CINCINNATI — Simas Lukosius led the No. 16 Cincinnati Bearcats to a strong 77-59 victory over Alabama State on Wednesday night, contributing 16 points to the team’s success.
Jizzle James supported the effort with 13 points and five assists, helping propel the Bearcats to a 6-0 record for the second time in coach Wes Miller’s tenure, which spans four seasons.
Dillon Mitchell, who previously showcased his skills with a double-double (14 points and 11 rebounds) against Georgia Tech, added 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds before leaving the game with an injury early in the second half.
For Alabama State (3-4), Amarr Knox was the standout scorer, netting 24 points, 17 of which came in a strong first half. Jalen Keago chipped in with 12 points as the Hornets faced a challenging matchup.
Lukosius made two crucial 3-pointers at the start of the game, helping Cincinnati to an early 10-2 lead. By halftime, the Bearcats were ahead 46-33, and their solid defense was instrumental in the second half, limiting Alabama State to just 7-for-30 shooting from beyond the arc.
In terms of takeaways, Alabama State faced a ranked opponent for the first time since 2021, marking a significant challenge after previous defeats to ranked teams like No. 16 Texas and No. 25 Texas Tech.
From Cincinnati’s perspective, there’s hope for the return of last season’s leading scorer Dan Skillings Jr., who has been recovering from a knee injury sustained in the season opener. Skillings underwent minor surgery but has started practicing with shooting and light workouts this week.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Alabama State’s TJ Madlock missed an easy dunk that could have narrowed the score to a six-point deficit just before halftime. Cincinnati’s Mitchell quickly countered by scoring six consecutive points to extend the Bearcats’ lead to 39-25.
Another notable statistic involved Connor Hickman, who transferred to Cincinnati from Bradley, needing just four points to reach the 1,000 career points milestone. However, he played only 24 minutes due to injury and did not score.
Looking ahead, Alabama State is set to face SMU on Tuesday, while Cincinnati will go up against Villanova, also scheduled for Tuesday night.