TicketsMORGANTOWN -- Cincinnati's 10-point lead with 6:29 left was not enough to stave off host West Virginia, as the Mountaineers rallied for a 69-65 win on Wednesday night.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Day Day Thomas opened a 55-50 lead at 8:15. Thomas later fed Dan Skillings Jr. at the top of the key for another trey and the largest lead for both teams at 58-50, before Simas Lukosius posted up for a 60-50 advantage at 6:29, an 11-0 run.
The Mountaineers responded with eight-straight points and drew a charge for a 60-58 deficit at the 3:47 media timeout.
The two teams traded treys in the final 90 seconds, and Cincinnati called timeout down 65-63 with 47.7 seconds left.
The Bearcats fell behind by five early in the second half a few times, but scores on three-straight possessions, paced by work on the offensive glass, culminated in a left-handed layup by Lukosius to tie it at 42 and force a WVU timeout at 13:09.
Cincinnati's 27-23 halftime lead, helped by nine different scorers, was its first in Big 12 play (three ties).
West Virginia's 10-0 run for a 12-7 lead was halted by Skillings' reverse layup in transition.
Thomas' pick-pocket and subsequent fastbreak feed to Josh Reed helped UC to a 12-2 run over 6:33, leading 25-19 late in the first.
Skillings led UC with 15 points, followed by Lukosius with 13 and Thomas with 12.
FROM WES MILLER
"Credit to (WVU head coach) Josh Eilert, I know it hasn't been easy since they haven't been at full-strength, but they're obviously a gifted team, and he's doing a great job in a tough situation. I'm extremely disappointed in how we finished the game. We have to be better at closing out, especially a 10-point lead with six minutes left. That's inexcusable and falls on the coach. I have to do better at preparing my team. We blew an opportunity on the road."
NOTABLE
-The teams were Big East rivals from 2005-12.
-Cincinnati was 10-0 when leading at the half.
-Day Day Thomas' three treys were a career-high.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati's road swing continues Saturday at No. 15 Texas Tech (6 p.m. ET on ESPN+).
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Day Day Thomas opened a 55-50 lead at 8:15. Thomas later fed Dan Skillings Jr. at the top of the key for another trey and the largest lead for both teams at 58-50, before Simas Lukosius posted up for a 60-50 advantage at 6:29, an 11-0 run.
The Mountaineers responded with eight-straight points and drew a charge for a 60-58 deficit at the 3:47 media timeout.
The two teams traded treys in the final 90 seconds, and Cincinnati called timeout down 65-63 with 47.7 seconds left.
The Bearcats fell behind by five early in the second half a few times, but scores on three-straight possessions, paced by work on the offensive glass, culminated in a left-handed layup by Lukosius to tie it at 42 and force a WVU timeout at 13:09.
Cincinnati's 27-23 halftime lead, helped by nine different scorers, was its first in Big 12 play (three ties).
West Virginia's 10-0 run for a 12-7 lead was halted by Skillings' reverse layup in transition.
Thomas' pick-pocket and subsequent fastbreak feed to Josh Reed helped UC to a 12-2 run over 6:33, leading 25-19 late in the first.
Skillings led UC with 15 points, followed by Lukosius with 13 and Thomas with 12.
FROM WES MILLER
"Credit to (WVU head coach) Josh Eilert, I know it hasn't been easy since they haven't been at full-strength, but they're obviously a gifted team, and he's doing a great job in a tough situation. I'm extremely disappointed in how we finished the game. We have to be better at closing out, especially a 10-point lead with six minutes left. That's inexcusable and falls on the coach. I have to do better at preparing my team. We blew an opportunity on the road."
NOTABLE
-The teams were Big East rivals from 2005-12.
-Cincinnati was 10-0 when leading at the half.
-Day Day Thomas' three treys were a career-high.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati's road swing continues Saturday at No. 15 Texas Tech (6 p.m. ET on ESPN+).