Colgate @ Cincinnati preview

Cincinnati returns to action for the first time in a week to meet Colgate on Saturday night in the second-to-last non-conference home game. The Bearcats haven't played since losing 73-66 to arch-rival Xavier on Dec. 7 in the annual Crosstown Shootout.

The loss to Xavier ended a three-game winning streak for Cincinnati, which hopes to get back on track but faces a challenging schedule in the next week against No. 17 Tennessee at home Wednesday night and against Iowa in the Chicago Legends on Dec. 21. Two of the Bearcats' losses have come against the best teams on their schedule (No. 2 Ohio State, Xavier). Against Xavier, Cincinnati was hurt by 17 turnovers and the struggles of its best player, Jarron Cumberland, who made 4-of-14 shots from the floor and 1-of-8 from 3-point range to finish with 11 points. Cincinnati coach John Brannen indicated this week that Cumberland, who has battled multiple injuries, is questionable to play Saturday night.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, No TV

ABOUT COLGATE (7-4): Colgate, picked in the preseason as the Patriot League favorite after winning the conference tournament in March to advance to the NCAA Tournament, has won six of its last seven after losing consecutive games to Clemson, Syracuse and No. 10 Auburn. Guard Jordan Burns is leading the Raiders in scoring (16.1 points per game) for the second straight year and also averages club highs of 3.5 assists and 1.4 steals. Rapolas Ivanauskas, a 6-10 senior who was last season's Patriot League Player of the Year, follows Burns at 12.3 points and a team-best 7.4 rebounds.

ABOUT CINCINNATI (6-3): With Cumberland affected by his injuries, the Bearcats have struggled with consistency while Brannen tries to find productive lineup combinations. Different players have stepped up depending on the night from among Keith Williams (13 points per game), Chris Vogt (12.6 points, seven rebounds), Jaevin Cumberland (11.3 points) and Tre Scott (8.6 points, 9.7 rebounds). Freshman point guard Mika Adams-Woods (75 percent shooting in the past three games) has seen more playing time recently and that could mean fewer minutes for senior starter Chris McNeal (30.2 percent from the field, 13.8 percent on 3-pointers).

TIP-INS

1. Cincinnati C Jaume Sorolla, averaging 6.3 points and five rebounds in three games, is expected to return Saturday after sitting out the past month with an injury.

2. Vogt has scored in double figures in each of Cincinnati's eight games since a season-opening loss at Ohio State.

3. Burns scored a season-high 40 points for Colgate in a 99-81 victory over Green Bay on Nov. 26.

PREDICTION: Cincinnati 73, Colgate 59