Three Man Weave: Cincinnati Falls Flat in 81-71 Loss to Texas Tech

Cincinnati is starting a crucial stretch of Quad 1 games.
Jan 21, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats guard Jizzle James (2) shoots against Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Elijah Hawkins (3) in the first half at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Jan 21, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats guard Jizzle James (2) shoots against Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Elijah Hawkins (3) in the first half at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
In this story:

CINCINNATI — The Bearcats basketball squad blew another Quad 1 opportunity on Tuesday night in an 81-71 loss to Texas Tech.

UC is now 2-5 in conference play and has fallen to 6-30 in Quad 1 games under Wes Miller. They haven't beaten many good teams this decade and didn't look engaged enough amidst an offensive clinic from Texas Tech.

TTU forward JT Toppin (20 points, seven rebounds) was his normal self in this one, posting a 9-15 night from the floor while being one of five Red Raiders to hit a three in this game. It marks easily the most points Cincinnati's allowed this season.

UC is now 2-1 all-time against Texas Tech, and fell below a 20% chance on Team Rankings to make the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Board Bungles

Cincinnati entered this game as one of the top-100 rebounding teams in the nation, but TTU is better (34-27 rebounds), and they used powerful box-outs to own the glass all night long.

It was especially impactful on the offensive end, where they won 10-3 and had a 10-5 second-chance point advantage. Cincinnati would play great defense, often for the whole shot clock, then give up back-breaking rebounds and points to follow. Teams were only averaging 10.4 offensive rebounds per game against Cincinnati entering this one, but that average number was enough for pain. 

UC couldn't work its size advantage in favorable enough angles to get those boards. They had never posted less than four offensive rebounds under Wes Miller until tonight.

On top of that, the life-on-the-line effort waned in this game. UC's NCAA Tournament reśumé has them firmly on the outside, and they did not play like a team that needed a signature win to maintain momentum. Cincinnati forced just four steals and the only player who posted a great defensive game was Dillon Mitchell (12 points, four rebounds, three blocks, one steal).

He played the most minutes and had the worst plus/minus for a reason (-14). 

Cincinnati didn't do nearly enough around him on that end.

Jizzle Finding The Juice

Jizzle James (17 points, three rebounds, three assists) has impacted games more and more over the past two weeks as he broke out of his shooting slump further with an 8-12 performance.

The mid-range jumper fell at an efficient rate in this game, and he did a great job taking care of the basketball with just two turnovers. James was easily the most efficient Bearcat in the lineup on Tuesday (17 efficiency mark).

He's now paired together double-digit scoring outings for the first time since early December. Cincinnati needs that consistently from a guy averaging nine shots per game since those outings. James has the handle, strength, and touch to impact the game for all 40 minutes.

He dipped into that with encouraging consistency on Tuesday. Still, he got caught in some bad defensive spots at timesand didn't do quite enough to keep UC in it.

Tech Triples It Up

Texas Tech is one of the 20 best three-point shooting teams in the country and it showed in a big way on Tuesday. The Red Raiders went 12-31 from deep and scorched with those looks to take a lead into the first-half locker room.

The Red Raiders are unselfish on offense and move the ball very well. Cincinnati played tight defense on most of the makes, but great shooting can beat great defense. TTU had three different players hit multiple threes in the game and used its ball movement and rotations within Cincinnati's man-to-man looks to find success (13 assists).

It was a huge difference in the game—with Cincinnati only hitting 3-14 from deep. UC had been arguably the best three-point defense in the country entering this one. The Red Raiders shot that notion down as the first half wore on and shot more holes in Cincinnati's NCAA Tournament hopes.

UC now faces essentially a must-win game against BYU on the road Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Bookmark Bearcats Talk for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and so much more. Check out our YouTube page as well, starting with the video below.

You may also like:

Cincinnati Bearcats Slight Betting Underdogs Against Texas Tech

Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Storylines: Texas Tech Red Raiders

Recruiting Roundup: Cincinnati Offers Four-Star Linebacker, Other 2026 Defenders

Watch: Highlights From Cincinnati Basketball's Victory Over Arizona State

Report: Cincinnati Guard Connor Hickman Ruled Out Indefinitely Due to Injury

Three Man Weave: Simas Lukošius' Heroics Lift Cincinnati Over Colorado 68-62

Look: Cincinnati Commit Shon Abaev Makes Naismith Midseason National Team

Watch: Highlights From Cincinnati's 68-62 Win Over Colorado

The Athletic Names Jizzle James Among NBA Draft Prospects to Watch This Season

NCAA Tournament Tracker: Bearcats Losing Streak Moves Them Out of Field For First Time This Season

Cincinnati Boosts Rushing Attack With Wisconsin Transfer Running Back Tawee Walker

Report: Cincinnati Bearcats Football Adds Middle Tennessee State Transfer Safety Xavier Williams

Look: Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball Falls Out of Latest AP Poll

ESPN Names Scott Satterfield to Way-Too-Early Coaching Hot Seat List

Watch: Ivan Pace Jr. Makes Big Play Against Lions in Regular-Season Finale

Cincinnati Adds Commitment From Virginia Tech Edge Rusher C.J. McCray

Watch: Alec Pierce Catches Deep Touchdown on Final Day of NFL Regular Season

Cincinnati Bearcats Football Lands New Mexico Transfer Safety Tayden Barnes Entering Weekend

Look: Cincinnati Bearcats Football Promotes Assistant Coach Cort Braswell to Assistant Defensive Coordinator Role

Pinging The Portal: Tennessee Cornerback Christian Harrison Visiting Cincinnati Bearcats Football

-----

Be sure to keep it locked on Bearcats Talk all the time!

Follow Bearcats Talk on Twitter: @BearcatsTalk

Like Bearcats Talk on Facebook: Bearcats Talk


Published
Russ Heltman
RUSS HELTMAN

Russ Heltman is a contributor for AllBearcats and AllBengals. He is the morning host and producer for 89.3 WMKV in Cincinnati, OH. Russ can be found on Twitter: @RussHeltman11 or you can reach him by email at Heltmandm@yahoo.com.