Top-Ranked Cincinnati Beats Iowa State, 75-60

Top-ranked Cincinnati’s first real test was a physical one.

The Bearcats passed it with a 75-60 victory over Iowa State on Sunday night in the championship game of the Big Island Invitational at Hilo, Hawaii, and avoided joining the list of preseason top 10 teams to lose before December.

Kenyon Martin had 22 points, nine rebounds and nine blocked shots to lead Cincinnati, which won its first three games by an average of 28 points, but was only ahead by five against the Cyclones (3-2) with 1:59 to play.

Iowa State’s three-guard offense left it at a size disadvantage, but with forward Marcus Fizer battling for 26 points, the Cyclones trailed 65-60 on his drive with 1:59 left.

Those were Iowa State’s final points as Cincinnati made all 10 of its free throws the rest of the game.

The Bearcats opened the second half with an 8-2 run--six of the points coming off offensive rebounds--to take a 46-32 lead with 17:21 left.

Iowa State, even with Fizer out for four minutes after he picked up his third foul, stayed within striking distance until the final two minutes.

Steve Logan, who made six of the closing free throws and all 12 of his free throws in the game, finished with 16 points. DerMarr Johnson added 14 for the Bearcats.

Jamaal Tinsley had 12 points for the Cyclones and Michael Nurse had 10.

Fizer made 12 of 19 shots and had four rebounds.

With the score 9-9, Tinsley was caught in a trap near midcourt. As he struggled to turn and get rid of the ball there was plenty of contact both ways but no call was made. Johnson stripped the ball and went in for a dunk. Iowa State Coach Larry Eustachy was enraged in front of his bench and was charged with a technical foul.

Logan made both free throws on the technical but Cincinnati came up empty on the ensuing possession.

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Nevada Las Vegas 85, Georgetown 69--Trevor Diggs scored 27 points, including 24 in the second half, to lead the Rebels (4-0) to victory at Las Vegas.

Diggs made 12 of 15 free throws including five of six in the final two minutes.

Georgetown is 2-3.

Oregon State 53, Clemson 35--The Beavers (3-1) held the Tigers (2-3) to their lowest point total since 1970 for a victory in the SoCon Holiday Hoops Tournament third-place game at Greenville, S.C.

Louisiana State 95, Fresno State 85--Torris Bright scored 21 points, many at critical junctures, to lead the Tigers (5-0) to victory over the Bulldogs (3-2) in the championship game of the Hawaii Pacific Thanksgiving Classic at Honolulu.

Fresno State’s Travis Robinson led all scorers with 33 points.

San Francisco 78, UC Santa Barbara 67--Kenyon Jones scored 15 points and four others scored 10 or more as the Dons (2-1) defeated the Gauchos (0-3) at San Francisco.