If the crowd of 10,768 left Shoemaker Center with any strong feelings Saturday, it was the sense they saw the start of what could be a special college career.

Rodney Crawford fights for control of the ball with NKU's Carl Mitchell (Tony Jones photo) | ZOOM |

        University of Cincinnati freshman Jason Maxiell did exactly what he was recruited for: He grabbed 14 rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench and also added 13 points for a double-double.

        The Bearcats disposed of Division II foe Northern Kentucky 81-53 in their first preseason game.

        “Basically I was doing my job, rebounding the ball, putting it back, defense, block ing shots,” Maxiell said. “Just being myself really.”

        The 6-foot-7, long-armed forward/center was 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-9 from the foul line. He also had two blocks and one steal but four turnovers.

        Maxiell produced more points and rebounds than the other seven players off the bench combined (12 points, 10 rebounds). Only once last season did any Bearcat have more than 14 rebounds in a game.

        “I'm glad he's on our team,” UC senior Jamaal Davis said.

        “For his first exhibition game, I'd give him an "A,'” senior guard Steve Logan said. “Everything that comes off the glass, he thinks it's his.”

        “I've seen it all in practice,” junior center Donald Little

        said. “I guard him the majority of the time. I know it's tough to box him out. He'll get every rebound if you don't.”

        Logan had 17 points and seven assists for the Bearcats. Leonard Stokes also added 17 points.

        Perhaps the best overall performance came from senior Immanuel McElroy, who was 6-of-6 from the field and had 12 points, four assists, three rebounds and no turnovers in 20 minutes. McEl roy hit jumpers from the baseline, from 3-point range, when he was open and when he was guarded. He also finished around the basket in transition.

        All five UC starters were out of the game with 7:35 remaining.

UC Coach Huggins (Tony Jones photo) | ZOOM |

        “We got very little from our bench,” UC coach Bob Huggins said. “They didn't get anything done, except for Max. We're looking for somebody else to play. We didn't rebound very well. We were sloppy with (the ball), which is uncharacteristic of at least the five guys we started.”

        UC won the rebounding battle 41-36, but that was thanks to Maxiell. Nobody else had more than three.

        Northern Kentucky fell behind early, trailing by 22 points 14 minutes into the game. UC set the tone on the first three possessions. The Norse turned it over twice on illegal screens, then on another miscue. UC converted each into a basket.

        It was 6-0 Bearcats when NKU coach Ken Shields called a timeout after less than 90 seconds of play.

        “We had butterflies in our stomachs,” NKU junior Bobby St-Preux said. “We didn't come out as aggressive as we should have. If we would've, maybe it would've been closer.

        “I've been waiting for this for a while. It was a good experience. If we battle like that against people we play against, we'll be all right.”

        Senior forward Craig Sanders led NKU with 18 points; he hit three 3-pointers in the first seven minutes. St-Preux added 15 points.

        NKU's starting guards — Mike Kelsey and Brenden Stowers — were a combined 0-of-9 from the field with one point, four assists and six turnovers.

        “We'll never face a team better than we did today,” Shields said. “They were able to do things to us that these other (Division II) teams won't be able to do. We'll grow from it. We've been beaten before and beaten by worse.

        “Our youthfulness in many ways was certainly evidenced. A couple of players that we counted on to play at a better level just didn't get there.”

        NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY (53) — St-Preux 6-10 2-4 15; Sanders 6-16 3-3 18; Rupe 3-8 0-0 6; Kelsey 0-3 0-0 0; B. Stowers 0-6 1-3 1; J. Stowers 1-2 0-0 3; Medved 0-1 0-0 0; Vieth 0-0 0-0 0; Fields 0-6 2-2 2; Rowland 0-0 0-0 0; Carpenter 0-1 0-0 0; Murphy 0-0 2-2 2; Mitchell 3-7 0-2 6; Totals 19-60 10-16 53.

        CINCINNATI (81) — Davis 2-4 0-0 5; McElroy 6-6 0-0 12; Little 1-3 3-8 5; Stokes 6-11 3-5 17; Logan 6-10 4-4 17; Williams 1-6 0-0 3; Meeker 0-1 0-0 0; Lucas 1-1 0-0 3; Barker 0-2 0-0 0; Flowers 1-2 1-2 3; Crawford 0-1 2-6 2; Hubbard 0-0 1-1 1; Maxiell 5-9 3-9 13; Totals 29-56 17-35 81.

        Halftime: UC, 46-24. Three-point goals: NKU (5-20), St-Preux 1-2; Sanders 3-7; Kelsey 0-3; B. Stowers 1-2; Medved 0-1; Fields 0-3; Carpenter 0-1; UC (6-20), Davis 1-1; Stokes 2-5; Logan 1-5; Williams 1-5; Meeker 0-1; Lucas 1-1; Barker 0-1; Flowers 0-1. Attendance: 10,768.

East Carolina 28, UC 26 UC 81, Northern Kentucky 53 Little wants better effort from himself

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