Winners and Losers From Cincinnati Bearcats 65-49 Win Over Merrimack Warriors

Wes Miller and the Bearcats improved to 9-2 on the season.

CINCINNATI — Wes Miller and the Bearcats improved to 9-2 on the season following their 65-49 victory over Merrimack on Tuesday night. 

It was much closer than many expected. The Bearcats were also shorthanded with CJ Fredrick (hamstring) and Aziz Bandaogo (back) were both unavailable tonight due to minor injuries.

Winners

Simas Lukosius

Lukosius had another efficient shooting night, scoring 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting. Nine of those points came from behind the arch. He's played well over the last two games and appears to be getting healthier after being hit by a car in November. 

The junior guard has responded well since his 1-for-10 shooting performance against Xavier on Dec. 9. 

His improved shooting is a great sign for the Bearcats. If Lukosius can continue to play at this level, it will allow other players to develop. He hs found his stride at the right time as they head into their final two non-conference games of the season.

Viktor Lakhin

Lakhin finished with a team-high 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting. It was a very efficient night for the Bearcats center, which is what theu needed with Bandaogo out. He was able to grab seven rebounds, helping the Bearcats outrebound the Warriors 45-25.

Although the big man has been comfortable with shooting the three ball this season, Lakhin has struggled to knock them down over the last two games (0-5). The Russian big man didn't attempt a three-point shot tonight, but that was due to the intense 1-3-1 zone that Joe Gallo and the Warriors were playing. This was the performance the Bearcats needed out of Lakhin, as he continued to dominate the paint and control the game in the frontcourt for the Bearcats. 

Losers

Jizzle James and Day-Day Thomas

Despite the duo only having two of the Bearcats 18 turnovers, both James and Thomas struggled to get anything going offensively. They combined to shoot just 3-for-10 from the field for just nine points. They did have six of the Bearcats 16 assists on the night.

We've seen flashes of what this team is capable of doing when one or both of them is able to get going offensively. The Bearcats are just two short weeks away from a gauntlet of a Big 12 slate that features five of their first six matchups coming against teams in the top 25. 

If the Bearcats are going to be competitive, the backcourt will need to be on their "A" game. We all know how talented the guard play is in the Big 12 conference. James and Thomas will have to combine for roughly 14-16 points per game if they want to make an immediate impact in conference play.

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