It was the first 30-point game of Steve Logan's college career. He scored 32, to be exact, at Saint Louis. But that's not what the University of Cincinnati senior recalls about that day last season.

        “I remember the loss more than anything,” Logan said of the Billikens' 71-62 overtime victory. “I think it was one of those stretches where we needed that win bad. Everybody didn't come out focused and ready to play, so we got what we deserved. They always play well against us there. They play with a great deal of confidence, and they feel they can beat us.”

TODAY'S LINEUPS

CINCINNATI   Player-Ht-Yr-PPG   Immanuel McElroy-6-4-Sr.-8.8   Jamaal Davis-6-8-Sr.-8.1   Donald Little-6-11-Jr.-7.8   Leonard Stokes-6-6-Jr.-13.4   Steve Logan-6-0-Sr.-21.5   Coach: Bob Huggins (318-97, 13th season; 486-169, 21st overall).   SAINT LOUIS   Player-Ht-Yr-PPG   Chris Sloan-6-7-So.-3.3   Jason Edwin-6-7-So.-9.8   Kenny Brown -6-9-Jr.-8.2   Josh Fisher-6-2-Jr.-6.5   Drew Diener-6-5-Jr.-7.7   Coach: Coach: Lorenzo Romar (45-37, third year; 87-81, sixth overall).

        The Bearcats, who climbed to No. 4 in the Associated Press poll Monday (behind Duke, Kansas and Maryland), take to the road for two straight games, beginning tonight at Saint Louis.

        UC has dropped two of its past three games at the Savvis Center.

        The Billikens have won seven straight at home and almost upset Missouri there Dec.3 (69-67).

        “They play everybody tight at home, not just us,” UC coach Bob Huggins said.

        One key to tonight's game will be whether junior Marque Perry plays. The Saint Louis point guard, the only Billiken who averages in double figures (15.3 ppg), has missed the past two games because of headaches.

        Perry suffered a concussion after getting kicked in the head against Washington (Dec.29). He missed the Southwest Missouri State game (Jan.2), then was cleared to play.

        The day before Saint Louis faced Marquette (Jan.12), Perry was elbowed in the head during practice. He was cleared to play against the Golden Eagles, then during the game collided with Travis Diener.

        The next day, mild headaches began, and Perry has not participated in contact drills, practices or games since. He will be evaluated today.

        “At this point, a decision has not been made,” Saint Louis coach Lorenzo Romar said Monday. “We're just kind of waiting daily.

        “We are a completely different team (without him). When we played Cincinnati a couple years ago (in the Conference USA Tournament), when Kenyon Martin was out, Cincinnati on the fly had to play a totally different way. Cincinnati had four or five pros still on that team. We don't have that luxury here. Marque Perry, he's our guy. After that, we have a lot of guys who are, more or less, role players.”

        Saint Louis is not as quick and doesn't attack opponents in transition as much without Perry, whom UC is preparing for, anyway.

        “He's going to play,” Huggins said. “Everybody plays against us. He's the key to their team. He's as good at getting the ball in the lane as anybody in our league. They create a lot of problems because they're very good on the perimeter, they're very deep on the perimeter.”

        Sophomore Jason Edwin has picked up his play over the past month, scoring in double figures eight straight games and averaging 13.9 points over that stretch. He has averaged 15.2 points in Conference USA games.

        Junior guard Drew Diener, who likely will start if Perry does not, is coming off a career-high 21 points against East Carolina.

        Romar says his team has generally played well against UC in recent years — except an 84-41 loss at UC's 2000 Senior Day — because the Billikens did not turn over the ball a lot, defended well, were efficient on offense and came into the games mentally tough.

        As for tonight, can Saint Louis put a stop to the nation's longest winning streak?

        “We're going to scratch and claw for everything that we get,” Romar said. “When you get on a roll to where you've won 17 straight games, I don't care what the circumstances are, what the situation is, you really believe you're going to pull it out.

        “So you're playing against a team right now that really does not believe that they're going to lose.”

UC takes No. 4 ranking to St. Louis Huggins mentioned as Nuggets candidate

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