When Steve Logan calls it simply “the worst situation in my career,” he's including every basketball game he has played at any level. The University of Cincinnati senior is talking about Lloyd Price's steal that led to Xavier's game-winning basket in last year's Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout.

Logan grabs Lloyd Price after Price's late steal in last year's Shootout. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

        Logan had the ball near midcourt. He played 33 minutes on the night and had no turnovers to that point. Then Price swiped it and went in for a layup with 32.2 seconds left. That put XU ahead 68-67. The final was 69-67.

        Two days later, Logan told the Enquirer: “It was a nightmare. I dream about it every night.”

        “It stands out as No.1 because of the national TV (and) we had the game won,” Logan said Monday. “It was a fatal mistake. At the same time, I'm not going to let that get to me and stand in my way of what I've got to accomplish in life. I'm going to stay confident and I'm going to do what I've got to do to win.”

        The Musketeers (5-2) and Bearcats (6-1) play for the 69th time, Friday night at XU's Cintas Center.

        Xavier has won two consecutive games in the series. The only time it has ever won three straight was 1983-84 to 1985-86.

        Tony Wilson and Joe Stiffend are the lone contributing UC players to lose three in a row to the Musketeers.

        Logan does not want to join that list.

        “I really want to come out and attack on the offensive end and play great defense,” he said. “I've got to be aggressive. I'm not going to go out there and let the game come to me; I'm going to go out there and make plays.”

        The 6-foot guard from Cleveland has struggled in the past two Shootouts, shooting just 26 percent from the field (5-of-19) and 27 percent from 3-point range (3-of-11) and averaging 7.5 points.

        UC's leading scorer (19.7 ppg) and offensive catalyst knows the Bearcats will be out to slow him down. Logan is coming off his second-worst shooting performance of the season. He was 5-of-16 from the field and 1-of-7 from 3-point range in Monday night's victory over Toledo.

        He is averaging 16.5 points over the last four games.

        “I don't feel like I've found my rhythm,” he said. “I've missed a lot of open shots, shots I should make. My rhythm's going to come. I'm not going to pressure myself to make shots. I've just got to guard on the defensive end and get guys involved.”

        Logan is not alone when it comes to shooting woes.

        The Bearcats have shot 41 percent from the field over the past four games and just 24 percent from 3-point range.

        Leonard Stokes (4-of-20), Immanuel McElroy (0-of-7), Field Williams (12-of-38) and Logan (16-of-47) are all shooting less than their career percentages from 3-point range.

        That's not good news for what is considered a perimeter-oriented team.

        Coach Bob Huggins said the Bearcats' passing and offensive execution has not been good.

        “We've taken some hard shots,” he said. “But Field's had great looks and hasn't made them, and Logan's had great looks and hasn't made them, and Leonard's had unbelievable looks and hasn't made them. And they make 'em in practice and they've made 'em in the past. I would think at some point in time we'll start making them; I don't know when that's going to be.”

Logan hopes to steal one back

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