By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COMPLETE COVERAGE

• College Basketball scores • Special Championship Week section

The first time the University of Cincinnati played Louisville this season, the Bearcats had their 13-0 start punctured by a 27-point loss. The second time they played the Cardinals, they had lost four of their last six games and may have salvaged their season with a 66-61 overtime victory.

The rubber match will be played at 7 p.m. today at U.S. Bank Arena in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Tournament, and even though it's a postseason matchup, there's not nearly as much at stake.

No. 3 seed UC (21-6) and No. 6 seed Louisville (20-8) will both play in the NCAA Tournament next week regardless of what happens tonight, although they could improve their seed with a strong showing in this tournament.

"I would not get too wrapped up or too disappointed with this conference tournament, win or lose," said Louisville coach Rick Pitino, whose Cardinals are ranked 25th nationally. "The name of this game is the NCAA Tournament and that's what I'm trying to do, get the team ready."

Still, it's UC-Louisville, and that's enough to get the juices flowing for the fans of both programs. About 2,000 tickets remain for the game.

UC, which has won or shared eight of the nine regular-season titles this league has awarded since it was founded in 1995, has not fared nearly as well in the conference tournament. The Bearcats have won it only three times, most recently in 2002, but still more than any other school.

They've been eliminated in their first game twice - in 2000 when Kenyon Martin broke his leg against Saint Louis - and last year, when they were bounced out in the first round by Southern Miss.

"The way we went out last year, we don't want to do that this year," said UC guard Tony Bobbitt.

Louisville guard Taquan Dean (groin) and forward Luke Whitehead (ankle) are still bothered by injuries, a factor in the Cardinals having lost seven of their last 11 games.

Since getting hurt Jan. 21, Dean has made just 17 of 58 3-point attempts after ranking among the nation's leaders before the injury. Whitehead, who didn't play in the second UC game, had averaged just 4.4 points and 2.6 rebounds over his last five games. He scored 18 points with eight rebounds in the Cardinals' win over UC on Jan. 21.

But first-team all-conference forward Francisco Garcia, who sprained both ankles in late January and early February, has averaged 21 points over his last five games. He helped the Cardinals stave off East Carolina's upset bid Wednesday night with 22 points.

"You take him out of the lineup, they're not that good," Williams said.

UC coach Bob Huggins wouldn't say Wednesday if he'll use the same lineup that played so well against Memphis last Saturday - with Armein Kirkland starting in place of point guard Nick Williams and forward James White moving over to play the point.

"We're better defensively with that lineup," Huggins said. "It should be our best rebounding lineup, but I'm not positive that's the case."

UC's first-round bye gave the Bearcats a chance to rest their legs while the Cardinals had to struggle to get past the Pirates.

UC also has the advantage of the home crowd.

"We're in our back yard," Bobbitt said. "We've got the real fans here now. These are the fans that can't get tickets to come to the Shoe. These are the fans that have to watch the games on TV or in local bars. Now they get a chance to watch it. I can't wait to get around these fans, to come out and just play ball."

E-mail: bkoch@enquirer.com