With the Bearcats tipping off NCAA tournament play Friday, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at some cool moments from tournaments past.
We are kicking starting things off with a look at the 2004 game between Cincinnati and East Tennessee State. The Bearcats were the 4 seed, the Buccaneers were the 13 seed. UC were 9 point favorites. They jumped out 11-0. ETSU made a small comeback to within 5. The margin stayed about there for most of the first part of the first half. UC would get up 7, ETSU would cut it to 4. UC stretched the lead back to 11 around the 8 minute mark. ETSU chipped the lead back to 5, but UC pushed back to 9. The Bucs kept getting within 5 or 6, but UC kept making it 7 or 8. That was until the end of the first half, when ETSU dropped a 3 to take us to the break 45-40 UC.
The Bucs started the second half thinking they could win. They were not wrong. They went on a 7-2 spurt to start the first 3 minutes to tie the score. UC put together a couple baskets to end up 5, but the margin would be kept within a bucket by ETSU. That was until the 12:50 mark when Tim Smith got a steal and a beautiful layup through traffic to give ETSU their first lead at 57-56. UC knocked down a couple of 3s to go back up 5. Once again, ETSU would trade buckets. You know, this might make up a full recap game. The story kept remaining the same. UC would go up 4, ETSU would tie it. With 6 minutes left, ETSU hit a 3 to put them up 3. UC would tie it, but they would be the team needing to answer buckets with ETSU in front. A monster dunk from Maxiell tied the game at 75. The game would be tied at 77 with 27 seconds left. (6:10 mark)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU9Fdyy0Pbg&w=420&h=315]
Love you, Tony Bobbitt.
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