CINCINNATI SPORTS LAST WEEK

Xavier (2-0) opened the week with a game on Monday at home against the Toledo Rockets. B.J. Raymond scored 18 points to lead the Muskies to a 81-65 victory. XU outrebounded UT by a huge 36 to 18 margin.

On Tuesday, Cincinnati (2-0) had a home game against Texas Southern and cruised to a 82-51 win. Junior college transfer Steve Toyloy stood out along with sophomores Alvin Mitchell and Larry Davis. Freshman guard Dion Dixon had 10 rebounds.

XU played Missouri in their first match in the Puerto Rico Tip Off tourney and had to come from behind to beat the Tigers, 75-71. Freshman Terrell Holloway's 10 for 10 from the free throw line saved them. Missouri had six more field goals than Xavier.

The Bengals and Steelers got it going on Thursday night this week and the outmanned Cincinnatians fell 27-10. The big news of the game was that Chad Ocho Cinco was deactivated by Marvin Lewis because of a violation of team rules. How did he make it this far in the season without breaking a team rule? Starting corner, Johnathon Joseph is lost for the season with a foot injury.

On Friday afternoon, in the second round of the P.R. Tip Off tourney, XU had to come from seven back with five minutes to go to catch Virginia Tech and put the game into overtime. In OT, Dante Jackson banked one in from half court as time ran out to win it, 63-62.

On Friday night, Anderson High School defeated Columbus DeSales 14-10 to move into the finals for the State Division II Championship next weekend. On Saturday in division I, Elder beat Pickerington 24-10 to also move into the finals for the State Championship.

On Saturday, the UC Bearcat basketball team had a tilt with the Western Illinois Leathernecks and won easily 74-46. Alvin Mitchell scored a personal high 19 points for the Cats who are now 3-0.

On a cold Saturday night on the UC campus before a record breaking crowd and a national TV audience, the Bearcats moved a step closer to a Big East championship and a BCS bowl bid by beating the Pitt Panthers 28-21. Quarterback Tony Pike was almost perfect...He threw and ran like a champion. Oh, the coach went for it on fourth down and failed again. Oh, they let Pitt back into the game late with a passive non-prevent defense. Oh, the fans got on the field a little too early and had everyone thinking about Cal-Stanford 1982. But in the end, the Bearcats were not to be denied!

On Sunday night, Xavier met the 12th rated Memphis Tigers in the finals of the Puerto Rico Tip Off. The game was tight all the way but the Muskies (now 5-0) stood strong and made their free throws down the stretch to win 63-58 and bring home the tourney trophy.

The UC Bearcat football team has moved to number 16 in the BCS standings.
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