By Skip Coopersmith

GAME NOTES

https://gobearcats.com/documents/2023/12/27/2023-24_MBB_Game_Notes.pdf

CINCINNATI –– The Cincinnati men’s basketball team will look to end its non-conference slate on a high note when it hosts 10-2 Evansville at 7 p.m. on Friday night.

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THE RUNDOWN

• Cincinnati produced an efficient 51.6 percent offensive showing in its 83-75 win over Stetson last Friday. Every participating player notched an assist to go with numerous other individual offensive achievements.
• Cincinnati rebounded from its season-low 65 points against Merrimack (also allowing season-low 49) by scoring 80-plus points for the eighth time. It’s perfect in those, and both losses came when allowing over 80.
• The Bearcats’ musical chairs of health continued with Aziz Bandaogo missing his second-straight game, while Simas Lukosius went to the bench and CJ Fredrick returned to the court after missing the Merrimack game. He played a season-high 33 minutes and recorded a career-high seven assists.
• Dan Skillings Jr. erupted for a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds, his second-career double-double. He was also 4-for-6 from deep after entering with 7 makes all year. It marked the most points by a UC reserve since at least 2010 and for a Bearcat double-double since Troy Caupain in 2016.
• Cincinnati is now 10-0 (6-0 this year) when the sophomore scores in double-figures.
• Viktor Lakhin was one rebound shy of a double-double, scoring 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting. It was his second game in a row not attempting a trey, but he is averaging 15.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg over that span.
• Day Day Thomas’ 17 points were his second-most of the season, finding his way to plenty of layups in what was only his second game without a 3-pointer. Of his 59 points the last five games, 51 have come in the second half. His 20 steals also lead the team.
• He and fellow PG Jizzle James first shared the floor in the final minutes against Dayton, then saw 10:15 together against Merrimack before only 1:47 against Stetson.
• Jamille Reynolds’ third game since his NCAA clearance was his best yet. He scored 14 points over 20 minutes, continuining his increase in both over each game. He also drained a 3-pointer to move to 3-for-5 in his career. This all came after he had 11 rebounds over 14 minutes against Merrimack.
• The Bearcats’ 34 deep attempts the past two games are their fewest over such a span this season. They have at least been +36 in rebounding in those two, winning the boards in every game this year. UC’s 13.1 margin is fourth nationally, helped by Bandaogo’s 9.0 in his six games. Lakhin’s 3.6 offensive rpg rank 18th.

SERIES HISTORY

• This game evokes memories of the 2021-22 season opener, in which Wes Miller won his Cincinnati debut, 65-43.
• Mason Madsen’s back-to-back threes off the bench sparked an 18-1 run midway through the first half that would give Cincinnati all the separation it needed.
• The 43 points remain the fewest UC has allowed in Miller’s 81 games at the helm. It was also the only campus meeting in the city out of three overall.
• Evansville head coach David Ragland was one of Simas Lukosius’ assistant coaches at Butler in 2021-22.

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