Scouting report: 3 keys for Cincinnati Bearcats basketball to defeat BYU Saturday

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Six days after their most disappointing performance at Fifth Third Arena, the University of Cincinnati Bearcats men’s basketball squad has an opportunity to win back fans and exact revenge.

BYU’s Cougars are on a road swing east, much like UC was a couple of weeks back with consecutive games in Utah. The Cougars are coming off an 11-point loss at home to No. 20 Arizona.

The last team to beat them by 11 at home?

Yep, the Cincinnati Bearcats last year 71-60 with six current players having a hand in the win.

Those six and the rest of the Bearcats were paddled in Provo Jan. 25, 80-52. It was their worst defeat of the season. The Cougars scored as many points in the second half as UC did the entire game. Simas Lukošius briefly tied the game near the end of the first half, only to see Egor Demin score five straight points in less than a minute for the 28-23 halftime lead. The second half saw BYU throwing in 3-pointers from every angle imaginable.

Will Wednesday’s winning Cincinnati Bearcats show up Saturday?

UC scored more points in the second half (53) in their UCF road win Wednesday than it did the whole game at BYU. UC’s 93 points was the most they’d had since scoring 109 in the season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. When they score 80 or more points under coach Wes Miller, they’re 7-0 this season and 35-4 overall. Day Day Thomas, Dillon Mitchell, Aziz Bandaogo and Jizzle James all scored in double figures Wednesday. UC also had four players score in double figures in their Arizona State win. BYU also beat UCF in Orlando last Saturday, winning 81-75.

“I think our guys are capable of competing against anyone in college basketball any given night,” Miller said. “I think they’ve proven that this year, we just haven’t had the best month (January). There’s not going to be an opponent on our schedule that I don’t think we can compete with.”

Miller added he didn’t think the team had “arrived” and that they weren’t satisfied.

UC AD John Cunningham on basketball

In his “Coffee with…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/scouting-report-3-keys-cincinnati-170039053.html

Author : Cincinnati.com | The Enquirer

Publish date : 2025-02-07 17:00:00

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