By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

If there's one thing the University of Cincinnati Bearcats should have learned during the fits and starts that made up their preconference season, it's that they're not good enough to coast against anybody at any time.

That didn't stop them from shifting into cruise control Wednesday night against DePaul, and it nearly cost them a victory in their Conference USA opener. Leading by 13 points with 5:40 to go, the Bearcats watched the Blue Demons reel off 11 straight points to close within two points with 3:25 to go.

UC (8-3, 1-0 C-USA) held on for a 64-56 victory before 11,091 fans at Shoemaker Center but in the process turned what could have been a satisfying victory into one that came with a black cloud hovering over it.

"Against good teams, we can't have that let up or we're going to lose," said senior point guard Taron Barker. "Against Louisville, we can't have that or we're going to get beat."

UC was led by forward Jason Maxiell, who had 12 points and eight rebounds. Leonard Stokes, Field Williams and Chadd Moore each scored 11.

DePaul (8-3, 0-1) was off to its best start since 1993-94 under first-year coach Dave Leitao, but early the Blue Demons appeared about to be blown out again by a UC team that has beaten them 23 of the last 24 times they've played.

Unlike previous DePaul teams that packed it in when things got tough, this one didn't succumb quite so easily.

UC helped the DePaul cause by rushing shots, missing free throws and not defending with the same intensity with which it had started the game.

Before they knew what hit them, the Bearcats were fighting for their lives after Sam Hoskin, who led the Blue Demons with 22 points, converted a three-point play to make it 55-53, UC.

"We were taking bad shots and then we didn't guard on the other end," Stokes said.

If there was something positive to be gleaned by the Bearcats from the final five minutes, it was the way they responded when they had to.

Stokes, who suffered through a 4-for-13 shooting night, nailed a 15-foot jump shot with 2:55 to go, then after a LeVar Seals free throw, Maxiell scored for UC to make it 59-54. Chadd Moore's two free throws with 1:15 to go gave UC a 61-54 lead and a Stokes steal and subsequent free throw sealed the victory.

UC coach Bob Huggins, still battling the flu that caused him to miss practice Tuesday, decided to start Barker at point guard ahead of Moore, even though Moore played so well against Chattanooga last week while Barker was nursing a sore back.

"He started before he got hurt," Huggins said of Barker. "You show some loyalty to people who have been in the program."

Barker responded with nine points, six assists and four rebounds in 26 minutes.

"It felt good just to be back out there," Barker said. "I got back to about 80 percent with my back. I was feeling real good."

But Moore also played well, with his 11 points, three assists and two key free throws down the stretch.

In the closing minutes, they were on the floor together, with Barker playing the off-guard and Moore at the point.

The Bearcats committed only six turnovers, one each by the point guards. Suddenly, what once seemed like a weakness, now looms as a strength.

Huggins, though, was more disturbed by the letdown than he was pleased by the point guard arrangement.

"We just don't finish anybody off," he said. "We don't seize opportunities and it's going to get us. It's just a matter of time."

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com

DePaul	M	FG	Att	FT	Att	R	A	F	TO	TP
Holland	19	1	3	0	0	4	1	2	3	2
Greer	24	2	5	4	4	5	2	3	1	9
Hoskin	36	6	0	8	10	2	0	1	0	22
Tulley	13	1	5	0	0	2	0	4	3	3
Diener	26	1	3	0	0	1	4	4	2	2
London	17	1	3	0	0	1	0	1	3	3
Brooks	11	1	1	1	2	4	0	1	4	3
Seals	25	3	8	1	2	3	1	3	1	8
Brown	29	2	7	0	0	10	0	2	0	4
Totals	200	18	45	14	18	33	8	21	18	56

Team rebounds: 1.

Cincinnati	M	FG	Att	FT	Att	R	A	F	TO	TP
Stokes	33	4	13	3	4	3	2	2	2	11
Maxiell	36	5	10	2	4	8	0	3	1	12
Hollman	14	0	2	0	1	1	0	4	0	0
Williams	27	4	8	0	0	1	1	2	0	11
Barker	26	3	4	1	2	4	6	1	1	9
Land	6	0	1	0	1	2	0	0	0	0
Moore	18	2	5	7	8	0	3	1	1	11
Hicks	19	3	5	0	2	6	0	2	1	6
Bobbitt	10	1	3	0	0	1	0	2	0	2
Flowers	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Kirkland	7	1	3	0	0	1	0	2	0	2
Johnson	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	200	23	54	13	22	31	12	19	6	64

Team rebounds: 3.

DePaul	22	34	-56
Cincinnati	35	29	-64

Attendance-11,091. 3-point goals-DePaul 6-13 (Greer 1-1, Hoskin 2-2, Tulley 1-4, Diener 0-1, London 1-1, Seals 1-4); Cincinnati 5-14 (Stokes 0-2, Williams 3-6, Barker 2-2, Moore 0-1, Bobbitt 0-2, Kirkland 0-1). Technical fouls-None. Officials-Hartzell, Olson, McDonald.