
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 24, 1991                   TAG: 9102240199
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: From Associated Press reports
DATELINE: CINCINNATI                                LENGTH: Medium

BEARCATS LOSE; SOUTHERN MISS CLINCHES FIRST

Anthony Reed scored 20 points and led a second-half comeback as Tulane overcame a 14-point deficit to beat Cincinnati 70-59 and give the Metro Conference regular-season basketball championship to 11th-ranked Southern Mississippi.

Tulane (14-11 overall, 6-6 in the Metro) knocked second-place Cincinnati (16-9, 8-5) out of title contention by winning its fifth straight. Southern Mississippi, 10-2 in the Metro after losing at Cincinnati last week, will have the top seed in the conference tournament in Roanoke, Va., by virtue of its first regular-season title.

Cincinnati fueled Tulane's rally by committing 20 turnovers.

The Bearcats led 39-25 early in the second half before Tulane went on a 17-6 run to get back into the game.

Reed then scored four points in a 9-0 spurt that put Tulane ahead 53-50. A 3-pointer by Herb Jones made it 53-53 with five minutes left, but Greg Gary responded with a three-point play to put Tulane ahead to stay.

Reed's three-point play with 1:01 to play gave Tulane a 64-57 lead.

Kim Lewis added 13 points for Tulane and Mike Christian had 10. Jones led Cincinnati with 19 points.

TULANE (70)

Whitmore 2-5 0-0 4, Reed 8-14 4-6 20, Popp 3-5 0-0 6, Gary 2-3 1-1 5, Hunter 2-4 0-2 5, Lewis 5-8 0-0 13, Christian 4-9 0-1 10, Hartman 1-3 3-4 5, Perry 0-2 2-2 2. Totals 27-53 10-16 70. CINCINNATI (59)

Robinson 4-7 0-3 8, Jones 8-11 2-3 19, Scott 3-7 0-2 6, Banks 5-7 5-7 16, Jackson 3-7 2-2 8, Starks 1-3 0-0 2, Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Reicheneker 0-0 0-0 0, Currin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-42 9-17 59.

Halftime-37-25, Cincinnati. Three-point goals-Tulane 6-12 (Lewis 3-5, Christian 2-5, Hunter 1-2), Cincinnati 2-6 (Jones 1-1, Banks 1-1, Jackson 0-2, Starks 0-2). Fouled out-Scott, Starks. Rebounds-Tulane 21 (Reed 10), Cincinnati 20 (Jones 12). Assists-Tulane 12 (Gary 5), Cincinnati 11 (Jones 4). Total fouls-Tulane 18, Cincinnati 21. A-11,129.

by CNB