CBKB: Cincy pounds Xavier

CINCINNATI (AP) - Yancy Gates scored a season-high 22 points, and 24th-ranked Cincinnati extended the second-best start in school history, beating Xavier 66-46 on Thursday night

Cincinnati's 15-0 start matches the 1998-99 team for second-best in school history.

No matter the circumstance, Xavier (8-5) had managed to get the better of its crosstown rival for years. The Musketeers had won three in a row and eight of 11 in the series, which often gets overheated. Xavier's Terrell "Tu" Holloway got a technical for throwing an elbow Thursday.

None of the Musketeers could stop Gates, a 6-foot-9, 265-pound power forward who scored most of his points on outside jumpers. He went 10 of 16 from the field and had 14 rebounds.

Xavier's only consistent scorer was forward Jamel McLean, who had 18 points. Holloway, the Musketeers' leading scorer at 21.3 points per game, managed only five on 2-of-13 shooting.M No. 7 Villanova 83, South Florida 71

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Corey Stokes scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half for No. 7 Villanova.

Dominic Cheek had 17 points and Maalik Wayns added 16 to help the Wildcats (13-1, 2-0 Big East) win for the eighth straight time since losing to Tennessee in the final of the NIT Season Tip-off. Villanova shot 75 percent from 3-point range, with Stokes and Cheek making all nine of the shots they attempted behind the arc.

Augustus Gilchrist led the Bulls (6-10, 0-3) with 16 points and 10 rebounds. South Florida has dropped five straight despite showing signs of improvement.

No. 20 Illinois 88, Northwestern 63

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Demetri McCamey scored 14 points and Mike Tisdale added 13 to help Illinois improve to 3-0 in Big Ten play and 13-3 overall.

JerShon Cobb led Northwestern (9-4, 0-3) with 18 points, and Michael Thompson had 15. John Shurna entered the game averaging 21 points, but had just seven.

No. 23 Washington 87, Oregon 69

SEATTLE (AP) - Freshman Terrence Ross scored a season-high 25 points and No. 23 Washington shut down Oregon in the final 12 minutes to open Pac-10 play 3-0 for the first time in six seasons.

Ross hit 11 of 18 shots, capping the night with a lob dunk off a pass from Isaiah Thomas. Ross previous high was 18 points in an overtime victory at Southern California. Thomas had 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds for the Huskies (11-3). Joevan Catron led Oregon (7-8, 0-3) with 20 points.