Staff and Wire Reports
 Rutgers, (15-16, 5-13 Big East) vs Cincinnati, (16-14, 7-11 Big East), 9:00 PM ET, March 9, 2010 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
NEW YORK, NY — The Cincinnati Bearcats (16-14, 7-11 BIG EAST), the No. 11-seed in the BIG EAST Championship, open postseason play vs. Rutgers (15-16, 5-13 BIG EAST), the No. 14 seed on Tuesday, March 9 at 9 p.m. EST.
The Bearcats come into the BIG EAST Championship losing five of its last six games, including their last three in a row to nationally-ranked teams (West Virginia, Villanova, Georgetown). Cincinnati will look to the hot hand of freshman Lance Stephenson, who is averaging 16.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game over his last four contests, to help get the Bearcats back on track. Rutgers, which has lost four of its last five and two in a row, is coming off an 83-54 loss at No. 17/18 Pittsburgh on the final day of the regular season.
The Scarlet Knights have lost four of their last five games, including a 83-54 decision at Pittsburgh last Saturday (March 6) on the last day of the regular season. Rutgers is ranked 14th overall in the BIG EAST, averaging 67.5 points per game with two players averaging in double figures.
Tuesday’s game will be the 14th meeting between Cincinnati and Rutgers and the seventh since UC joined the BIG EAST Conference. The Bearcats hold a 10-3 lead in the series, which began in 1971-72. The Bearcats have won the last three meetings and earlier this season took a 65-58 decision in New Brunswick, N.J., on Jan. 2. Senior guard Deonta Vaughn led the Bearcats in scoring with 17 points and is UC’s leading active scorer vs. the Scarlet Knights, averaging 19.5 points per game.
Senior guard Deonta Vaughn is the only current Bearcat averaging in double figures vs. Rutgers. Vaughn has posted 19.5 ppg in four career games vs. the Scarlett Knights. His single-game high vs. RU came in 2008-09 when he scored 24 points as UC rallied from a 16-point first-half deficit for a 71-59 victory.
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