Three Man Weave: Cincinnati Shooting Woes Leads to 69-65 Loss Against Oklahoma

The Bearcats are now 2-3 in Big 12 play.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Updated:
Jan 20, 2024 3:52 PM EST

In this story:

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bearcats couldn't get the job done against No. 15 Oklahoma in a 69-65 defeat on Saturday. The Sooners' defense clamped up most of Cincinnati's options throughout the game and got some clutch shooting from its lead guards to stamp the defeat.

Cincinnati had a chance to beat top-25 teams in consecutive games but did not make a field goal for a 3:43-second stretch to close the game and ultimately couldn't get away from the defensive clamps of Oklahoma.

The 65 points were tied for Cincinnati's second-lowest total of the season.

Lead Guards Live Up To Role

Oklahoma's Javian McCollum (16 points, six rebounds) and Otega Oweh (14 points, four rebounds) were the steady presences the Sooners needed in a hostile road environment on Saturday.

McCollum dealt with what appeared to be a right ankle injury throughout the game, but still guided the OU offense well from the point guard spot and stayed efficient-enough doing so. It culminated in a crowd-silencing jumper to end a UC run in the final 10 minutes.

Oweh was a great complement with the duo posting the two best game scores on the team.

McCollum did a nice job of staying patient probing from the point position and both were sound with the ball, committing just one turnover combined. The sold-out crowd couldn't waiver the two talented players and it was a big reason Oklahoma shot well enough from the field (41%) and won the game.

Line Woes

Another Big 12 game, another rough shooting stretch for Cincinnati, which is struggling with the increased physicality and tighter defending in this league.

The Bearcats entered Saturday's game seventh among Big 12 teams with a 33% three-point mark in conference play and that got worse (26.9%) in a game where Lukošius and John Newman II were the only players to hit multiple threes. CJ Fredrick's return can't come soon enough as Cincinnati gets clogged on offense with teams packing the paint.

It was also another close outing where Cincinnati couldn't hit an adequate number of free throws. UC went just 14-of-22 from the line, while Oklahoma went 16-of-18.

Mix in a rare defeat on the boards as well and you get a complete performance from a top-25 team in the Sooners. Their tenacity on the glass led to a 13-12 offensive rebound advantage, a 17-13 advantage in second-chance points, and a paint point advantage (34-28).

Simas Lukošius Locked In

The veteran sharpshooter came out ready to impact Saturday's contest, leading all scorers in points, aided by four triples from deep. Lukošius (17 points, six rebounds) had some tough misses early on, but he heated up throughout the first half and was the lone three-point artist to make many paintings for UC.

Whether it was awesome pin-down actions to set up catch-and-shoot looks or savvy drives to the basket, Lukošius was on point as an offensive creator. He found hot stretches in a game where not many players could hunt their shot.

His four best offensive outings as a Bearcat have come since the middle of December as he finds a greater rhythm with injury woes further in the rearview mirror.

He was third on the Bearcats in true shooting percentage and seized that moment with the most shots on the team across the close victory. Cincinnati needed another wing to stop up in the long line of them this season, and they got a great outing from the Butler transfer.

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