March 12, 2025
KANSAS CITY – Sophomore guard Jizzle James scored 17 points, but the Cincinnati men’s basketball team lost to fifth-seeded and No. 12-ranked Iowa State, 76-56, in the second round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena.
The Bearcats dropped to 18-15 overall on the season.
The Cyclones were led by post players Joshua Jefferson (19 points and eight rebounds) and Dishon Jackson (10 points, 15 rebounds), while point guard Tamin Lipsey scored 16 points and made a trio of timely 3-pointers.
Iowa State shot 54% from the field and 48% from behind the arc for the game, while Cincinnati shot 33% on field goals and 30% from downtown.
Junior forward Josh Reed added 10 points and senior guard Day Day Thomas scored nine points to go along with four steals.
Cincinnati cut its deficit to 3, 43-40, with 14:20 left in the game, but Iowa State pulled away down the stretch.
Trailing 14-5 to start the game, Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller called a timeout and the Bearcats immediately came out of the break inspired with senior forward Simas Lukosius and Reed hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the Bearcats within 3, 14-11, of the Cyclones.
Iowa State answered with an 8-0 run, moving ahead 22-11 on a 3-pointer and a layup from Milan Momcilovic.
The Bearcats trailed by as much as 13 in the first half, but fought back behind a three-point play from Dan Skillings Jr. and a pair of 3-pointers from James that made the score 33-24 at halftime.
UC shot just 30% in the first half, but ended the frame with three consecutive baskets.
James kept the momentum going to start the second half, burying his third straight triple, but ISU’s Lipsey hit two 3-pointers of his own and Jefferson converted a layup to put ISU in front 41-29 at the 16:51 mark in the first half.
James and Thomas kept UC in the game. A steal by Thomas led to a layup for James before the sophomore point guard found his backcourt mate with a cross-court pass and Thomas swished a corner 3 that brought UC within 7, 43-36 at the 14:40 mark in the second half.
Jefferson answered with back-to-back post buckets to put Iowa State back up by 7. A Lipsey layup pushed the lead to 49-40 with just under 13 minutes left.
A steal and layup by Thomas cut the deficit to 5, 49-44, but Lipsey answered with a 3.
Jefferson made several baskets down the stretch to push Iowa State back up 12, 65-53, with five minutes left.
Cincinnati hung around but a 3-pointer from Nate Heise and a steal-and-dunk from Jefferson put Iowa State up 71-56 with 2:22 left.
COURTESY UC SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS
