Sunday, January 02, 2000
Stuff 94, Trenton 77
Fowlkes leads four players in double figures
BY MARK SCHMETZER
Enquirer contributor
Talk about your double-doubles. Cincinnati Stuff fans saw both of their New Year's wishes granted Saturday night — a Stuff win and Melvin Levett play.
The Stuff placed four players in double figures and turned up their usual stifling defense another notch to knock off the Trenton Shooting Stars, 94-77, before a crowd of 4,412 at Firstar Center.
Tremaine Fowlkes led both teams with 17 points and tied Soumaila Samake for team-high rebounding honors with 15 to lead Cincinnati to its fourth consecutive win. Samake, who missed last Sunday's game against Baltimore with tendinitis in his right knee, added 10 points and five of Cincinnati's 14 blocked shots. Alex Sanders and Allen Edwards each scored 15 for the Stuff.
Cincinnati also held Trenton to its lowest scoring output of the season while improving its lead in the International Basketball League East Division to 41/2 games over the second-place Stars.
The Stuff took advantage of a cold-shooting Trenton team that hit just 32.9 percent of its shots and didn't drop a 3-pointer until 7:40 was left in the game. The Stars also struggled from the free-throw line, shooting just 59 percent (23-for-39), while Cincinnati was 17-for-26 (65.4 percent).
Trenton had been averaging 102 points per game despite making just 27.3 percent of its 3-point shots and 65.3 percent of its free throws going into the game.
Cincinnati improved to 10-0 when holding opponents below 100 points and 7-0 when holding them under 90 points.
“Our guys have been doing a good job of going out and accepting the challenge of stopping the other team,” Cincinnati coach Joby Wright said. “Our defense is what's going to sustain us over the course of the season.”
Levett, the former Universi ty of Cincinnati star who was signed by Cincinnati Friday, didn't expect to dress for the game, but the Stuff opened a spot for him on the roster by releasing another former Bearcat, Damon Flint, before the game.
“I was a little surprised to get in,” Levett said. “I didn't come here expecting to play. The demand came from the people. It didn't come from me. It was flattering to hear the crowd chant my name.”
TRENTON (77) — King 1-6 204 4, Edwards 7-13 1-4 15, Joseph 5-8 6-10 14, Lothridge 2-10 3-4 7, Lloyd 4-13 6-7 14, Wesson 0-4 -0- 0, Greer 0-2 0-0 0, Tutt 4-10 4-4 14, McClary 2-9 1-6 5, Hyman 2-4 0-0 4. Totals: 26-79 23-39 77
CINCINNATI (94) — Fowlkes 5-15 6-10 17, Taylor 3-8 3-4 9, Sanders 5-12 3-5 15, Turner 3-12 1-2 7, Blakney 3-12 0-0 8, Kingsbury 1-3 0-0 3, Brown 3-7 0-0 7, Edwards 5-8 4-5 15, James 0-10-0 0, Samake 5-7 0-010, Hickey 0-1 0-0 0, Levett 0-1 0-0 3. Totals: 34-88 17-26 94
Trenton ....... 22 20 16 19 — 77
Cincinnati ....... 26 25 19 24 — 94
3-pointers: Trenton 2-14(Lothridge 0-4, Lloyd 0-2, Wesson 0-1, Greer 0-2, Tutt 2-3, McClary 0-2), Cincinnati 9-23 (Fowlkes 1-5, Sanders 2-3, Blakney 2-6, Kingsbury 1-2, Brown 1-2, Levett 1-1, Edwards 1-4). Rebounds: Trenton 53 (Joseph 16), Cincinnati 60 (Fowlkes, Samake 15). Assists: Trenton 14 (Tutt 5), Cincinnati 23 (Turner 6). Attn: 4,412.
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