Steve Logan shoots over Purdue's Maynard Lewis. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

        LAS VEGAS — The championship game of the Las Vegas Classic featured a duel between the two players who performed best in the event: Steve Logan of the University of Cincinnati and Purdue's Willie Deane.

        It was Logan who emerged holding the most valuable player trophy and the 25th-ranked Bearcats who came away with the tournament title.

        UC beat Purdue 79-62 late Saturday night in the first meeting ever between the two schools.

        “I think they're a Top 10 team now, the way Logan is playing,” Purdue coach Gene Keady said. “I don't see anyone stopping him.”

        Logan scored 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. He also was 5-of-6 from the line.

Logan drives through Purdue defense. | ZOOM |

        “Without my teammates, I can't be in a position to get that (MVP) trophy,” said Logan, who torched Mississippi State for a career-high 40 points Friday night. “The guys did a great job of getting the ball to me when I was open.”

        The Bearcats (11-1) won their fourth consecutive in-season tournament and fifth in six years.

        “I thought we played pretty hard and pretty consistent (all week),” UC coach Bob Huggins said. “I thought we played well. We're getting better. We still at times get bogged down offensively.

        "We're starting to rebound better and I think our defense has been pretty consistent. This team has to guard to be successful, and I think, by and large, we've done that.”

        UC held the Boilermakers to 43 percent shooting (18-of-41) and forced 21 turnovers.

Donald Little blocks a shot by Purdue's John Allison. | ZOOM |

        “We take pride in our defense,” said Logan. “We push guys out and make them do things that they don't want to do. That's what Cincinnati basketball has always been about. We're known for great defense and we're bringing that back.”

        UC senior Jamaal Davis scored 15 points — one shy of his career high — against the school with which he began his college career.

        Deane led Purdue (7-6) with 23 points, 16 of which came in the first half. He averaged 24 in four games.

        Cincinnati has won 11 in a row since its season-opening loss at Oklahoma State. No opponent has come closer than 13 points. UC's tournament victories came by 31, 40, 34 and 17 points.

Bob Huggins argues with official Sam Lickliter. | ZOOM |

        The Bearcats were clinging to a 16-14 lead when they took over the championship game with a 16-2 run, which included seven points from Davis. Deane picked up his third personal foul with 3:35 left in the half, and UC led 44-28 at intermission.

        After scoring the first six points of the second half, UC's lead was 50-28. Purdue would pull within 12 points with 3:39 left, but got no closer.

        Logan, Davis and Immanuel McElroy of UC were named to the all-tournament team.

        UC's next game is Saturday against Akron at the Gatorade Rock-N-Roll Shootout in Cleveland.

PURDUE (62)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Marshall        22   2-3   3-4   1-1  0  2    8
Smith           16   0-2   0-0   0-0  0  5    0
Allison         36   3-6   6-7  3-10  1  4   12
Deane           36  7-18   5-6   0-0  1  4   23
Lewis           17   0-3   0-0   0-1  1  4    0
Buscher         24   2-2   1-1   1-5  1  4    5
Mcknight         2   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Parkinson       20   1-1   0-0   0-0  3  2    3
Carroll          4   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  2    0
Kilgore         21   3-6   4-4   0-1  2  1   11
Garrity          2   0-0   0-0   0-1  0  0    0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 18-41 19-22  5-19  9 28   62
_______________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.439, FT-.864. 3-Point Goals:
7-17, .412 (Marshall 1-1, Smith 0-1, Deane 4-11,
Lewis 0-1, Parkinson 1-1, Kilgore 1-2). Team
rebounds: 4. Blocked shots: 3 (Allison 2,
Kilgore). Turnovers: 21 (Deane 4, Allison 3,
Carroll 3, Kilgore 3, Buscher 2, Marshall 2,
Parkinson 2, Smith 2). Steals: 4 (Allison, Deane,
Mcknight, Parkinson).


CINCINNATI (79)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Davis           33   5-8   4-6   2-4  1  3   15
Stokes          36   3-8   3-6   0-0  3  3    9
Little          17   2-3   0-2   0-8  1  5    4
Logan           37 10-15   5-6   0-1  0  2   29
Mcelroy         31  3-11   4-4   5-9  3  3   10
Williams         4   0-0   0-0   0-0  1  0    0
Barker          12   1-5   1-2   3-3  1  2    4
Crawford         8   1-1   0-0   1-1  0  0    2
Maxiell         22   3-5   0-1   5-8  0  3    6
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 28-56 17-27 16-34 10 21   79
_______________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.500, FT-.630. 3-Point Goals:
6-12, .500 (Davis 1-1, Stokes 0-2, Logan 4-5,
Mcelroy 0-1, Barker 1-3). Team rebounds: 2.
Blocked shots: 1 (Maxiell). Turnovers: 12 (Little
4, Davis 2, Logan 2, Stokes 2, Crawford,
Maxiell). Steals: 4 (Barker, Logan, Mcelroy,
Stokes).
__________________________________
Purdue             28   34  -   62
Cincinnati         44   35  -   79
__________________________________
Technical fouls: Cincinnati 1 (Bench). Officials:
Sam Lickliter, Terry Wymer, Jd Collins.
                                              

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