Cincinnati 71, No. 10 Connecticut 69: Lance Stephenson Wins It At The LIne

December 30, 2009 - Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - Lance Stephenson hit the game-winning free throws with 0.7 seconds left in regulation, giving Cincinnati a wild 71-69 victory over No 10. Connecticut in the Big East opener for both programs.

After Huskies guard Kemba Walker hit a tying three-pointer from the right wing with 10 seconds on the clock, Cincinnati opted not to call a timeout.

Instead, Stephenson broke his defender off the dribble at the top of the key and spun into the lane before being greeted by a pair of defenders.

UConn’s big men went straight up with Stephenson and knocked the ball away, though Gavin Edwards was whistled for a foul with 0.7 seconds on the clock. Stephenson nailed both from the line and Jerome Dyson’s heave from halfcourt was nowhere near the rim.

Stephenson ended with 21 points, while Deonta Vaughn recorded 17 points, five rebounds and five assists before fouling out for the Bearcats (9-3, 1-0 Big East), who stayed perfect at home and won their third straight overall.

Dyson netted 24 points, seven boards and five helpers for the Huskies (9-3, 0-1), who were playing their first true road test of the season. Stanley Robinson added 22 points in the loss, the club’s first since losing to Kentucky on December 9th.

The Bearcats never trailed in the second half, though an Edwards free throw cut the Huskies’ deficit to 65-61 with a little over four minutes to go.

It was still a four-point game, 67-63, before Vaughn fouled Edwards under the basket with 90 seconds on the clock. Though it was Vaughn’s fifth foul, Edwards made just 1-of-2 from the line.

Yancy Gates missed a close look as the shot clock was winding down at the other end, while Robinson and Ibrahima Thomas traded easy buckets, the latter coming with 17.7 seconds remaining that preceded the exciting finish.

Midway through the first half, Stephenson followed consecutive Vaughn makes from long range with a three-point play the old fashioned play, putting Cincinnati on top 27-16.

Connecticut responded with a 9-0 run of its own minutes later, with Robinson’s three-point play pulling the Huskies within 30-27.

The Bearcats held a slim 36-35 halftime lead and held UConn to one field goal over the first five minutes of the second stanza. Gates’ make on the inside finished off an 11-2 run for a 47-37 Cincinnati cushion.

Robinson got hot for a brief stretch, hitting a deuce and a pair of three- pointers to pull the visitors within 50-45 with roughly 12 1/2 minutes left.

Cincinnati, which had a week off to prepare for UConn, will next play at Rutgers on Saturday, the same day the Huskies host Notre Dame...The Huskies had never lost to Cincinnati in five previous meetings.