For the first time in a long while, the Cincinnati Bearcats played with heart and enthusiasm Tuesday night at home against No. 9 Villanova. Unfortunately, all of the effort and hustle they mustered wasn't enough to top the Wildcats on Senior Night.
After drawing even with 'Nova at halftime with a flurry of late scoring, the Bearcats came out flat to fall behind by 16 points with just 6 minutes remaining. In a display of emotion and ability that has been missed for must of this season, UC made a push as a team - led by Rashad Bishop and Deonta Vaughn - to draw to within 1 point of the lead with just 2:17 left.
[Box Score: Cincinnati v. No. 9 Villanova]
The inspired play wasn't enough, however, as Cincinnati (16-13; 7-10 Big East) fell short in their upset bid. Rashad Bishop had 19 points and Deonta Vaughn, one of two Cincinnati seniors honored before the game, kept the Bearcats in it with 14 points in the first half. He finished with 18 points, two off his season high.
Villanova (24-5, 13-4) got only their second win in their last five games, and it didn't come easy. It wasn't in hand until Reynolds made two free throws with 3.2 seconds left.
While the Bearcats can hold their heads high because of their effort, the stark reality is that the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee doesn't care about how close the 'Cats came to an upset Tuesday night. Instead, the committee will see that UC has now lost 6 of its last 8 games and 4 of its last 5 against teams that are vying for the same post-season berth that the 'Cats are. They'll see that UC has now slid from a good early season start against teams like No. 13 Vanderbilt and Maryland to No. 12 in the 16-team Big East Conference.
Simply put, the Bearcats don't deserve to play in the NCAA Tournament and they've given the selection committee no reason to think otherwise.
Instead, Cincinnati fans are left stewing about yet another late-season collapse under the leadership of Mick Cronin. At best, UC will post an 8-10 conference record for the third straight season leaving supporters wondering if any progress is being made at all in the rebuilding process.
Many fans have already made up their minds about the direction of the program. A fan in a front row behind one of the baskets Tuesday night held up a cardboard sign that said: "WANTED: A New UC Coach 4 2010." Another sign read: "Fire Cronin."
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