Jan. 6, 2004

NEW ORLEANS, La. - It has been eight seasons since a men's basketball team ranked in the top 15 in the nation has played at Fogelman Arena. However, on Wednesday evening, Tulane will host 10th ranked Cincinnati at 7 p.m. It will be the Conference USA opener for both teams. Tickets are available for the game by calling 504-861-WAVE.

The Bearcats come into Wednesday's contest with a perfect 9-0 record, having dominated their pre-conference opponents, winning by an average margin of 26.2 points per game. Of their first nine games, only one was decided by less than 20 points, a 68-49 win at Valparaiso. The Bearcats are averaging 84.0 points per game, while allowing an average of 57.8 points per outing. The most obvious key to Cincinnati's success has been its protection of the basketball. UC has turned the ball over just 106 times in nine games this year while forcing 209 turnovers by its opponents.

"Cincinnati is a great team that goes 10 deep," Tulane coach Shawn Finney said. "They have a great combination of players and Bob [Huggins] has them playing together and maximizing their skills. I think this is one of the best Cincinnati teams in the last few years."

The Bearcats are led by Jason Maxiell, a 6-7 junior, leads Cincinnati with 15.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Sharp-shooter Field Williams has 13.6 points per game and a team-best 27 three-pointers, while Tony Bobbit comes off the bench to score 13.1 points per game.

The last time the Green Wave hosted a team ranked as high as No. 10 in Fogelman Arena was Feb. 25, 1996 when No. 6 Cincinnati beat Tulane, 65-63. Since that time, the Wave has hosted No. 1 Cincinnati, No. 5 Florida and No. 12 Kentucky at the New Orleans Arena.

The young Green Wave squad, with a 6-4 record, will look to upset the Bearcats by protecting the basketball and working for quality shots against the tough Bearcat defense.

"I am expecting them to press us all night and try to take advantage of their experience," Finney said. "We need to stay composed against their pressure and play within ourselves. But we also need to really work on the glass; we need to be strong rebounding and get second chance points while limiting their second chances."

Tulane is led by a trio of double-figure scorers in Ben Benfield (11.9 ppg), Vytas Tatarunas (11.0 ppg) and Quincy Davis (10.9). Tatarunas, a 6-6, 237-pound sophomore, has been a force on the glass this season, ranking third in Conference USA with 9.2 per game. Davis adds 6.3 rebounds per game and a team-best 22 blocked shots while Benfield does his damage from outside, leading the team with 21 three-pointers.

Following the Cincinnati game, the Green Wave will make its first out-of-state trip of the season, playing at TCU on Saturday. The Wave's only road game thus far was at LSU on Dec. 23rd. After the TCU game, Tulane will travel to another nationally-ranked opponent, Louisville, on Jan. 17. The Green Wave hosts Memphis at Fogelman Arena on Jan. 20. Tickets for that game are also available by calling 504-861-WAVE.