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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Kenyon Martin scored a career-high 28 points,
tied the school record with 10 blocks and steadied top-ranked
Cincinnati on an off-target night as the Bearcats beat Memphis
75-55 Wednesday.
Martin scored seven consecutive points late in the second half,
allowing Cincinnati (17-1, 5-0 Conference USA) to finally shake
free of the Tigers. Cincinnati turned a close game into a blowout
with a closing 21-9 run.
Memphis (8-9, 1-3) opened the game in a staggering shooting
slump -- the Tigers went just 1-for-20, and that basket came on a
goaltending call against Martin.
But instead of putting the Tigers away, Cincinnati struggled
because it couldn't make many shots, either. The Bearcats missed
their first nine 3-point attempts and led only 54-46 with 7:53 left
when Martin took control.
He scored on a pull-up jumper, a free throw, an alley-oop dunk
and a dunk off a rebound, pushing the lead to 13 points and
starting the closing spurt.
Martin became the 38th Cincinnati player to reach 1,000 career
points and once again matched the team record for blocked shots.
Martin also blocked 10 DePaul shots in 1998, gaining a share of the
record with Rick Roberson and Jimi Ard.
Keiron Shine led Memphis with 22 points.
Cincinnati stretched its home winning streak to 40 games,
third-longest in the nation, despite going only 3-of-18 on 3-point
attempts and struggling to keep up with Memphis on the boards.
Memphis tried to play Cincinnati man-to-man at the outset -- a
very bad move. Martin took advantage of sophomore center Kelly
Wise, scoring on a layup, a one-hand turnaround bank shot and a
jumper in an opening 8-0 run.
At that point, Memphis went to a zone and Cincinnati bogged
down, allowing the Tigers to cut it to 19-17 on Marcus Moody's bank
shot with 4:38 left.
Pete Mickeal's dunk off a drive ended a 4-for-16 shooting slump
by Cincinnati and enraged Memphis coach Johnny Jones, who was
assessed a technical foul.
It turned out to be pivotal. Steve Logan hit the two free
throws, Cincinnati kept the ball and Mickeal's follow-up basket
rebuilt the lead to 25-17. Memphis never got within two points
again.
Cincinnati's front line rejected one inside shot after another --
the Bearcats had 10 blocks in the first half, seven by Martin. But
the rejections came at a price: Memphis was in better positions for
rebounds and had a 27-22 edge at halftime.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Memphis Clubhouse
Cincinnati Clubhouse
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