VIEW THE MOBILE ALPHA VERSION OF THIS SITE

News Nuggets, 01.30.05
 —  —  —  —  —
NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...

Previous Day Nuggets...             Next Day Nuggets...

Compiled from staff reports and electronic dispatches

Signing day blowout looms for recruiting fanatics

For Pirate football recruiting aficionados, Wednesday will mark a day of celebration that combines the anticipation of New Years Eve with the thrill of tearing into presents on Christmas morning.

That's the day on which East Carolina football coach Skip Holtz will officially unveil his initial signing class during a special "2005 Signing Day Fan Fest," the school's athletic department proclaimed last week.

The event, which ECU has conducted annually in recent years, is free of charge and begins at 5:00 p.m. in the Harvey Hall at the on-campus Murphy Center.

Holtz, named on Dec. 3 to succeed John Thompson as head coach of the Pirates, will also use the occasion to introduce members of his new staff to the public.

According to a news release, Holtz will identify the incoming additions to the Pirates' roster, provide details on each signee and present related video footage.

In-depth biographical capsules of the members of the 2005 recruiting class will be distributed to fans upon entry, stated the release, which noted that light refreshments will be available to those in attendance.

Representatives of the ECU Ticket Office are expected to be on-hand to answer inquiries and sell 2005 season ticket packages.

Prior to the indoor festivities, said the announcement, fans and tailgaters can get an early glimpse of the 2005 Pirates by viewing an open conditioning workout at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium beginning at 4:00 p.m.

ECU's official athletics Website, www.ecupirates.com, plans to provide hourly updates on ECU's signing class throughout the day on Wednesday beginning at 11:00 a.m.

Compiled from an ECU Athletics report.

No. 12 Cardinals attack Tulane in waves

NEW ORLEANS — Francisco Garcia had 21 points and five other Louisville players also scored in double figures, leading the No. 12 Cardinals to a 105-69 rout of Tulane on Saturday night.

The Cardinals (18-3, 6-2 Conference USA) never trailed in winning their seventh straight game and 12th in their last 13. Louisville has won by an average of 32.9 points during its streak.

Louisville led by 19 after 10 minutes and pushed the margin to as many as 25 in the first half before taking a 50-29 lead into halftime.

Tulane (8-11, 2-6) never got closer in the second half, and Louisville led by as many as 44. The Cardinals finished with 20 steals, one less than the school record.

Taquan Dean scored 19 points, including four 3-pointers. Lorrenzo Wade added 14, Larry O'Bannon had 12, and Ellis Myles and Juan Palacios had 11 each.

Donnie Stith was the only Green Wave player to score in double figures, getting 19 points before fouling out.

The Cardinals forced 26 Green Wave turnovers, matching Tulane's most this season and leading to 29 points.

Tulane made just two field goals during the first 10 minutes. The Green Wave twice got the lead down to 15 points, but Louisville finished the half with a 10-4 run.

No. 21 Cincinnati dismantles Houston

CINCINNATI — James White never had a game like this one.

The flashy forward made every type of shot, scored a career-high 25 points and had 10 rebounds Saturday night while leading No. 21 Cincinnati to an 87-68 victory over Houston that showed what he can do in the right setting.

``It was their style of play,'' said White, who has scored 20 points only one other time in his three-year career. ``With the way I play and them pressuring and double-teaming other guys, I was finding open shots.''

He wasn't the only one who dominated. Jason Maxiell had 10 rebounds, 14 points and eight blocks, helping the Bearcats (17-3, 6-1 Conference USA) roll to their 10th straight victory over Houston. The Cougars (12-9, 3-4) are 1-22 against Cincinnati, which leaves next season for the Big East.

The game provided the first head-to-head matchup of two of Division I's most successful coaches. Cincinnati's Bob Huggins has 559 career wins, while Tom Penders — in his first season rebuilding Houston's program — has 539.

Huggins had a whole lot more to work with in this one.

White tied his career high for 3-pointers by going 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, and repeatedly drove past defenders for pull-up jumpers or layups. White was 9-of-12 overall from the field.

``I saw him play in high school,'' Penders said. ``He's coming on. He's finally playing the way I thought he would. I think Bob's got him harnessed finally. He knows when to dunk, when to pull up.''

Maxiell came up two blocks short of the 15th triple-double in Cincinnati's history. Oscar Robertson, who averaged a triple-double in his second NBA season, had 10 of them at Cincinnati. Rick Roberson had one, Kenyon Martin had two, and Kenny Satterfield had the last one on Jan. 29, 2001, against Tulane.

Maxiell went to the bench for the last couple minutes with the game in hand, then learned he was two blocks shy of UC history.

``I tried to get back in, but they wouldn't let me,'' Maxiell said.

Andre Owens led Houston with 26 points, and Lanny Smith added 20.

It was another dominating effort by Cincinnati's man-to-man defense, which holds opponents to 35.8 percent from the field, second-best in the nation. Houston shot only 32.9 percent.

The Bearcats also had pronounced advantages in rebounds (51-36) and free throws, going 25-of-36 from the line while the Cougars were 11-of-17.

News Nuggets are compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data published by ECU, Conference USA and its member schools; and reports from Associated Press and other sources. Copyright 2005 Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Page Updated: 02/23/2007 12:20 PM