Cincinnati upends No. 15 Texas Tech 75-72 after Lukosius's go-ahead jumper with 21 seconds left
AP
Feb 03, 2024
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) Simas Lukosius scored 16 points, including the go-ahead jumper with 21 seconds left, and Cincinnati Bearcats beat 15th-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders 75-72 on Saturday night, handing the Red Raiders their first home loss this season.
The 14-footer by Lukosius was the 14th and final lead change of the game, which also had eight ties. That gave the Bearcats (15-7, 4-5 Big 12) a 73-72 lead right after Pop Isaacs made a long defended step-back 3-pointer to put the Red Raiders ahead for the final time.
“They were efficient with the shots they were getting … Lukosius made the difference for the team,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said.
Isaacs, who finished with a game-high 22 points for Texas Tech (16-5, 5-3), missed a potential go-ahead jumper with nine seconds left. The sophomore guard was 5 of 19 shooting from the field with three made 3-pointers, and 9 of 12 on free throws.
“Man, he’s about as good as an offensive player as I’ve seen on the perimeter in college basketball this year,” Cincinnati coach Wes Miller said. “He's a tough, tough cover.”
Robert Jennings added 14 points for the Red Raiders, and Kerwin Walton had 12.
Dan Skillings Jr. grabbed the game's final rebound and passed ahead to breaking John Newman III for a slam dunk, though Isaacs then had a longer than half-court shot ricochet off the front rim as time expired.
Skillings had 14 points and Newman 11 for Cincinnati. Aziz Bandaogo had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bearcats entered the game ranked last in the 14-team Big 12 making only 66.7% of their free throws. They converted on all 10 of their attempts against Texas Tech, including eight in the second half.
“We were not as bad of a free-throw shooting team as the percentages say," Miller said. "We just had some strange things happen on the free-throw line. ... You’re gonna have to do some good things. To tend to the free-throw line was humongous.”
BIG PICTURE
Cincinnati: The Big 12 newcomer won on the road against a Top 25 team for the second time this season, the first time in 10 years the Bearcats have done that. They won at then-No. 12 BYU 71-60 on Jan. 6.
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders had won their first 11 home games in McCasland's first season. They have now lost consecutive games overall for the first time, after an 85-78 loss at No. 25 TCU last Tuesday.
TOURNEY TIME
The two teams had met only once before their first game as Big 12 foes. That was in a Midwest Regional game of the 1961 NCAA Tournament, then a 24-team event, when Cincinnati won on the way to winning the first of their back-to-back national titles.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
After jumping five spots in the AP Top 25 each of the last two weeks, the Red Raiders will definitely fall this week - possibly all the way out of the poll.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati has only one game next week, at home against fourth-ranked Houston on Saturday.
Texas Tech plays at 18th-ranked Baylor on Tuesday night.
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1st Half
CINCY
Bearcats
36
TXTCH
Red Raiders
37
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
(Bearcats gains possession)
19:46
Simas Lukosius turnover (traveling)
19:40
Darrion Williams turnover (bad pass)
19:26
Viktor Lakhin misses two point hook shot
19:24
Aziz Bandaogo offensive rebound
19:16
Kerwin Walton personal foul
19:13
+2
Aziz Bandaogo makes two point dunk (Day Day Thomas assists)
2-0
18:50
Darrion Williams misses two point jump shot
18:48
Day Day Thomas defensive rebound
18:40
Jump ball. (Red Raiders gains possession)
18:40
Aziz Bandaogo turnover (lost ball) (Darrion Williams steals)
18:35
+2
Pop Isaacs makes two point layup
2-2
18:21
Simas Lukosius misses two point jump shot
18:19
Red Raiders defensive rebound
18:10
Warren Washington misses two point layup
18:08
Aziz Bandaogo defensive rebound
17:55
+2
Aziz Bandaogo makes two point layup
4-2
17:35
Day Day Thomas personal foul
17:16
Warren Washington misses two point hook shot
17:14
Aziz Bandaogo defensive rebound
16:51
John Newman III misses three point jump shot
16:49
Joe Toussaint defensive rebound
16:44
+2
Darrion Williams makes two point layup (Joe Toussaint assists)
4-4
16:30
Warren Washington personal foul
16:23
+2
Dan Skillings Jr. makes two point layup
6-4
15:57
Pop Isaacs turnover (traveling)
15:57
TV timeout
15:40
+2
Jamille Reynolds makes two point hook shot
8-4
15:18
Kerwin Walton misses three point jump shot
15:16
Jamille Reynolds defensive rebound
15:07
+2
John Newman III makes two point layup
10-4
15:05
Red Raiders 30 second timeout
14:52
Pop Isaacs misses two point jump shot
14:50
Jamille Reynolds defensive rebound
14:29
Chance McMillian personal foul
14:20
Day Day Thomas misses two point jump shot
14:18
D'Maurian Williams defensive rebound
14:08
Warren Washington turnover (Day Day Thomas steals)
13:59
+3
Simas Lukosius makes three point jump shot (Jamille Reynolds assists)
13-4
13:41
Day Day Thomas personal foul (Pop Isaacs draws the foul)
13:39
+3
Kerwin Walton makes three point jump shot (Joe Toussaint assists)
13-7
13:12
Jizzle James misses three point jump shot
13:10
Darrion Williams defensive rebound
12:48
+2
Darrion Williams makes two point layup
13-9
12:48
Josh Reed shooting foul (Darrion Williams draws the foul)
12:48
+1
Darrion Williams makes regular free throw 1 of 1
13-10
12:27
Dan Skillings Jr. misses three point jump shot
12:25
Dan Skillings Jr. offensive rebound
12:22
+2
Dan Skillings Jr. makes two point layup
15-10
12:04
Josh Reed shooting foul (Warren Washington draws the foul)
12:04
+1
Warren Washington makes regular free throw 1 of 2
15-11
12:04
+1
Warren Washington makes regular free throw 2 of 2
15-12
12:02
Dan Skillings Jr. misses three point jump shot
12:01
Darrion Williams defensive rebound
12:00
Dan Skillings Jr. blocks Chance McMillian's two point layup
11:58
Joe Toussaint offensive rebound
11:43
+3
Kerwin Walton makes three point jump shot
15-15
10:55
Dan Skillings Jr. turnover (Joe Toussaint steals)
10:41
Warren Washington misses two point layup
10:39
Aziz Bandaogo defensive rebound
10:26
+2
Dan Skillings Jr. makes two point layup (Viktor Lakhin assists)
17-15
11:04
TV timeout
10:03
Dan Skillings Jr. shooting foul (Pop Isaacs draws the foul)
10:03
+1
Pop Isaacs makes regular free throw 1 of 2
17-16
10:03
Pop Isaacs misses regular free throw 2 of 2
10:03
Robert Jennings offensive rebound
10:00
Aziz Bandaogo blocks Robert Jennings's two point layup
9:58
Darrion Williams offensive rebound
9:55
Darrion Williams turnover (Jizzle James steals)
9:48
Simas Lukosius turnover (Darrion Williams steals)
9:41
Joe Toussaint misses two point layup
9:39
Aziz Bandaogo defensive rebound
9:17
Viktor Lakhin misses two point layup
9:17
Aziz Bandaogo offensive rebound
9:17
Joe Toussaint personal foul (Aziz Bandaogo draws the foul)
9:15
+3
Jizzle James makes three point jump shot (Simas Lukosius assists)
20-16
8:56
Pop Isaacs turnover (Simas Lukosius steals)
8:44
Simas Lukosius misses two point jump shot
8:42
Viktor Lakhin offensive rebound
8:34
Viktor Lakhin misses two point layup
8:32
Viktor Lakhin offensive rebound
8:41
Jump ball. (Bearcats gains possession)
8:27
Simas Lukosius turnover (Warren Washington steals)
8:27
Jizzle James personal foul
8:22
Warren Washington offensive foul
8:22
Warren Washington turnover (offensive foul)
8:01
John Newman III misses three point jump shot
7:59
Robert Jennings defensive rebound
7:53
+3
Pop Isaacs makes three point jump shot (Joe Toussaint assists)
20-19
7:34
Jizzle James misses two point jump shot
7:32
Red Raiders defensive rebound
7:27
Jamille Reynolds personal foul
7:27
TV timeout
7:27
Robert Jennings misses regular free throw 1 of 1
7:27
Robert Jennings offensive rebound
7:27
+2
Robert Jennings makes two point layup
20-21
7:15
Day Day Thomas misses three point jump shot
7:13
Kerwin Walton defensive rebound
7:02
Pop Isaacs misses three point jump shot
7:00
Darrion Williams offensive rebound
6:54
Jamille Reynolds shooting foul (Darrion Williams draws the foul)
6:54
+1
Darrion Williams makes regular free throw 1 of 2
20-22
6:54
+1
Darrion Williams makes regular free throw 2 of 2
20-23
6:34
Viktor Lakhin turnover (lost ball) (Chance McMillian steals)
6:34
Jump ball. (Red Raiders gains possession)
6:21
Day Day Thomas blocks Chance McMillian's three point jump shot
6:19
Darrion Williams offensive rebound
6:14
Darrion Williams turnover (John Newman III steals)
6:08
Day Day Thomas turnover (bad pass)
5:52
+2
Robert Jennings makes two point layup (Darrion Williams assists)
20-25
5:36
+3
Day Day Thomas makes three point jump shot (John Newman III assists)
23-25
5:02
Joe Toussaint misses two point jump shot
5:00
Day Day Thomas defensive rebound
4:53
+2
Dan Skillings Jr. makes two point layup (Day Day Thomas assists)
25-25
4:20
+2
Robert Jennings makes two point layup (Pop Isaacs assists)
25-27
4:01
+2
Jizzle James makes two point jump shot (Dan Skillings Jr. assists)
27-27
3:41
John Newman III shooting foul (Pop Isaacs draws the foul)
3:41
TV timeout
3:41
Pop Isaacs misses regular free throw 1 of 3
3:41
+1
Pop Isaacs makes regular free throw 2 of 3
27-28
3:41
Pop Isaacs misses regular free throw 3 of 3
3:41
Simas Lukosius defensive rebound
3:28
Dan Skillings Jr. turnover (Joe Toussaint steals)
3:18
Pop Isaacs misses two point layup
3:16
Red Raiders offensive rebound
3:02
Pop Isaacs misses two point layup
3:00
Robert Jennings offensive rebound
2:57
+2
Robert Jennings makes two point layup
27-30
2:36
+2
Jizzle James makes two point jump shot
29-30
2:06
+2
Robert Jennings makes two point hook shot
29-32
1:47
Simas Lukosius misses two point jump shot
1:45
Dan Skillings Jr. offensive rebound
1:39
Joe Toussaint personal foul (Dan Skillings Jr. draws the foul)
1:32
Simas Lukosius misses three point jump shot
1:30
Viktor Lakhin offensive rebound
1:26
Chance McMillian personal foul (Viktor Lakhin draws the foul)
1:26
+1
Viktor Lakhin makes regular free throw 1 of 2
30-32
1:26
+1
Viktor Lakhin makes regular free throw 2 of 2
31-32
1:16
+2
Kerwin Walton makes two point jump shot (Darrion Williams assists)
31-34
0:57
+3
Simas Lukosius makes three point jump shot (John Newman III assists)
34-34
0:20
+3
Pop Isaacs makes three point jump shot
34-37
0:10
Bearcats 30 second timeout
0:05
+2
Dan Skillings Jr. makes two point hook shot
36-37
0:00
End of period
2nd Half
CINCY
Bearcats
39
TXTCH
Red Raiders
35
Time
Team
Play
Score
19:38
Viktor Lakhin turnover (3-second violation)
19:20
Robert Jennings misses two point dunk
19:18
Viktor Lakhin defensive rebound
19:08
Pop Isaacs personal foul (Viktor Lakhin draws the foul)
19:04
Aziz Bandaogo misses two point layup
19:02
Robert Jennings defensive rebound
19:02
Pop Isaacs misses three point jump shot
19:00
John Newman III defensive rebound
18:44
Joe Toussaint personal foul (John Newman III draws the foul)
18:31
Viktor Lakhin misses two point jump shot
18:29
Kerwin Walton defensive rebound
18:29
Pop Isaacs misses two point layup
18:27
John Newman III defensive rebound
18:08
+2
Day Day Thomas makes two point jump shot
38-37
17:38
+2
Chance McMillian makes two point jump shot
38-39
17:21
Darrion Williams personal foul (Aziz Bandaogo draws the foul)
17:14
Day Day Thomas turnover (bad pass) (Pop Isaacs steals)
17:10
Pop Isaacs misses two point layup
17:08
Robert Jennings offensive rebound
17:05
+2
Robert Jennings makes two point dunk
38-41
16:44
+2
John Newman III makes two point jump shot
40-41
16:21
+2
Robert Jennings makes two point layup (Pop Isaacs assists)
40-43
15:57
+2
Viktor Lakhin makes two point hook shot
42-43
15:35
Viktor Lakhin blocks Robert Jennings's two point jump shot