NEW YORK -- Chris Smith scored 15 points and Louisville withstood a closing run by Cincinnati for a 50-44 victory Saturday night that gave the Cardinals their second Big East men's basketball tournament championship.
Kyle Kuric added 13 points for seventh-seeded Louisville (26-9), which was in the championship game for the third time. The Cardinals won the title in 2009 and lost to Connecticut in last year's final.
Cashmere Wright had 16 points for the fourth-seeded Bearcats (24-10), who were in the title game for the first time.
This was in the first time in the 34 years the tournament has been held that at least one of the original seven members of the conference wasn't in the championship game.
Louisville looked to be in control when Smith hit a 3-pointer that gave the Cardinals a 44-28 lead with 8:27 to play. But Wright had nine points in a 16-4 run that brought the Bearcats within 48-44 with 2:35 to play.
Russ Smith's two free throws were the only points either team scored the rest of the way. Cincinnati had three possession trailing by four points but came up empty on each of them.