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  • No. 17 Cincinnati Has Little Trouble With The Colonels As UC Beats Nicholls, 86-49

No. 17 Cincinnati Has Little Trouble With The Colonels As UC Beats Nicholls, 86-49

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Basketball

Balanced play in the front and backcourt pushed the No. 17 Cincinnati men's basketball team to an 86-49 victory over Nicholls on Friday night at Fifth Third Arena.

The Bearcats improved to 3-0 on the season as UC's sophomore point guard Jizzle James and senior wing Simas Lukosius tied for team-high 19 points, while Arrinten Page and Aziz Bandaogo had five and four blocks, respectively, out of the team's 14. It was a career-high for Page as well. Bandaogo has had at least three blocks in all three matchups this season.

Lukosius and James stuffed the stat sheet, as James also added six rebounds and four assists, while Lukosius added six rebounds, six assists and knocked down 5-of-7 three-point attempts.

Cincinnati never trailed in the game as they held the lead for all 40 minutes of the contest.

Four Bearcats reached double figures. The UC bench outscored Nicholls bench 28-15 as Page led the way with 11 points.

Cincinnati played stifling defense holding the Colonels to 30% (21-of-69) from the field and only allowed four 3 pointers (4-of-18). Cincinnati also crashed the glass as they outrebounded the Colonels, 46-32.

In the first half, the Bearcats smothered Nicholls on defense, holding them to 26% (9-of-34) from the field.

Lukosius tossed a lob up to Bandaogo, who flushed it down in the midst of a 7-0 scoring run, to give the bearcats a 23-12 lead with 8:35 left in the first half. A great inbounds play led to a jam by junior Dillon Mitchell off a pinpoint pass from Lukosius, putting the Bearcats up 37-22 with 2:50 left in the first half. Mitchell then showed off his speed soon after as he hustled down the floor and sent Nicholls Trae English's layup attempt off the backboard.

Over the final 3:45 of the half, the Colonels were held to 1-11 from the field and didn't register a point. A Lukosius transition trey sent Cincinnati into the half on a 7-0 run, increasing their lead to 20 points, 42-22.

Cincinnati came bolting out in the second half. A little over a minute into the first half Bandaogo blocked a shot off the backboard causing a transition opportunity for the Bearcats. James led the charge as he delivered an alley-oop pass to Mitchell who threw it down, prompting Nicholls to call a quick timeout after a fast 4-0 run to start the half for Cincinnati.