This is a trend: UC has a double-digit lead, then allows an opponent to get back into the game. Happened again Wednesday night.

        The Bearcats led Alabama-Birmingham by 23 points before settling for a 90-83 victory.

        “I thought we played well for 33 minutes and then stopped playing,” coach Bob Huggins said. “We stopped moving, we stopped passing and we stopped guarding. We need to fight through that and put teams away.

        “I guess some people blame youth, but I don't know why because you're young you have to be incompetent. Those don't necessarily have to go hand in hand.”

        RECRUITING UPDATE: Jason Maxiell, the 6-foot-8 power forward who signed with UC in the fall, is averaging 24.1 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks for Newman Smith High School in Carrollton, Texas.

        “Every time he touches the ball, they're double- and triple-teaming him,” Newman Smith coach Charles Duke said. “He'll just step out and hit that jumper on you in a minute. He's got the whole game.

        “They're not letting him move. They're throwing him down and doing everything they can. He just deals with it. He takes it in stride.”

        Maxiell had 34 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks against unbeaten Willowridge. Newman Smith is 7-11, 3-2 in its district.

        KEY STATS: The Bearcats are 11-0 when they are at least even in the rebounding category. Also, UC is 11-0 when shooting better than 40 percent from the field and 9-0 when shooting at least 30 percent from 3-point range.

        On Wednesday, the Bearcats won the rebounding battle 41-31 and shot 47.7 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from 3-point range.

        NOTABLE NUMBERS: UC tied a season-high with 23 assists. ... The Bearcats had 22 points off 15 UAB turnovers; UAB had 10 points off 10 UC turnovers. ... Conference USA is 4-17 in games against ranked opponents and is eighth among leagues in the RPI.
       UP NEXT: UC travels to Saint Louis to take on the Billikens at 1 p.m. (EST) Saturday. Saint Louis is 10-6, 2-1 entering tonight's game at Memphis (9 p.m., ESPN).

UC 90, Alabama-Birmingham 83 Huggins: 'We need to put teams away'

Owners vote to share the wealth
SULLIVAN: Low-profile choice dulls OSU's shine
Ohio State picks Tressel
Tressel may help Bucks in Ohio
Tressel will have to win over OSU fans
Marshall 72, Miami 68
UNLV woos Pitino
Women: Defiance 65, Mount St. Joseph 50
Men: Defiance 62, Mount St. Joseph 58
St. Louis 90, Stuff 86
Cyclones, Carolina swap goalies
Harrison upsets No. 1 Fairfield wrestlers
Boys basketball coverage
Girls basketball coverage
N.Ky. boys basketball games
N.Ky. girls basketball game
Cincinnati boys basketball games
Ohio boys basketball scores
Ohio girls basketball scores
Ohio girls basketball polls
Indiana boys basketball scores
Indiana girls basketball scores
Kentucky boys basketball scores
Kentucky girls basketball scores
Boys basketball schedule
Girls basketball schedule
Cincinnati high school results
N.Ky. high schoolresults
Cincinnati boys swimming honor roll
Cincinnati girls swimming honor roll