Cincinnati - 23 (Head Coach: Boyd Chambers)

Player	Pts
Victor "Fic" Sicking	0
Gene Mehl	9
Ethan Allen	13
Otterbein	0
Wes Schmid	1
George "Runt" Bradner	0
Robert "Shorty" Klein	0
Smith	0
Harvey Hessler	0
Totals	23

Kentucky - 28 (Head Coach: Clarence Applegran) - [Final Rank ]

Player	Pts
James McFarland	8
Lovell Underwood	10
Will Milward	8
Burgess Carey	1
A. T. Rice	1
Len Tracy	0
Charles Albert	0
Totals	28

Spurt in Final Few Minutes Gives Kentucky 28 to 23 Victory

Basketball Season is Opened in Fine Style

Playing safe nearly cost the University of Kentucky basketball team victory in its first game of the season last night at the gymnasium, and a spurt in the last few minutes gave the Wildcats a 28 to 23 victory over the University of Cincinnati.

Gaining a lead shortly after the start of the contest, which also was the first of the season for the Bearcats, Kentucky did not exert its utmost but just entered seriously on the business of making points and keeping the opponents to as low a score as possible.

Cincinnati also did not seem to be doing its best although the end of the first half found the score, 13 to 9, in favor of Kentucky. About the time the second half was middle-way though, the Bearcat machine began to hum, with Allen, smooth-working center, making the loudest noise.

Captain McFarland's men were leading, 19 to 11, when the visitors, mainly through the work of Allen, slapped two goals through the basket. Kentucky followed with a field shot and then the Bearcats, who hesitated a moment to draw a breath, sent three markers sailing through the mesh in rapid succession, tying the count at 21 all.

Spectators Go Wild

The vast majority of the more than 2,000 spectators present, who had just been ordinary rooters, burst into a cry of excitement that pleaded for the Wildcats to do their best. It was at this juncture that McFarland, who is the hottest player on earth when under fire, unloosed a pretty shot from past the foul line for two points after having tried vainly all evening to connect with the net, either close or from afar.

One of the Wildcats misbehaved and with cold calculations, Allen made good both parts of a double foul again knotting the count at 23 points.

The Wildcats had all gotten Captain McFarland's fever by this time and everyone of them was roaming the floor ahead of the Bearcats, with the possible exception of Allen. Not trying to pierce the Cincinnati five man defense just in front of the foul line, McFarland sent a high, loping shot through the net from mid-floor. A moment later he made good a foul throw and then one of his teammates threw a field goal, after McFarland had dribbled the ball around and drawn the Bearcat defense out of position. this ended the scoring as the game ended a few seconds later.

Allen's work stamped him as one of the classiest centers and roving players seen here in some time. He was the kingpin of the Bearcat offense and defense. Mehl, said to be a deadly shot, failed miserably under the close watching of the Wildcat guards. Although he made many tries at the basket, he was constantly rushed on his shots.

Visitors Passed Better

Cincinnati actually had the better passing team than Kentucky, but the Wildcats gave a superb exhibition of fundamentals, despite this being the first game of the season. The dribbling, turning, reversing and feinting of the Wildcats, their coolness in close proximity of an enemy player and generalship in getting out of a tight place, looked better than any smooth passing attack at this stage of the season, because the latter is only a matter of time.

The Wildcats were starless. No man tried to hog the ball. If a mate was free, the ball was shot to him and Coach Applegran's basketeers worked out their salvation as they went along.

Allen led the scoring with 13 points, while Underwood had 10 and McFarland eight.

Game Writeup - Lexington Leader

WILDCATS OPEN BASKETBALL SEASON WITH WITH VICTORY

BEAT CINCINNATI IN FLASH GAME SCORE 28 TO 23

Mil-Season Form Displayed by Both Teams, Long Shots Winning for Kentucky; Underwood and McFarland Make Brilliant Tosses Pass Ohioans; Crowd Estimated More Than 3,000

by Graydon Bower

The Wildcat basket ball team of the University of Kentucky Saturday night in the University basket ball auditorium inaugurated the 1924-25 Kentucky collegiate net season and suspiciously embarked on one of the stiffest winter's schedules ever confronting a Blue and White varsity five by defeating the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, 28 to 23.

Departing from the precedent set by University foot ball teams, Coach Applegran's players unofficially dedicated the new Kentucky floor by winning their first game played on the big hardwood court. The belated dedicatory game was played before a crowd of fully 3,000 fans, which filled the bleachers and overflowed into the boxseat sections.

Both teams Saturday night were playing their first tilt of the season, but the game was remarkably fast, especially in the final eight minutes of play, and free from the usual early season hitches. Kentucky's criss-cross passing game opposed a less complicated but highly effective style of Cincinnati floor play and, in the end, won out.

Credit for the winning of the game goes to the ability of one or two of the Wildcats to loop shots from long distances and to the excellent preparatory training given the Kentucky team. It was the better playing condition of the Blue and White five which enabled Captain McFarland's team to steam an ominous looking Bearcat rally within 10 minutes of the game's end and then cinch the matter by piling up a comfortable lead.

More Shots by Cats

Kentucky's passing game executed with unexpectedly smooth results gave the Cat players fully 30 per cent more shots at the basket than Cincinnati was allowed and only the fact that the first game of the winter found the Kentucky players not yet warmed up to consistent basket hitting keep the margin of victory as small as it was. The Cincinnati team played a flash game thruout and shortly before the end of the tilt brought the fans to their feet by tieing the score and threatening to do even more.

Free throw chances taken advantage of by the Wildcats gave Kentucky the margin at the end of the first half. Each of the teams scored four field goals, but while the Bearcats were turning five gratis chances into one point the Cats were converting an even half dozen free throws into five points, giving the Blue and White the lead on a 9-to13 score at the end of the first half.

Kentucky climbed gradually to 20 points in the early portion of the second half, with the Bearcats kept well behind on the scoring. With eight minutes of play remaining, the Cincinnatians, their playing led by Ethan Allen, brilliant center, started a flash come-back which resulted in a 20-to-20 score when Allen took a neat pass under the basket and made the "crip" with ease, six and a half minutes before the end of the game.

The cheering was deafening as Kentucky's captain looped a pretty shot from well back of the foul line to put Kentucky ahead. Care took a chance on committing a foul to save a certain two points as Allen dribbled to a clear field and the Bearcat pivot man turned the two free throws into points to again tie the score. McFarland, off his balance to evade close guarding, made an impossible looking shot which found the strings to put Kentucky ahead and, with Underwood and McFarland leading the scoring, the Cats drew away to the 28-to-23 score at the end of the game.

Kentucky's play was not perfect, the Cats missing a number of shots that should have gone for points. But the style of game which Coach Applegran's players displayed was not the customary disconcerted efforts of an early season tilt, but the well developed use of an excellent style of basket ball. With Burgess Carey playing a spectacular game at guard to form the nucleus for Kentucky's defense, the maroon-jerseyed players found scoring opportunities scarce.

Underwood Steady

Underwood, who celebrated his birthday by scoring 10 of his team's points, led the scoring for the Cats. Milward played an excellent floor game but appeared off form on shots, while Chuck Alberts played an excellent game while in the line up. At one time the Blue Devil quintet which won the national scholastic championship was on the floor intact, Tracy having taken Rice's place at guard.

Allen and Mehl were the outstanding performers for the Ohio team, the former leading the last half rally which tied the score and being high point man of the game, while Mehl displaying a spectacular passing and dribbling game which either gave him a shot of enabled a fellow teammate to take a chance at the nets.

Between halves Coach Eklund's first-choice Kitten team, composed of Sharp, Mohney, Hickerson, Ropke and Phipps, played a team selected from the varsity players left on the bench, that team including White, Smith, Rohs, Kittrell and King.

One of the features of the evening was the cheer leading of Miss Virginia Kelly, who directed the yelling of the co-eds, who were seated in a special section of the stands.

Game Writeup - Cincinnati Enquirer

KENTUCKY

Overtops Varsity Team

Cincinnati Defeated, 28 to 23, in Its First Basket Ball Game of Season

By Bill Powers (Special Dispatch to the Enquirer)

Lexington, Ky., December 13 - The University of Cincinnati quintet, lacking the services of Captain Clark Valentiner and the speedy Klein, both being on the hospital list, dropped a fast and thrilling game here tonight to the University of Kentucky 28 to 23. It was the first game for both teams, but both performed in mid-season fashion. Kentucky took the jump in the first half and outplayed the Cincinnatians. The period ended 13 to 9.

In the second half the Bearcats began hitting their stride, Ethan Allen, former Withrow High School star, found the basket consistently scoring four field goals and three fouls out of 10 attempts. Allen scored 13 of the Bearcats points and played a brilliant game on the defense.

Coach Chambers uncovered a youngster who bids fair to become a sensational player this year in conference circles when he placed Noah Mehl in the left forward position. Playing in his first collegiate game Mehl appeared a bit nervous at the start, but he managed to score nine points for Cincinnati, caging four field goals.

Wes Schmidt played an excellent, a good game at running guard, but with Klein in that position Schmidt can be shifted to a forward position and Runt Brodner can take the back guard. This change will make all the difference in the world and will make the combination (?) one extremely hard to ?????.

Championship game with Ohio University for Saturday has been called off.

Game Writeup - Louisville Courier Journal

Wildcat Quintette Opens Season With 28-23 Win Over Cincinnati Outfit

by Gerald Griffin

Lexington, Ky., Dec. 12. - The University of Kentucky Wildcats opened their basketball season here tonight with a 28 to 23 victory over the Bearcats of the University of Cincinnati. Approximately 2,500 persons were in attendance for the event, which was unfolded in the new gymnasium built in conjunction with the football stadium. While the outcome of the game was in doubt at all periods, the Wildcats never were behind in the scoring. Early in the first half, the Cats assumed a lead of four points, and the advantage was held throughout the rest of the period, which ended with the Blue and White on top by 13 to 9.

In the latter part of the last half, Cincinnati started a rally which tied them with the Wildcats at 19 all. At this point, the score remained fixed while the ball traveled up and down the floor three or four times. McFarland, captain of the Kentucky quintette, brought his men into the lead again with a beautiful loop shot from a distance. Allen, the high point man of Cincinnati, and one of the most able centers seen here for some time, was successful in tying up the score again at 21 all, when he shot two free throws, the result of Wildcat offenses. Again McFarland got possession of the ball and shot it through the hoop from a difficult angle, bringing the score up to 23 to 21 in Kentucky's favor. From this point, Kentucky gradually drew away from the opposition, although Cincinnati scored two more points before the final whistle was sounded.

At one time during the contest, Kentucky had the team playing against Cincinnati, which won the National basketball championship for the Lexington Senior High School in 1921. This consisted of McFarland, Milward, Underwood, Carey and Tracy. Cincinnati, a team which won the Ohio Conference title in 1923-24, is intact this season, and placed its championship five on the floor against Kentucky's title bearers.

For Cincinnati, Allen, center, was high point man, scoring 13 of his teammates' total. Underwood, Kentuck forward, led his teammates with a total of 10 counters. Kentucky scored eleven field goals and was successful in making six free throws pass through the straps. Cincinnati gained nine field goals and threw five fouls.

Between the halves, which were of twenty-minute duration, the scrubs and Freshmen held a ten-minute tilt, which resulted in a 4 to 0 victory for the Frosh. The Wildcat military band occupied a section in the galleries and assisted in the entertainment.

Kentucky will meet Indiana University's basketeers here next Thursday night, and two days later will take on the Wolverines of Michigan.

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