In a low scoring first half of the Big East Championship Game at Madison Square Garden, Louisville is holding a slim 24-14 lead over the Cincinnati Bearcats. The No. 4 seeded Bearcats are seeking to win this prestigious tournament for the first time, while the No. 7 seeded Cardinals are looking to win it for the second time under coach Rick Pitino.
The story of the first half has been a mixture of tough defense and poor shooting by these two rivals. The Bearcats, who beat Syracuse on Friday night behind a flurry of three-pointers, are struggling to score thus far. They are shooting an anemic 24% from the floor, and have only made 7 of their 29 field goal attempts. Yancy Gates, Dion Dixon, and Cashmere Wright each have 4 points for Cincinnati.
Louisville isn't shooting much better from the field, making only 38% of their attempts in the first half. Chris Smith leads the Cardinals with 10 points while Kyle Kuric added 5. Both teams will be looking to increase their offensive efficiency in the second half.
For all your Big East news during championship week, check out Big East Coast Bias. For updates on this game throughout stay tuned to SB Nation DC Click here for more on the 2012 Big East Tournament.