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A real rivalry resumes: Xavier and Cincinnati back on campus

By Alex Butler

CINCINNATI, Feb. 18 (UPI) -- The chili will flow and a cross-town rivalry returns to its proper place, in the hills of the Queen City, on Wednesday as Xavier travels to Cincinnati's Fifth Third Arena.

For the first time since a 2011 cross-town fistfight, the 2015 Crosstown Shootout returns to campus sites.

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"I think it's going to be fun," XU senior point guard Dee Davis told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I think having it on different campuses, back and forth in town, just makes the rivalry a lot more competitive."

In 2011, Xavier and Cincinnati each suspended four players for their roles in an in-game brawl. Cincinnati's Yancy Gates, Cheikh Mbodj, Octavius Ellis, and Ge-Lawn Guyn were suspended a combined 19 games. Xavier's Dez Wells, Landen Amos, Mark Lyons, and Tu Holloway were suspended for a combined 11 games.

Davis and Cincinnati's Jermaine Sanders each played two minutes in the infamous 2011 showdown.

"It's more important for the fans of Cincinnati, whoever wins, for bragging rights," Sanders told the Enquirer. "We just want to win, advance and get a better seed for the (NCAA) tournament."

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Xavier (16-10) and Cincinnati (17-8) are each fighting for the right to play in March. ESPN says that Wednesday is Cincinnati's "chance to pick up a quality non conference win -- before Saturday's bad-loss risk of a trip to Houston."

The 2 1/2 mile drive between campuses will surely be packed with excited fans and students stacked in vehicles coated in Bearcat red and Musketeer blue.

"I'm looking forward to getting the game back on campus because of the energy that the students bring," Xavier athletic director Greg Christopher told Fox Sports. "It felt right to us from a departmental standpoint for both Xavier and Cincinnati and it felt right to our fans. A big part of college athletics, period, and the fabric of college athletics is great rivalry games. Rivalry games are often dictated by geography, and this would be one of the best examples of that. This game is really the city of Cincinnati's game."

Cincinnati has an all-time series lead of 49-32. Xavier won last year's meeting 64-47 at a neutral site, after both schools decided against putting the rivalry on hold. Xavier freshman Trevon Bluiett leads the Musketeers with 12.5 points per game. Center Matt Stainbrook is averaging 12.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Musketeers, who sit 4.5 games behind Big East leading Villanova.

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Troy Caupain leads the Bearcats with 10 points per game and 3.4 assists per game. Ellis has averaged 9.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for the Bearcats, who sit 3.5 games behind American Athletic Conference leading SMU.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

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