WVU

Alex Ruoff scored a career-high 23 points as West Virginia kept its N-C-A-A tournament hopes alive with a 79-to-65 win over Cincinnati today.

The game was the season finale for both schools.

W-V-U snapped a two-game losing streak and with a win in the
first round of the Big East Tournament on Wednesday could earn its
third straight N-C-A-A appearance. W-V-U finished the season
21-and-eight overall and nine-and-seven in the Big East.

The Bearcats, meanwhile, finished eleven-and-19 overall and just
two-and-14 in the Big East. The Bearcats won't be playing in the
post-season for the first time in 17 years.

W-V-U hit 14 three-pointers, including five in the first seven
minutes, to build an early lead and led 40-to-25 at the break. The
Bearcats never got closer than 12.

Darris Nichols added 16 points, including all 10 free-throw
attempts, and Frank Young added 10 for W-V-U.

Cincinnati was led by Deonta Vaughn with 18 and John Williamson,
who scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his fifth