Nov. 10, 2001

UC POSTS 81-53 WIN OVER NKU

Maxiell leads Bearcats past Norse in exhibition game

CINCINNATI, Ohio - Freshman forward Jason Maxiell scored 13 points and grabbed 14 rebounds Saturday afternoon as the University of Cincinnati defeated Northern Kentucky University, 81-53, in a men’s basketball exhibition game in the Shoemaker Center. UC took a 6-0 lead less than two minutes into the game on two Leonard Stokes scores and an Immanuel McElroy layup, all off of NKU turnovers. Two Craig Sanders jumpers cut the lead to 6-5, but the Bearcats scored the next eight points, six from McElroy, to take a 14-5 lead at the 15:21 mark. After another Sanders three-pointer cut UC’s lead to 16-11, the Bearcats scored 19 of the next 21 points to go ahead 37-15 with 5:39 left in the half. Stokes and Steve Logan each had seven points during the run and Maxiell had six boards. The margin remained 22 into the half, with UC holding a 46-24 advantage. Logan finished the half with 13 points on four-of-six shooting and three assists. Stokes had 11 and McElroy added eight, while Maxiell grabbed eight rebounds. The Bearcats shot 57 percent from the floor for the half and hit four of their nine three-point attempts. Sanders - who scored the first 11 points for the Norse - had 13 at the break, including three three-point shots. UC opened the second half with a 9-2 run to go up 29 at the 17:01 mark. After a Maxiell basket off a Logan assist gave the Bearcats a 66-34 advantage, NKU went on an 11-3 run, keyed by dunks from Jesse Rupe and Bobby St-Preux, to cut the lead to 24 with 6:20 left. The Bearcats immediately pushed the lead back to 30 on a Maxiell jumper and NKU got no closer than 26 the rest of the way. Logan and Stokes each finished with a team-high 17 points, with the latter adding seven assists. McElroy netted 12 points and four assists and Jamaal Davis added three steals. Maxiell earned his 13 points on five-of-nine shooting from the floor and he added two blocked shots. Sanders ended up with a game-high 18 points, while St-Preux had 15 points and two steals. Brenden Stowers had a team-leading three assists and four steals, and Rupe and Carl Mitchell each had seven rebounds. NKU will begin the regular season this Friday night at 7:45 p.m. against Ferris State University in the first round of the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic in Regents Hall. Central State University will meet Christian Brothers (Tenn.) University in the other first-round game at 5:30 p.m.