A tearful Leonard Stokes is consoled by Taron Barker. Stokes scored 39 points. (AP photos) | ZOOM |

        PITTSBURGH — The top-seeded University of Bearcats blew an 11-point lead in the second half and lost in two overtimes to UCLA 105-101 in a second-round game in the NCAA Tournament today.

        Leonard Stokes had a career-high 39 points and All-American guard Steve Logan 18 on just 6-of-18 shooting for the Bearcats, who have now lost in the second round five times in six years.

        “They had two guys on me all the time,” said Logan. “I wasn't getting open shots and I didn't want to force the issue.”

        UC's loss was another tough one in the tourney for coach Bob Huggins, whose lone trip to the Final Four came in 1992. The Bearcats (31-4), never before top-seeded at the NCAAs, become the first No. 1 to exit this year's tournament.

Donald Little grabs a rebound in front of UCLA's T.J. Cummings. | ZOOM |

        And if losing wasn't tough enough, UC fans will now have to wait to see if Huggins takes the vacant job at West Virginia, his alma mater.

        “That's the most talented eighth seed in the tourney,” Huggins said of UCLA (21-11). “We had the opportunities. The ball just didn't bounce the way we wanted it to.”

        Dan Gadzuric scored a career-high 26 points as UCLA moved onto the West Regional semifinals.

        Down by 13 in the first half, UCLA rallied from an 11-point deficit in the second half and then outscored UC 15-11 in the second OT to move into the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in six years.

UC's Jason Maxiell dunks. | ZOOM |

        Jason Kapono scored 19 points — 17 after halftime — and Matt Barnes added 17 — all of them after the first 20 minutes — for UCLA, which will meet 12th-seeded Missouri on Thursday in the regional semifinals in San Jose, Calif.

        Despite being two of the nation's elite programs, Cincinnati and UCLA hadn't played since 1965, but they made up for it with 50 sensational minutes in Mellon Arena.

        They went to the first overtime tied 80-80, and to the second extra period tied at 90-90. Both teams had chances to win it — Barnes was short with a shot at the end of regulation, and Cincinnati missed several short shots after a scramble underneath in the final seconds of the first OT.

Coach Bob Huggins talks to Immanuel McElroy. | ZOOM |

        The Bruins, though, opened some room by scoring the first four points of the second extra session and went up 97-93 with 1:27 left on a three-point play by Billy Knight.

        Dijon Thompson's short jumper put UCLA up by six and, after another Cincinnati miss, Barnes was fouled. He tucked the ball under his arm, raced under UCLA's basket, knelt and pointed to the sky.

        Thompson hit two more free throws to put UCLA up 102-95, but the Bearcats weren't going quietly.

        Field Williams and Logan hit consecutive 3-pointers to bring the Bruins to 103-101 with 1.6 seconds left, before freshman Ryan Walcott sealed it with a pair of free throws.

UCLA's Matt Barnes drives into Jamaal Davis. | ZOOM |

        Late in the sewcond half, Immanuel McElroy's steal and dunk with 9:20 left put the Bearcats up 65-54, and it looked like Cincinnati could start booking its trip to the final 16.

        But Barnes hit two 3-pointers in 3 seconds — the second coming after a foul was called on his first trey — and after a turnover, the 6-foot-11 Gadzuric got free for a dunk to bring the Bruins within 65-62.

        Kapono's 3-pointer with 5:09 left in regulation finally got the Bruins even at 71-all.

        Using five different defenses to stop Logan, the Bruins did a great job on him in the first half, holding him to two points on 1-of-6 shooting. But while UCLA focused on shutting down Logan, the Bruins forgot about Stokes, and he made them pay.

Steve Logan watches his UC career end. | ZOOM |

        Stokes, a 6-6 junior from Buffalo, made a career-high four 3-pointers and finished with 18 points in the opening 20 minutes as Cincinnati took a 47-37 halftime lead.

        Logan, who didn't get off his first shot until more than five minutes elapsed and scored his only bucket on a driving layup, was being pestered by UCLA's players even before the opening tip.

        During pregame layups, Bruins senior guard Rico Hines was warned by official Mike Kitts to cut out trash talking. Hines, who had written “Final Four” on his sneakers before the opening round, was no factor, though, and sat out the second half with a strained left knee.

        The Bruins, an enigma all season, are suddenly a different team and one looking ready to make a run at UCLA's 12th national title.

        “We've been up and down all season,” Bruins forward Matt Barnes said. “Especially with the high expectations we had. But we usually get hot at tourney time.”

Complete NCAA coverage

UCLA (105)
 
                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
M Barnes            36  7-19   1-2   2-8  11   4   17
J Kapono            32  7-15   2-2   2-5   1   4   19
D Gadzuric          45 13-20   0-1  6-13   0   2   26
B Knight            32   3-9   4-5   1-4   1   3   12
C Bozeman           39   4-9   0-0   4-5   4   3    8
D Thompson          21   3-6   4-4   0-4   2   3   10
A Patterson          8   0-2   2-2   0-0   0   0    2
R Walcott           22   1-6   2-2   0-1   1   0    4
R Hines              4   0-0   0-0   1-1   1   0    0
T Cummings          11   3-5   0-0   0-1   0   2    7


_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             250 41-91 15-18 16-42  21  21  105
_____________________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.451, FT-.833. 3-Point Goals:
8-36, .222 (M Barnes 2-8, J Kapono 3-8, B 
Knight 2-8, C Bozeman 0-2, D Thompson 0-2, R 
Walcott 0-5, T Cummings 1-3). Team Rebounds: 
4. Blocked Shots: 3 (T Cummings 2, M Barnes).
Turnovers: 9 (M Barnes 3, D Gadzuric, R 
Hines, J Kapono, B Knight, D Thompson, A 
Patterson). Steals: 6 (M Barnes 3, B Knight, 
R Walcott, D Thompson).


CINCINNATI (101)


                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
J Davis             26   3-4   2-3   3-4   2   3    9
I Mcelroy           35  5-13   3-4   2-8   2   4   13
D Little            43   4-6   1-2  7-12   0   4    9
S Logan             46  6-18   4-4   0-5   7   4   18
L Stokes            46 12-27 10-12  3-10   2   3   39
F Williams          18   1-6   0-0   0-0   0   0    3
T Barker             4   1-1   0-0   0-0   0   0    3
R Crawford           2   0-0   0-0   0-0   0   0    0
B Grove              2   0-1   0-0   1-1   0   0    0
J Maxiell           28   3-4   1-1  4-10   0   2    7


_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             250 35-80 21-26 20-50  13  20  101
_____________________________________________________


Percentages: FG-.438, FT-.808. 3-Point Goals:
10-30, .333 (J Davis 1-1, I Mcelroy 0-3, S 
Logan 2-7, L Stokes 5-12, F Williams 1-6, T 
Barker 1-1). Team Rebounds: 2. Blocked Shots:
3 (D Little 2, J Maxiell). Turnovers: 17 (J 
Davis 4, D Little 4, S Logan 4, L Stokes 2, I
Mcelroy, T Barker, J Maxiell). Steals: 3 (I 
Mcelroy, L Stokes, J Maxiell).


--------------------------------------------
UCLA                 37  43  10  15   -  105
CINCINNATI           47  33  10  11   -  101
-------------------------------------------- 


Technical fouls: None. A: 0. 

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