By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Robert Whaley (left), Eric Hicks and Armein Kirkland digest Wednesday's 27-point loss at Louisville. After returning home, players immediately held a meeting. (Ernest Coleman/The Cincinnati Enquirer)

It was nearly 1 a.m. by the time the University of Cincinnati Bearcats got back to their dormitory after their 93-66 defeat at Louisville on Wednesday night, the team's first loss of the season after 13 consecutive victories.

But instead of going straight to bed, the Bearcats had some business to tend to. Stung by the nature of the loss, which matched the most lopsided during coach Bob Huggins' 15-year tenure at UC, the players decided to get together and talk things out at the prompting of captains Jason Maxiell and Field Williams.

"Basically it was everybody's idea," Maxiell said. "We knew we had to come together and get on the same page. It was a positive meeting. We just had to get together and get everything straight."

No. 6 UC (13-1 overall, 4-1 in Conference USA) plays at Southern Miss (9-6, 2-2) at 2 p.m. Saturday in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The players-only meeting lasted about an hour and when it was over, the players felt it had served a valuable purpose.

After missing 14 of 26 free throws against the Cardinals, many of the Bearcats were on the floor early before practice Thursday afternoon shooting free throws on their own.

"We talked about the things we have to do to get back to where we need to get," said forward James White. "We all still have the same goal we had before. This loss sets us back in the standings but it doesn't set our mindset back. We still think we're the same team we were before and we're going to get better."

While the players were doing their best to remain upbeat after their embarrassing performance on national television, UC coach Bob Huggins was still visibly upset, not so much because of the loss, but because of his perception that the Bearcats quit playing when things got tough.

Huggins said his team simply didn't play hard.

"That's never happened before," he said. "It's been easy and it got hard and we didn't respond."

Asked if he were contemplating any changes, Huggins hinted that he might, although he said he wasn't prepared to be specific.

"We probably ought to start playing the guys who deserve to play more," Huggins said.

No team or coach enjoys losing, but at UC, a loss seems to hang in the air like a dark cloud until it can be erased with another victory.

"It's like somebody died in your family," said Williams, "but you always bounce back. That's what we've got to do. We've got to come out here and stay focused."

WILLIAMS HURT: Point guard Nick Williams did not practice Thursday and is questionable for Saturday's game because of a sprained ankle.