Winners and Losers From The Cincinnati Bearcats 80-76 Loss to Oklahoma State

The Bearcats handed OSU their first road win of the season on Wednesday night.

Author:
Neil Meyer
Feb 22, 2024 6:38 AM EST

In this story:

CINCINNATI — Wednesday night, the Cincinnati Bearcats took a 55-50 lead with about nine minutes remaining after a huge 9-0 run. However, Mike Boynton's Oklahoma State squad came alive late to win 80-76.

The Bearcats' two quad three losses to West Virginia and now Oklahoma State loom large as they run out of games they can lose in pursuit of the NCAA tournament

Winners

Freshman point guard Jizzle James was phenomenal for the Bearcats in the second half after sparking a huge nine-point run that gave the Bearcats a 55-50 lead. James was electric as he proved to be one of the best players on the court after putting multiple defenders on skates again tonight. His ability to create separation and hunt his own shot has been fantastic all season.

However, James didn't play the final eight minutes of this contest after the 9-0 run after the Cowboys scored on consecutive possessions in the high ball screens. Wes Miller told reporters post-game that it was a defensive decision.

James's offensive potential has kept the Bearcats in games this season and tonight was one of those nights.

Simas Lukošius led the Bearcats with 17 points, four rebounds, and four assists in the Bearcats loss. However, Lukošius has solidified his spot in the starting rotation and as Cincinnati's go-to scoring option after another dominant performance tonight. Lukošius had another huge basket in the final seconds of this one to cut the Cowboys' lead to one with forty-five seconds left after getting inside for an easy layup.

Dan Skillings Jr. finished with a solid performance after his second straight start, finishing with nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Skillings willed the Bearcats to an early 10-4 lead, after establishing his presence around the basketball in the opening segment. He scored four of the Bearcats' first 10 points while grabbing three rebounds in that segment.

Losers

In a must-win game for Miller, the Bearcats couldn't close the game out down the stretch. A scenario they've struggled with throughout conference play. Despite holding a five-point lead with roughly six minutes remaining, the Cowboys were able to pick the Bearcats apart after five players scored in double digits in their first road victory over the season.

Cincinnati gave up nearly 25 points in those final five minutes.

"This isn’t on players," Miller told reporters postgame. "This is on us coaches and I have to find a better way to get them to understand. I love my guys. I'm trying everything I possibly can to get them to do the things to win those extra 1-2 possessions. But I have to do a better job to get us there."

What's Next

The Bearcats now know that they will have to go on the road to TCU and Houston in hopes of stealing huge quadrant one opportunities in the next week in hopes of building some momentum heading into the Big 12 conference tournament.

All in all, Cincinnati likely has to finish 4-1 in the regular season and possibly win a conference tournament game to make the dance.

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