Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats show fight in 74-69 loss at 7th ranked Kansas

Big 12 play continues to be difficult to navigate as the Cincinnati Bearcats fell short in a 74-69 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks on Monday night.

Cincinnati trailed by double figures early on but finished the first half on an pivotal 26-14 run to take a 35-35 tie game heading into halftime.

Kansas had a narrow lead for a majority of the second half but the Bearcats were able to stay within striking distance until the final seconds.

Wes Miller's team was hoping to pick up a big win over the Big 12 preseason favorite but will just have to settle for a solid showing instead.

Cincinnati Basketball: Bearcats show fight in 74-69 loss at 7th ranked Kansas

Bearcats forward Daniel Skillings Jr scored a team-high 16 points and five rebounds, while forward John Newman III posted 11 points.

Cincinnati guard DaVeon Thomas had an open 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one possession in the final minute but was just slightly off target.

Thomas totaled nine points and three assists in the loss but Kansas forward Johnny Furphy put up a career-high 23 points and 11 rebounds.

With an opportunity to bounce back from two consecutive losses, the Bearcats will host the rival UCF Knights on Saturday night at home!