In a brutal Saturday afternoon showdown, BYU’s basketball team faltered for the second consecutive time in Big 12 play, losing to Cincinnati 84-66. Despite a solid first half where they outscored the Bearcats 42-39, the Cougars couldn’t maintain their momentum. The second half saw Cincinnati explode, outscoring BYU 45-24 and securing a dominant victory.
BYU’s defense struggled to contain Cincinnati’s explosive backcourt, which combined for a staggering 39 points on an impressive 16-for-23 shooting. Jizzle James was unstoppable, setting a career high with six three-pointers against the Cougars.
Things got briefly interesting when BYU reserves Mihailo Boskovic and Trey Stewart sparked a mini run, cutting the Bearcats’ lead to just eight points. But Cincinnati swiftly responded, dashing any hopes of a BYU comeback and sealing the game with another blistering run.
Offensively, the Cougars were limited, with only two players hitting double digits. Richie Saunders led with 15 points, while Egor Demin added 12 points and 2 assists, but it wasn’t nearly enough to overcome Cincinnati’s firepower.
The road ahead doesn’t get any easier for BYU. They face a tough challenge on Tuesday with a trip to Morgantown to take on West Virginia, followed by home games against powerhouse teams Kansas State and Kansas. The Cougars will need to dig deep and find their rhythm quickly if they hope to turn their season around.