TicketsWASHINGTON, D.C. -- Clutch play in the extra session following a heartbreaker to end regulation powered Cincinnati to an 86-81 win at Howard on Tuesday night.
The Bearcats are 6-0 for the first time since 2017-18 and defeated their third defending conference champ of the past four games. It was also UC's first road game.
Viktor Lakhin's free-throw at 4:26 made it a 10-0 run and 66-61 advantage. He came up with a huge block at 1:35 to preserve the 70-67 lead. After a Bearcat miss, Howard pulled within one with 45.7 seconds left. Skillings' drive to the left and right-handed finish put the visitors back up 72-69 with 20.5 left.
Following a pair of Day Day Thomas foul shots with seven seconds left, Howard's Seth Towns knocked down a contested trey from the wing to force overtime.
Lakhin's two free-throws and John Newman III's finger roll put UC ahead, 78-76, with three minutes to play in the extra session. He would add two more field goals, and Howard pulled within 82-81 with 39 seconds left. An offensive rebound off a Bearcat miss led to Newman's clutch pair of foul shots, making it 84-81 with 4.7 ticks left. Newman's ensuing in-bounds deflection set up a Thomas dunk for the finale.
Howard's 10-0 run gave the Bison a 48-45 lead with less than 12 to play, marking Cincinnati's first second-half deficit of the year.
The Bison made five-straight field goals, adding in two free-throws to boot, over a five-minute stretch for a 61-58 lead at 6:47, but UC kept coming. Jizzle James scored his first nine points over that same stretch, capped off by a midcourt steal and slam to put UC back on top, 63-61 at 5:36.
The Bearcats, who trailed 10-4, overcame some early shooting struggles by forcing two of their three first-half shot clock violations over the first 10 minutes. An early offensive highlight was Dan Skillings Jr.'s transition spin move and dunk at 12:24.
Skillings played above the rim in back-to-back late first half possessions, first driving baseline for a left-handed slam and then completing a lefty lob to Aziz Bandaogo for a 33-27 lead.
FROM WES MILLER
"First off, I have to give credit to Howard. Kenny (Blakeney's) team played hard, scrappy and were the tougher team tonight, as much as I hate to say it. They had a great game plan. I do think this will be good for us. I'm proud of our guys finding a way to win despite not playing well. We have a lot to learn from tonight in getting back to the drawing board and the basics. We played some real good basketball last week and may have gotten complacent."
NOTABLE
-It was UC's second HBCU road game all-time and first since a 1988 win at Tennessee State.
-All of UC's wins this year have come when leading at the half.
-UC is 2-1 in overtime under Wes Miller. It's last such game was a home win over Temple in February.
-Dan Skillings had 10 points in the first half alone, finishing with 16 as UC improved to 8-0 in his career when scoring in double-figures.
-John Newman III has scored in double-figures four times in six games this year.
-Aziz Bandaogo made his first start after coming off the bench in his debut last Wednesday.
-The Bearcats' 54 paint points were a season-high.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati returns home Sunday to host Florida Gulf Coast at 1 p.m.
The Bearcats are 6-0 for the first time since 2017-18 and defeated their third defending conference champ of the past four games. It was also UC's first road game.
Viktor Lakhin's free-throw at 4:26 made it a 10-0 run and 66-61 advantage. He came up with a huge block at 1:35 to preserve the 70-67 lead. After a Bearcat miss, Howard pulled within one with 45.7 seconds left. Skillings' drive to the left and right-handed finish put the visitors back up 72-69 with 20.5 left.
Following a pair of Day Day Thomas foul shots with seven seconds left, Howard's Seth Towns knocked down a contested trey from the wing to force overtime.
Lakhin's two free-throws and John Newman III's finger roll put UC ahead, 78-76, with three minutes to play in the extra session. He would add two more field goals, and Howard pulled within 82-81 with 39 seconds left. An offensive rebound off a Bearcat miss led to Newman's clutch pair of foul shots, making it 84-81 with 4.7 ticks left. Newman's ensuing in-bounds deflection set up a Thomas dunk for the finale.
Howard's 10-0 run gave the Bison a 48-45 lead with less than 12 to play, marking Cincinnati's first second-half deficit of the year.
The Bison made five-straight field goals, adding in two free-throws to boot, over a five-minute stretch for a 61-58 lead at 6:47, but UC kept coming. Jizzle James scored his first nine points over that same stretch, capped off by a midcourt steal and slam to put UC back on top, 63-61 at 5:36.
The Bearcats, who trailed 10-4, overcame some early shooting struggles by forcing two of their three first-half shot clock violations over the first 10 minutes. An early offensive highlight was Dan Skillings Jr.'s transition spin move and dunk at 12:24.
Skillings played above the rim in back-to-back late first half possessions, first driving baseline for a left-handed slam and then completing a lefty lob to Aziz Bandaogo for a 33-27 lead.
FROM WES MILLER
"First off, I have to give credit to Howard. Kenny (Blakeney's) team played hard, scrappy and were the tougher team tonight, as much as I hate to say it. They had a great game plan. I do think this will be good for us. I'm proud of our guys finding a way to win despite not playing well. We have a lot to learn from tonight in getting back to the drawing board and the basics. We played some real good basketball last week and may have gotten complacent."
NOTABLE
-It was UC's second HBCU road game all-time and first since a 1988 win at Tennessee State.
-All of UC's wins this year have come when leading at the half.
-UC is 2-1 in overtime under Wes Miller. It's last such game was a home win over Temple in February.
-Dan Skillings had 10 points in the first half alone, finishing with 16 as UC improved to 8-0 in his career when scoring in double-figures.
-John Newman III has scored in double-figures four times in six games this year.
-Aziz Bandaogo made his first start after coming off the bench in his debut last Wednesday.
-The Bearcats' 54 paint points were a season-high.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati returns home Sunday to host Florida Gulf Coast at 1 p.m.