By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HOUSTON - The University of Cincinnati Bearcats are trying to put their loss to Xavier behind them and focus instead on correcting their shortcomings as the toughest part of their schedule approaches.

"The attitude is that we're going to come in and keep working hard," said UC guard Field Williams. "We can't look at the past."

Tenth-ranked UC (15-3, 6-2 Conference USA), plays Houston (8-11, 2-6) at 3 p.m. today at Hofheinz Pavilion.

The Bearcats, losers of three of their last five games, are 20-1 against the Cougars and have beaten them eight straight times, the last six by an average margin of 25 points.

While many theories have been circulated the past few days about what has gone wrong with UC after a 13-0 start, Williams says there's no need to panic.

"We just lost some games," he said. "They just outscored us."

Armein Kirkland also cautioned not to read too much into UC's recent losses.

"It's still early in the season," Kirkland said. "That's why I'm not really stressing too much. The coaches take each game more seriously. They feel like it's the end of the world if we lose a game, but I'm optimistic about our season. I feel like we'll bounce back."

Houston, the lowest-scoring team in the conference at 59.4 points a game, has the second-leading shot blocker in the nation in 7-foot center Anwar Ferguson, who averages 4.4 blocks a game. Guard Andre Owens, who averages 16.3 points a game, is the fifth-leading scorer in the conference. As a team, the Cougars are shooting only 40 percent.

But UC coach Bob Huggins said he's more concerned about his own players and the malfunctions in their half-court offense and defense that have become evident since their loss to Louisville on Jan. 21.

"With us, it becomes more and more apparent that it's not them, it's us," Huggins said. "It's that old deal, you know. We look in the mirror, and the enemy is us."

Today's game provides an opportunity for roughly one-third of the Bearcats' roster to return home to Texas.

Guard Field Williams, who played at Houston's Waltrip High School, expects about 25 family members and friends to attend the game. Kirkland (Tyler), Nick Williams (Arlington), Jason Maxiell (Carrollton) and Jamaal Lucas (Corpus Christi) also will play before friends and family in their home state today.

Both Williams and Kirkland have struggled recently. Williams has made only five of 25 shots in his last three games, including four of 16 from 3-point range, but says it's not because of anything opposing defenses have done.

"I just haven't knocked down my shots," Williams said.

Kirkland, an integral part of UC's success before he hurt his left knee against Tulane on Jan. 7, banged the knee again last week and has been slow to get back to playing the way he was before the injury.

"It just takes time," Kirkland said. "I'm able to play on it, but to do what I need to do, how I was playing before, it has to get a lot more stable than it is. I feel it getting better, though. At least by March or the end of February, I should be pretty much back to normal."

If there's a silver lining to the Bearcats' recent slide, it's that they're still very much in the race to regain the C-USA championship they lost last year. They're only a half-game behind first-place Alabama-Birmingham, which plays at Louisville today.

But Huggins hasn't taken much consolation from that.

"It's not about that," he said. "It's about getting better. It's about trying. It's about doing the right things."

No. 10 UC at Houston

Tipoff: 3 p.m. today, Hofheinz Pavilion (8,479), Houston.

Records: UC 15-3 (6-2 Conference USA), Houston 8-11 (2-6).

TV: Ch. 19.

Radio: WLW-AM (700).

Line: UC by 16.

Series: UC leads 20-1.

CINCINNATI

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
James White	So.	6-7	9.2
Jason Maxiell	Jr.	6-7	14.5
Kareem Johnson	Sr.	6-7	5.5
Field Williams	Sr.	6-3	11.6
Nick Williams	Jr.	6-4	8.4

Coach: Bob Huggins (364-115, 15th season; 532-187 overall).

HOUSTON

Player	Yr.	Ht.	PPG
Andy Ikeakor	Sr.	6-8	2.8
Anwar Ferguson	Sr.	7-0	7.6
Marcus Oliver	Sr.	6-3	10.2
Andre Owens	Jr.	6-4	16.3
Lanny Smith	Fr.	6-3	8.0

Coach: Ray McCallum (43-66, fourth season; 169-142 overall).

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E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com