By Joe Kay
The Associated Press

As his mother watched from the stands, senior Leonard Stokes finished his playing days at the Shoemaker Center with teary eyes and 23 points.

Coach Bob Huggins hugs senior Leonard Stokes as Stokes left the floor near the end of the game. (Craig Ruttle photo) | ZOOM |

Stokes led Cincinnati to an 87-70 victory Wednesday over Alabama-Birmingham that restored some of the Bearcats' lost swagger - for one night, anyway.

More than anyone else, Stokes has been responsible for helping the Bearcats (17-9, 9-6) salvage a tough season. The senior guard has been the only one to step up at pivotal moments, and he did it again in his farewell game.

He had 14 points in the first half, when no one else could score with consistency, and finished with a career-high 12 rebounds.

"Stokes really set the tone," UAB coach Mike Anderson said. "The other guys just kind of followed his lead."

Stokes was the center of attention in pregame ceremonies honoring the team's seniors. He and his mother walked onto the court, where coach Bob Huggins presented a framed photograph of Stokes and gave him a warm hug.

"I was trying to keep from crying when I walked out with my mom," Stokes said. "That was the first time she's seen me play. Other than my mom, I had 18 other people here."

They saw Stokes surpass former teammate Kenyon Martin and move into 18th place on the school's scoring list with 1,287 points.