Kenyon Martin blocks a shot by Northern Arizona's Michael McNair.
(AP photo)
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BOISE, Idaho - Everyone saw who made the shot. Hard not to. D'Juan Baker was so alone as he caught the ball, he might as well have been performing Hamlet's soliloquy on the BSU Pavilion floor.
The guy who made the shot, though, was in the corner of the picture, although he stood 6-8 and and looked like one of those Idaho mountains to Northern Arizona's Michael McNair.
Kenyon Martin had as much to do with the Cincinnati Bearcats' moment of victory as Baker. This is something Baker is only too pleased to tell you. ''Ken did real well, burying my man, and Shawn Myrick found me,'' Baker said.
It was the first of three public acknowledgements of the screen Martin set on Baker's shot, a three-pointer that gave the Bearcats a 65-62 victory.
In a 62-all tie with 17 seconds left, UC ran a play designed to get the ball to Bobby Brannen in the lane, with Martin screening for him to get the action going, then turning and screening for Baker to establish the play's second option.
McNair, a 6-3 junior guard, was in the lane in an attempt to block the path of the ball to Brannen, and that worked, but he noticed as Baker cut out to the left wing and tried to react. Too late.
Martin stepped in front of McNair and stopped him with a screen no more solid than a concrete wall. Myrick saw nothing developing on the inside, but looked to the left and quickly directed a pass across the top of the key to Baker.
''Coach told me to bury Bake's guy,'' Martin said. ''He's always teasing me about not screening, so I said, 'I'll do it this time.' ''
Kenyon Martin is grabbed by UNA's Billy Hix as he dribbles..
Saed Hindash photo)
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In the Conference USA Tournament last week, Martin was MVP because of the spectacular things he did: 43 points, 21 rebounds, 13 blocks in three wins.
In this game, though, he was just 4-of-9 from the field, bothered by what he described as slapping and grabbing by NAU in the post. He also lacked the opportunity to block shots by the perimeter-based Lumberjacks, but showed his value with less dramatic plays.
With UC two points ahead and 2:22 left in the game, Martin made a steal that gave UC a chance to double its lead. Baker lost that one on a turnover, but after the Lumberjacks ran the shot clock to one second, Martin tripped center Casey Frank and got the Bearcats moving toward a Melvin Levett jumper that made it 61-57.
Martin's rebound ended the next NAU possession.
''Small things help,'' he said. ''You don't always have to make the shot for your team to win.''
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