A closer look…

The Teams: After dropping their first Big East game of the season, the ninth-ranked… The Teams: After dropping their first Big East game of the season, the ninth-ranked Pitt Panthers (17-3 overall, 5-1 Big East) head to the Queen City for the second annual hardwood version of the River City Rivalry with Cincinnati (10-8, 1-3). Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.

Coverage: ESPN Regional will broadcast the game locally. Pitt fans can pick up the radio call on 94.5 FM and 970 AM. SIRIUS Satellite Radio users can tune in to channel 147 for the action.

Last Time Out: Pitt got out to a huge lead in last February’s game, eventually coasting to an 89-69 win inside the Petersen Events Center. Pitt put four players in double figures, including Keith Benjamin’s 16, Aaron Gray’s 15 and Ronald Ramon’s 14. The teams did combine for 32 turnovers, though.

The Coaches: Jamie Dixon is in his fourth year coaching the Panthers, holding a 93-25 record with one win over Cincinnati. Mike Cronin is in his first season guiding the Bearcats, holding a 79-31 overall mark that contains a 10-8 start at Cincinnati.

It’s a Rivalry, Right? Despite the teams playing for the River City Rivalry, this is only the ninth meeting between the clubs. Pitt’s win last year marked the schools’ first contest since 1979. Cincinnati still holds a 6-2 lead in the overall series, which includes a perfect 3-0 mark at home.

Streaks snapped: Pitt’s overtime loss to Marquette on Sunday ended a seven-game winning streak for the Panthers. A day earlier, the Bearcats rallied from a double-digit deficit to force overtime against West Virginia. Cincinnati exploded in the overtime session for a 96-83 win, ending a five-game slide that was the program’s longest in 19 years.

Squeezing the Rock: Pitt entered last week’s games with the nation’s best assist-to-turnover ratio. Against Connecticut and Marquette, though, the Panthers wound up with more turnovers (18 in each game) than assists (30 between the two), snapping a string of 10 games in which Dixon’s team had more assists than turnovers.

Trouble from Downtown: Marquette used the 3-point shot to upset the Panthers on Sunday, hitting nine shots on 40 percent shooting. There isn’t likely to be a repeat tonight, though. The Bearcats only shoot 29.8 percent from behind the 3-point line, despite Marcus Sikes’ improving 45 percent shooting.

Costly Charity: Free throws once again proved to be a major undoing for the Panthers, who missed 13 free throws (three in overtime) in the loss to Marquette. The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, hit 24 of their 31 attempts from the charity stripe, hitting their last 15 to close out the game.