73, South Florida 66

Charlotte 71, East Carolina 66

UAB 80, Houston 52