Big East Conference

Tony Pike threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns and No. 22 Cincinnati remained in the hunt for the Big East Conference title with a 28-20 victory over reeling Louisville on Friday night at Louisville, Ky. The victory gives the Bearcats (8-2, 4-1) a half-game lead over idle West Virginia and No. 21 Pittsburgh in the conference title race. Cincinnati beat the Mountaineers last week and plays host to the Panthers on Nov. 22.

Jump aboard the symmetry train here. Last year, No. 2 UCLA parlayed a first-round win over the Belmont Bruins all the way to a national-title appearance. Could this be Georgetown's destiny? Can we say "Yes!" and check back on Friday? It's good to see the Hoyas back after all these years, with a coach named John Thompson and a Patrick Ewing on the roster.

Rice, a 5-foot-9, 205-pound junior, rushed for 196 yards and three touchdowns to help the Scarlet Knights end a two-game losing streak with a 38-14 victory over Syracuse. Rice, who carried 36 times, scored on runs of seven, one and two yards for the Scarlet Knights (4-2, 1-1 Big East Conference), who dropped out of the Associated Press top 25 after last week's loss to Cincinnati. With the 18th 100-yard game of his career, Rice ranks second in school history behind J.J.

Andre Dixon dragged defenders on a five-yard touchdown run with 1:32 left Friday night and Connecticut overcame a 10-point deficit and defeated Louisville, 21-17, in a Big East Conference game at East Hartford, Conn. It was the biggest win of the season for Connecticut, 6-1 overall, 2-0 in the Big East, and keeps the Huskies in first place in the conference. The Cardinals dropped to 4-4 and 1-2. The Huskies also got some help from a controversial punt return.

It is just about halftime of the college basketball season, time to head to the locker room and take stock. Who needs a pep talk, who needs a kick in the rear? Who should be proud of their first-half achievements, who should be asking for a do-over? Because everybody gets a do-over now. Conference play begins in earnest around the country this week.

Barbara Turner had 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists to lead No. 5 Connecticut to an 84-75 victory over No. 12 DePaul on Saturday night at Chicago. The Huskies, 19-2 overall, 8-0 Big East, have won seven in a row and 13 of 14. Khara Smith had 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Blue Demons (18-3, 5-3). The loss ended DePaul's 33-game home winning streak, which had been the second-longest in the nation behind Western Illinois. No.

Shelden Williams dominated inside, and J.J. Redick handled the perimeter at College Park, Md. Together, the Duke seniors shot down any chance Maryland had of extending its run of success against the second-ranked Blue Devils. Williams had 26 points and 13 rebounds, Redick scored 35 points for the second straight game, and the Blue Devils never trailed in a 96-88 victory on Saturday.

Forget first place in the Big East Conference. The one thing that kept coming up after No. 3 Connecticut beat No. 2 Villanova was toughness. After the Huskies' 89-75 victory Sunday at Storrs, Conn., left everybody in Gampel Pavilion drained whether they played or watched, coaches and players talked about the attitude and style that has become the trademark of the Big East. "This was an advertisement for how hard the teams in this league play," Connecticut Coach Jim Calhoun said.

The mid-majors did great. But not all of them. The big boys got their share. But not enough of it. The anti-West bias? What bias? Air Force is in. Utah State is in. But not Florida State or Missouri State or Michigan or Maryland. The pairings for the 65-team NCAA tournament were announced Sunday and they were marked by charmingly consistent inconsistency. Duke, winners of both the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament titles, was given the overall No.