Valerie King (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        MILWAUKEE - Freshman Valerie King scored 22 points to lead to UC to a 65-52 win over DePaul Sunday and put the Bearcats one win away from a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

        The fifth-seeded Bearcats (22-9) meet second-seeded Tulane (21-9) at 8 p.m. ET today in the Conference-USA championship game. UC lost at Tulane 83-74 on Jan. 28.

        “She took care of business, fearlessly,” Cincinnati coach Laurie Pirtle said of King, who scored 27 in Saturday's win over UAB. “She did a great job. She knew she needed to do that for us to have a chance to win the game.”

        Lenae Williams led DePaul (17-13) with 23 points.

        “I like somebody to be able to match (Williams) because she's unstoppable,” Pirtle said. “At least she didn't get 40, which she's capable of.”

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        DePaul led by nine at halftime, but Cincinnati scored the first nine points of the second half to tie at 30 with 16:01 to play.

        The Bearcats took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Brittani Young just before the shot clock expired at 13:30.

        DePAUL (17-13) - Lewis 0-1 0-0 0, Blakeslee 2-4 0-0 4, Fitzgerald 1-4 0-0 2, Watson 5-14 3-3 14, Blankson 1-7 0-0 2, Smith 2-4 0-0 4, Williams 10-24 0-0 23, Kustok 0-0 0-0 0, Sobieszczyk 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 22-61 3-3 52.

        CINCINNATI (22-8) - Wilder 1-4 6-8 8, Young 3-7 0-0 7, Douglass 2-9 4-4 8, Sharp 2-6 2-3 6, King 8-20 3-3 22, Dozier 0-5 0-0 0, Meriweather 3-4 0-0 7, Flournoy 1-3 0-0 2, Hostetler 2-3 0-0 5. Totals 22-61 15-18 65.

        Halftime—DePaul 30, Cincinnati 21. 3-Point goals—DePaul 5-15 (Williams 3-6, Sobieszczyk 1-2, Watson 1-4, Blankson 0-3). Cincinnati 6-20 (King 3-8, Meriweather 1-1, Young 1-2, Hostetler 1-2, Sharp, 0-1 Wilder 0-1, Dozier 0-5). Fouled out—Blakeslee. Rebounds—DePaul 31 (Smith 5), Cincinnati 43 (Douglass 12). Assists—DePaul 8 (Watson 4), Cincinnati 10 (Sharp 5). Total fouls—DePaul 18, Cincinnati 10. A—NA.

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