Winners And Losers From The Bearcats 76-58 Victory Over The Evansville Purple Aces

The Bearcats wrapped up non-conference play with a 76-58 victory over Evansville.

Author:
Neil Meyer
Updated:
Dec 30, 2023 1:11 PM EST

In this story:

CINCINNATI — The Bearcats were without guard CJ Fredrick (Hamstring) and Aziz Bandaogo (back) due to injuries in a 76-58 win over Evansville.

Cincinnati did get Simas Lukošius back, which was a huge boost at the guard position. It was all Aces in the first half as they quickly turned the burners on without their top two scorers, Ben Humrichous and Chuck Bailey, who were held out due to injuries.

Winners

Simas Lukosius: Lukosius settled in and found his groove quickly tonight as he picked up right where he left off before the Stetson game. I think once Lukosius saw his first three ball fall in the opening minutes of this one you could quickly sense he was in for a big night. Lukosius was the spark the Bearcats needed with Fredrick out. The 6-foot-7 wing buried his first four three attempts of the game and fans quickly were getting a glimpse of why Lukosius was brought to Cincinnati this offseason.

Lukosius mentioned postgame that it felt great to be back after missing the Stetson game with a shoulder injury that stemmed from the car wreck last month. He noted feeling very close to 100% despite everything that has transpired over the last few weeks. The Bearcats needed that spark to close non-conference play.

If Lukosius can continue to shoot at that clip like he did tonight, the Bearcats will be in great hands. Lukosius finished the night with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting (5-of-5 from 3.)

John Newman III: The way John Newman impacted the game tonight was something Bearcats fans were expecting the last few weeks. We know what John Newman brings to the table on the defensive end, but the way he played in the opening minutes of this one, you could quickly sense he was looking for ways to be aggressive tonight on the offensive side of the ball.

Newman finished with a team-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting while grabbing four rebounds, and dishing out three assists. That was a performance that people were hoping for.

Newman said he heard the fan's boos heading into halftime, and he was very happy with how the team responded. "Our fans care a lot, and that is great to know. I am thankful to be a part of a program where the fans care so much." Newman said following the Bearcats 76-58 victory over Evansville.

Josh Reed: I thought Josh Reed had his best game of the season although he only finished with six points, he flashed some big-time potential on the defensive end. A segment that quickly came to mind was when Day Day Thomas found Reed for the corner three, and Reed sprinted back on defense and came up with a huge block to shift the momentum.

Wes Miller noted postgame that he thought Reed was the best defensive player on the court tonight and I think many would quickly agree with that statement for those who watched the game. Miller also noted that they thought about starting Reed in the second half after looking down and seeing he played just four minutes in the first half. "I was really pleased with his performance tonight. He was the catalyst for our team," Miller said.

Losers

Dan Skillings: A big question heading into this one: How Would Dan Skillings respond after his career-high 29-point, 10-rebound performance vs Stetson? Safe to say, it wasn't the way Skillings was hoping for as he finished with just 10 points and five rebounds, on 4-12 shooting, (25%).

They know the upside that Skillings brings on the defensive end with his long length and athletic abilities. However, tonight it was just not his night. Depending on how long Fredrick is out with the hamstring injury the Bearcats need Skillings to step up and take some of the load off guys like Newman and Lukošius.

Catch Bearcats athletics action on fuboTV! Start your free trial here.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel on all things Bearcats athletics and Bearcat Blitz on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Make sure you bookmark All Bearcats for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more.

You may also like:

Pinging The Portal: Cincinnati Offers Marshall OLB Elijah Alston, Grambling RB Chance Williams

Cincinnati Among 'Next Four Out' in ESPN's Latest Bracketology Update

Weekly NET: Cincinnati Trending Down, But Still Stable in NET Ranking

Cincinnati Football Lands Third Commitment of 2025 Class in Patrick Williams

Winners and Losers From Cincinnati's 83-75 Victory over Stetson

Four Players to Watch From Cincinnati's 2024 Recruiting Class

Scott Satterfield Breaks Down Brendan Sorsby, Quarterback Additions as UC Wraps Signing Day

Atlanta Falcons Bench Desmond Ridder For Remainder of 2023 Season