TicketsCINCINNATI — Redshirt junior forward Viktor Lakhin's 18 points led the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team to a gritty 65-49 victory over Merrimack on Tuesday inside Fifth Third Arena.
Cincinnati kept its undefeated home streak alive, improving to 8-0 inside Fifth Third Arena this season and 9-2 overall.
Despite missing starters CJ Fredrick Jr. and Aziz Bandaogo, the Bearcats still got the job done by dominating the low block. The team shot 44% from the field and out-rebounded Merrimack 45-25.
Lakhin's game-high 18 points came on an 8-14 shooting night from the field as he also grabbed seven boards in the process. It marked the sixth time this season he has scored in double-digits.
Junior guard Simas Lukosius was the only other Bearcat to score in double-digits as he end the game with 11 points, going a perfect 3-3 from behind the ark. Graduate student Jamille Reynolds gathered in 11 boards and finished with seven points in his Fifth Third debut.
After both teams traded threes, back-to-back buckets from Lakhin started a 7-0 run that included a breakaway dunk from sophomore forward Dan Skillings Jr., which pushed the UC lead to 17 (43-26) with 15 minutes left in the second.
Merrimack would not go away quietly, as two threes kickstarted a 12-2 run, bringing the game back to with single digits (49-42) with six minutes left in the game. It was the Warriors' first time within single digits since 18:36 in the second.
Junior guard Day Day Thomas would answer for the Bearcats, scoring seven straight points, which included a corner 3, to put the UC back up by double digits.
Cincinnati went on a 14-2 over the final five minutes as Lukosius's third 3 of the game would ice it for Bearcats, who led 63-44 with one minute left.
Cincinnati began the game going 4-5 from the field as Lakhin scored six himself on 3-3 shooting, then found an open Lukosius in transition for 3 to give UC a 10-4 lead through the first five minutes.
Cincinnati's persistent defense forced multiple turnovers that would result in four straight slam dunks from Reynolds, John Newman III, Ody Oguama, and Lakhin as the Bearcats went on a 10-2 run, leading 23-9 with seven minutes left in the half.
The Bearcats continued to attack the paint and used their size to their advantage as Reynolds would convert an and-1 two-handed slam, followed by Skillings going to the stripe for two after being fouled on a dunk attempt of his own as UC maintained its 14-point advantage (12-26) with four minutes to go in the first.
Behind Lakhin's game-leading eight points (4-5 FG), Cincinnati would head to the half up 27-17. The Bearcats did the majority of their damage in half down low, scoring 18 points in the paint and out-rebounding Merrimack 22-12.
FROM WES MILLER
"Well, I'm always pleased when we win. I've been really challenging us to try to figure it out defensively and get more engaged and active. I thought we tried to do that tonight, especially in the first half. I thought John [Newman] looked like himself again, defensively. He got his hands on the ball a lot. Our deflections were better. When you hold somebody under 50, I'm going to be happy. That's the truth of it. I thought we had a chance to keep them at 45 and they scored five on the last two possessions. I wasn't happy about that. I got on Ody [Oguama] a little bit because I thought he gave up the three in the corner because he kind of froze up and then he gave up the split in the ball screen and they laid it in. I told him I was pissed about the last five because I thought we had a chance to hold the team to 45.
"Give Joe [Gallo] credit. He has done a terrific job at Merrimack. He has been there eight years and has built an identity. He's built a big-time program that won their league a year ago. They couldn't go to the NCAA Tournament, because they hadn't had enough years in division one. They beat Fairleigh Dickinson and then that team beat Purdue in the NCAA Tournament. That's how good Merrimack is, and they have been that way year after year. He's done a hell of a job, and that zone is the type of zone that other coaches study. Sometimes coaches do things and everybody else wants to try to figure out how they do that and Joe [Gallo] has got his own that we're all trying to learn by watching because it's unique and effective."
UP NEXT
Cincinnati hosts Stetson on Friday before concluding non-conference play the following Friday night against Evansville. Both are at 7 p.m.
NOTABLE
-The 17 first-half points were the fewest allowed of any period this year.
-Jamille Reynolds' 11 rebounds were one off a career-high in his home debut.
-Cincinnati's 12 three-point attempts were a season-low. It was also Viktor Lakhin's second game of the year not attempting a triple.
-40 of Day Day Thomas' 42 points over the last four games have come in the second half.
Cincinnati kept its undefeated home streak alive, improving to 8-0 inside Fifth Third Arena this season and 9-2 overall.
Despite missing starters CJ Fredrick Jr. and Aziz Bandaogo, the Bearcats still got the job done by dominating the low block. The team shot 44% from the field and out-rebounded Merrimack 45-25.
Lakhin's game-high 18 points came on an 8-14 shooting night from the field as he also grabbed seven boards in the process. It marked the sixth time this season he has scored in double-digits.
Junior guard Simas Lukosius was the only other Bearcat to score in double-digits as he end the game with 11 points, going a perfect 3-3 from behind the ark. Graduate student Jamille Reynolds gathered in 11 boards and finished with seven points in his Fifth Third debut.
After both teams traded threes, back-to-back buckets from Lakhin started a 7-0 run that included a breakaway dunk from sophomore forward Dan Skillings Jr., which pushed the UC lead to 17 (43-26) with 15 minutes left in the second.
Merrimack would not go away quietly, as two threes kickstarted a 12-2 run, bringing the game back to with single digits (49-42) with six minutes left in the game. It was the Warriors' first time within single digits since 18:36 in the second.
Junior guard Day Day Thomas would answer for the Bearcats, scoring seven straight points, which included a corner 3, to put the UC back up by double digits.
Cincinnati went on a 14-2 over the final five minutes as Lukosius's third 3 of the game would ice it for Bearcats, who led 63-44 with one minute left.
Cincinnati began the game going 4-5 from the field as Lakhin scored six himself on 3-3 shooting, then found an open Lukosius in transition for 3 to give UC a 10-4 lead through the first five minutes.
Cincinnati's persistent defense forced multiple turnovers that would result in four straight slam dunks from Reynolds, John Newman III, Ody Oguama, and Lakhin as the Bearcats went on a 10-2 run, leading 23-9 with seven minutes left in the half.
The Bearcats continued to attack the paint and used their size to their advantage as Reynolds would convert an and-1 two-handed slam, followed by Skillings going to the stripe for two after being fouled on a dunk attempt of his own as UC maintained its 14-point advantage (12-26) with four minutes to go in the first.
Behind Lakhin's game-leading eight points (4-5 FG), Cincinnati would head to the half up 27-17. The Bearcats did the majority of their damage in half down low, scoring 18 points in the paint and out-rebounding Merrimack 22-12.
FROM WES MILLER
"Well, I'm always pleased when we win. I've been really challenging us to try to figure it out defensively and get more engaged and active. I thought we tried to do that tonight, especially in the first half. I thought John [Newman] looked like himself again, defensively. He got his hands on the ball a lot. Our deflections were better. When you hold somebody under 50, I'm going to be happy. That's the truth of it. I thought we had a chance to keep them at 45 and they scored five on the last two possessions. I wasn't happy about that. I got on Ody [Oguama] a little bit because I thought he gave up the three in the corner because he kind of froze up and then he gave up the split in the ball screen and they laid it in. I told him I was pissed about the last five because I thought we had a chance to hold the team to 45.
"Give Joe [Gallo] credit. He has done a terrific job at Merrimack. He has been there eight years and has built an identity. He's built a big-time program that won their league a year ago. They couldn't go to the NCAA Tournament, because they hadn't had enough years in division one. They beat Fairleigh Dickinson and then that team beat Purdue in the NCAA Tournament. That's how good Merrimack is, and they have been that way year after year. He's done a hell of a job, and that zone is the type of zone that other coaches study. Sometimes coaches do things and everybody else wants to try to figure out how they do that and Joe [Gallo] has got his own that we're all trying to learn by watching because it's unique and effective."
UP NEXT
Cincinnati hosts Stetson on Friday before concluding non-conference play the following Friday night against Evansville. Both are at 7 p.m.
NOTABLE
-The 17 first-half points were the fewest allowed of any period this year.
-Jamille Reynolds' 11 rebounds were one off a career-high in his home debut.
-Cincinnati's 12 three-point attempts were a season-low. It was also Viktor Lakhin's second game of the year not attempting a triple.
-40 of Day Day Thomas' 42 points over the last four games have come in the second half.