Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - The 22nd-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats close out a four-game homestand on Tuesday night against the Campbell University Fighting Camels as part of the 2012 Global Sports Hoops Showcase.
Since winning its opener on Nov. 9 against Averett (74-55), Campbell has alternated wins with losses in its four games, with its last outing ending in an 88-68 defeat at the hands of Iowa State. The Camels will travel to Las Vegas on Friday to continue the Showcase in a matchup with North Carolina A&T.
Cincinnati has barely broken a sweat in its first three games, with all three wins coming by more than 20 points, including two against Mississippi Valley State (102-60) and North Carolina A&T (93-39) coming by more than 40 points. The Bearcats will also continue the tournament in Sin City on Friday with a bout against Iowa State.
This marks the first-ever meeting between these two squads.
Campbell was able to hang tough in the first half against Iowa State as it went into intermission with just an eight-point deficit, but it couldn't keep pace with the Cyclones down the stretch. The Camels shot a respectable 42.9 percent from the floor, but they only managed to drain 4-of-16 three-point attempts. They were also plagued by 16 turnovers. Darren White led the way with 20 points, but he did so on just 7-of-18 shooting from the floor. Trey Freeman tallied 13 points, two steals, and five assists to go along with six turnovers. Darian Hooker and Andrew Ryan chipped in with 12 and 10 respectively, and the two combined to hit all four of the Camels' treys. Marvelle Harris had just four points, but he grabbed a team-high eight boards.
Although the Bearcats' first few opponents have been far from impressive, they have nonetheless played outstanding in all facets of the game, shooting nearly 52 percent from the field, and holding the enemy to a measly 25.9 percent, while owning a scoring margin of plus-39.7 and a rebounding margin of plus-21.3. In the team's latest rout of NC A&T, Sean Kilpatrick went off for a career-high 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field, which included an astounding 8-of-12 showing from beyond the arc. The junior upped his scoring average to a team-best 21.0 ppg on more than 63 percent field goal accuracy. Cashmere Wright added 13 points and four steals, and while no other player tallied double figures in points, 13 players saw action in the win, with all but one adding to the point total.
