Cincinnati can’t handle UConn in 81-72 defeat

January 11, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

The No. 5 ranked Huskies improved to 7-0 on the road this season.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

CINCINNATI — The road just seems to bring out the best in the Connecticut Huskies.

A.J. Price hit 5 of 8 3-pointers and scored 22 points and the fifth-ranked Huskies flexed their muscles down the stretch to beat Cincinnati 81-72 on Saturday night.

The Huskies (14-1, 3-1 Big East) improved to 7-0 on the road while shooting 58 percent from the field. Jeff Adrien added 13 points and 12 rebounds and Jerome Dyson had 12 points.

Deonta Vaughn scored 19 points, Mike Williams 14 and Yancy Gates 12 for Cincinnati (10-6, 0-3), which has lost four in a row on the heels of a four-game winning streak. The Bearcats had been booed off the floor in an 87-79 home loss to Providence on Wednesday night, but they fought on relatively even terms with the Huskies.

Miami (Ohio) 64, Akron 51 OT

OXFORD, Ohio — Carl Richburg’s layup in the final seconds of regulation tied it for Miami (Ohio) and Julian Mavunga scored six points in a lopsided overtime period.

Miami (8-5, 1-0 Mid-American) kept it close through the final minutes of the second half, tying it at 46 with 1:46 to play on Richburg’s 3-pointer. Anthony Hitchens put Akron (8-6, 0-1) back in front with two free throws with 34 seconds remaining.

But Richburg made his layup on the other end, and the RedHawks scored the first eight points of overtime, eventually outscoring the Zips 16-3 in the period.

Mavunga finished with 14 points, Richburg had 12 and Michael Bramos also had 12, including a jumper and a dunk in the first minute of overtime.

Hitchens scored 12 points and Brett McKnight added 10 for Akron.

N. Illinois 75, Toledo 51

DEKALB, Ill. — Darion Anderson had 20 points, including three 3-pointers, and seven rebounds to lead Northern Illinois.

Northern Illinois (5-8, 1-0 Mid-American Conference) led 41-20 going into half time and came back from the break to continue dominating Toledo (2-13, 0-1 Mid-American Conference) in the second period, 34-31.

Sean Smith had 16 points and Mike Dinunno had 14 points for the Huskies. Sean Kowal added 11 points for a Huskie team that shot 50.9 percent from the field for the game.

Tyrone Kent led the Rockets with 19 points, but made just one of his 11 attempted 3-pointers.

Bowling Green 86, Buffalo 82

BOWLING GREEN — Chris Knight scored 22 points and Brian Moten had 20 as Bowling Green held off Buffalo’s late surge. Bowling Green (8-6, 1-0 Mid-American) led 76-59 with 5:45 remaining. But Buffalo went on a 15-2 run that cut the Falcons’ lead to 78-72 with 1:22 left. Rodney Pierce scored 20 points for the Bulls.