By Henry Rawn
1 15 2025
GAME BOOK
https://gobearcats.com/documents/2025/1/15/2551450.PDF
BOULDER, Colo. — Simas Lukosius scored 16 points to lead four Bearcats in double-figures, and the Cincinnati men’s basketball team trailed for only 19 seconds in a hard-fought 68-62 win at Colorado on Wednesday night.
The Bearcats, over the final 4:01, made their final four field goal attempts and finished 8-for-8 from the line to finish the job.
Colorado took its first lead with 4:20 left, but Day Day Thomas followed with a pump-fake underneath and layup to get back up, 52-51. Lukosius then drilled a three-pointer off a Bandaogo hand-off for a 55-51 score.
After a rare 0-for-3 foul line trip for the Buffs, he connected once again from the wing with a hand in the face, forcing a Colorado timeout down 60-53 with 1:33 left.
Two free-throws apiece by Bandaogo, Thomas and Jizzle James helped UC stay ahead, 66-60, with 35 seconds left, and Josh Reed went 2-for-2 as well for good measure.
Colorado missed 13 of its first 14 shots, and Dan Skillings’ circus layup around the Buffs’ post gave him seven points and a 12-5 lead for the Bearcats at 12:36.
Back-to-back treys from Arrinten Page and CJ Fredrick, the fourth make from each of them this season, gave UC a 32-23 lead at 4:36.
Cincinnati took a 34-27 lead into the half, and Dillon Mitchell’s three-point play at 16:13 gave the Bearcats their largest advantage at 42-30.
The Buffs got the crowd rolling to its loudest volume on a dunk at 8:54 to pull within 46-43, its smallest deficit since 14:05 of the first, but Dan Skillings’ top-of-the-key bomb put the Bearcats back ahead by six.
Lukosius had a season-high seven rebounds to go with 16 points, his most in a Big 12 game this year. Mitchell had 11, and Skillings and Thomas each posted 10 points. Bandaogo’s 10 boards were a season-high as well.
FROM WES MILLER
“It had been a tough start for both us and Colorado the last couple of weeks. I’m proud of our guys for finding a way and staying together. We had a lot of guys contribute. Our depth was a big factor. Colorado did a nice job getting back in the game with a couple of over-the-tops to capitalize on our defensive errors. It was nice to see us pull out a close game on the road, something we hadn’t been able to do the last couple of weeks.”
UP NEXT
Cincinnati hosts Arizona State on Saturday afternoon to kick off a two-game homestand.
COURTESY UC SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS
