When Cincinnati visits No. 19 Iowa State on Thursday night, it will be Round 2 in the matchup of former Murray State coaches who used the perennial Ohio Valley Conference power as a stepping stone to bigger things.The Bearcats Mick Cronin, who was 69-24 from 2003-06 with the Racers, matches wits with the Cyclones Steve Prohm, who parlayed a 104-29 mark from 2011-15 at the small western Kentucky university into a Big 12 gig.Both teams bring 5-1 records into the game with losses to Top 25 teams. Cincinnatis occurred at Rhode Islands hands, while Iowa States happened Sunday against No. 8 Gonzaga 73-71 in the AdvoCare Invitational championship game in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.Trailing 49-34 at the half, the Cyclones stormed back behind an outstanding defensive effort that limited the Bulldogs to 29 percent shooting in the second half.The biggest thing we did in the second half was we competed at a whole different level, Prohm said. Im sure that Gonzaga missed some open shots, but we contested and competed. We have to do that every possession and every game.Iowa State also got a monster game from 6-5 senior guard Deonte Burton, whose 29 points and 12 rebounds against the huge Bulldogs might have been the best game of his career. Burton also tossed in 21 points during a 73-56 semifinal win over Miami, marking the first time in his career hed scored 20 points in consecutive games.But the Cyclones main man remains senior point guard Monte Morris, a preseason All-America pick who is leading the team in scoring at 16 points per game and is connecting on 52.6 percent of his shots. Morris is also averaging 5.6 assists for every turnover.Iowa State, which averages 88.8 points, should have to work for its points against the Bearcats, who appear to be a typical Cronin team that defends fiercely. Cincinnati is yielding only 59.2 points per game and limiting opponents to 38.1 percent field goal shooting, putting it on track to rank in the top 20 nationally in both categories for a fourth straight season.Cronin was pleased with his teams offense Saturday in a 91-68 thumping of Lipscomb. Four players reached double figures for the Bearcats, which canned 52.5 percent of their field goal attempts and drew 20 assists on 31 field goals.Five players registered multiple assists, with point guard Troy Caupain and reserve Tre Scott notching five apiece.In the second half, our motion offense was the best its been all year, Cronin said. I think a lot of that has to do with Tre Scotts willingness to be a soldier for our team and get other people open. The more it worked, the more it became contagious with guys trying to move the ball and get each other open.Sophomore swingman Jacob Evans leads Cincinnatis offense at 17.8 points, while 6-9 junior forward Kyle Washington is averaging 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds. The 6-4 Caupain needs three points to become the schools 50th 1,000-point scorer. . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. .R. Smith realized how easily basketball can be taken from him, and he wasnt going to take his place in the NBA for granted anymore. . Vettel, who has already clinched his fourth straight F1 title, enters the finale with a chance to equal Michael Schumachers 13 victories in a year and match the record of nine consecutive wins by Alberto Ascari in the 1952 and 1953 seasons. .875,000, avoiding arbitration. Clippards deal Monday means all eight Nationals players who filed for arbitration wound up settling before a hearing. . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2. HAMILTON, N.Y. -- Jake Melville passed for 245 yards and two touchdowns, rushed for 71 yards, and Colgate outgained Georgetown 492-147 in a dominant 38-10 victory on Saturday.Colgate (5-5, 4-2 Patriot) blocked a punt on Georgetowns second possession to take an early 7-0 lead. In the second quarter, Melville capped a pair of 10-play, 80-yard drives with TD passes -- first to Owen Rockett for 23 yards and next to John Maddaluna for 11.Henry Darmstadters 43-yard field goal with 11 seconds left in the hhalf got Georgetown (3-8, 0-6) on the board.ddddddddddddAlex Mathews scored on a 21-yard run late in the fourth to give Colgate a 38-3 lead. The Raiders balanced attack totaled 247 yards on the ground and 245 through the air.Clay Norris was 20 of 31 for 112 yards for Georgetown. The Hoyas got a 1-yard TD run from Alex Valles with 10 seconds left for the games final score. ' ' '
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