Kenny Satterfield hit a basket in the last second of the game leading the Cincinnati Bearcats to a 66-65 victory over the University of Memphis Thursday night in The Pyramid. Reserve forward Shamel Jones had scored with 10 seconds to go in the contest, giving Memphis a 65-64 lead. It was the fourteenth lead change in the game.
“I’ve been in many of these in my coaching career and usually what happens is whoever has the ball last usually wins the game,” Tiger head coach John Calipari. “And they had it last.”
Two candidates for Player of the Year in Conference USA, Cincinnati guard Steve Logan and Memphis forward Kelly Wise put on a terrific show for a national ESPN audience and 19,582 in The Pyramid. Logan scored 27 points on 9 of 18 shooting. Wise countered with 16 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks.
Shamel Jones had a career high 17 points and 10 rebounds. His energy lifted the Tigers, who led by five, 37-32, at the half.
“This is his kind of game,” Calipari said of the senior from Brooklyn who played 23 minutes. “It was a rough-house game — everybody’s fouling on every play, everybody’s pushing and shoving. It’s his kind of game.”
Satterfield had 11 points — five in the final minute. Donald Little also had 11 — the only other BearCat in double figures. Memphis out-rebounded Cincy by 11 (41-30) and had only 14 turnovers to 16 assists. The Tigers blocked six shots.
“We were just one shot, one play away. We’re close though. No one stopped playing on our team for 40 minutes. I was happy about that,” Calipari said.
