After getting off to a quick start, the Bearcats couldn’t keep up with first place Houston in a 72-59 loss at Fifth Third Arena on Sunday, falling to 11-6 overall and 2-2 in conference play.
Wes Miller’s team came out with plenty of energy but couldn’t sustain that level of play into the second half as the Cougars eventually took control and extended its 7-game win streak.
Even though Houston led 35-28 at halftime, Cincinnati was still within striking distance before going scoreless for more than six minutes as the deficit grew to as much as 20 points.
Despite coming up short, senior guard Mika Adams-Woods continued his hot streak with a team-high 19 points and three assists. Viktor Lakhin added 16 points and six rebounds in the loss.
Wes Miller broke down the #Bearcats loss to Houston: “I’m very disappointed in our approach, especially in the second half. I feel like this team has taken a lot of steps and has a better character than we displayed tonight.”https://t.co/arCIxPRvux pic.twitter.com/44d41HBrvS
— Cincy on the Prowl (@CincyOnTheProwl) January 9, 2023
Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats struggle to keep pace in 72-59 loss against first place Houston
There’s no shame in losing to one of the nation’s best teams but it was another disappointing outcome as the Bearcats failed to limit fastbreak points and struggled to protect the paint.
Houston was able to create easy shots by getting out in transition, finishing with 26 points off turnovers and 22 fastbreak points as Cincinnati committed 17 turnovers in the loss.
With a chance to bounce back, the Bearcats will host East Carolina on Wednesday night. Miller discussed the loss to Houston during the postgame press conference per Cincinnati Athletics.
"“I’m very disappointed in our approach especially in the second half. I feel like this team has taken a lot of steps and has a better character than we displayed tonight. It’s not good enough. You can talk about 17 turnovers and not being able to score coming out of the half. There is frustration and disappointment but it’s league play and we’re going to have to learn from this. I feel like we’ve taken so many steps forward in the last six weeks and this felt like a little bit of a step backwards. We have to regroup, recharge and get ready for the next one.”"