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Simas Lukosius, Jizzle James each score 19 points and No. 17 Cincinnati beats Nicholls State 86-49

Simas Lukosius, Jizzle James each score 19 points and No. 17 Cincinnati beats Nicholls State 86-49 | iNFOnews.ca
Cincinnati's Simas Lukosius drives to the basket a Nicholls State's Caleb Robinson defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)

CINCINNATI (AP) — Simas Lukosius had 19 points including five 3-pointers, Jizzle James scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half, and No. 17 Cincinnati eased by Nicholls State 86-49 on Friday night.

Dillon Mitchell had 12 points and nine rebounds and Arrinten Page added 11 points for Cincinnati, which returned after a week off following an 83-56 victory over Morehead State on Nov. 8.

The Bearcats have now started 3-0 in each of Wes Miller’s four years at the helm. He earned his 250th win last Friday.

Jamal West Jr. scored 12 points to lead Nicholls State (2-3).

Nicholls State coach Tevon Saddler played for Miller at UNC-Greensboro from 2013-15, earning Southern Conference freshman of the year honors. Saddler, at 29, is the youngest Division I coach in the nation.

Simas Lukosius, Jizzle James each score 19 points and No. 17 Cincinnati beats Nicholls State 86-49 | iNFOnews.ca
Cincinnati’s Aziz Bandaogo complete a dunk from Cincinnati’s Simas Lukosius against Nicholls State during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)

Takeaways

Cincinnati was without Dan Skillings Jr., its leading scorer and rebounder last season, after he suffered a knee injury in a season-opening win when he finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Cincinnati did not miss Skillings as the Bearcats shot 54% and outrebounded Nicholls State 46-32. Aziz Bandaogo, a 7-foot senior had four of Cincinnati’s 14 blocked shots.

Key moment

Cincinnati pulled away midway through the first half when Page started a 9-0 run with five straight points and Bandaogo made a basket on back-to-back possessions for a 25-12 lead. The Bearcats led by double figures the rest of the way.

Key stat

Simas Lukosius, Jizzle James each score 19 points and No. 17 Cincinnati beats Nicholls State 86-49 | iNFOnews.ca
Cincinnati’s Josh Reed rises for a shot against Nicholls State during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)

Cincinnati held Nicholls State to 26% shooting in the first half to build a 42-22 lead. The Colonels, who didn’t have a double-digit scorer until the 13:24 mark of the second half, finished 21 of 69 from the field (30%).

Up next

Nicholls State plays host to Towson on Wednesday.

Cincinnati plays at Northern Kentucky on Tuesday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Simas Lukosius, Jizzle James each score 19 points and No. 17 Cincinnati beats Nicholls State 86-49 | iNFOnews.ca
Nicholls State’s Jamal West Jr., center, splits Cincinnati’s Dillon Mitchell, left, and Cincinnati’s CJ Fredrick Jr., right, on a drive to the basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)
Simas Lukosius, Jizzle James each score 19 points and No. 17 Cincinnati beats Nicholls State 86-49 | iNFOnews.ca
Cincinnati’s Jizzle James, left, and Nicholls State’s Jamal West Jr., right, compete for a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)
Simas Lukosius, Jizzle James each score 19 points and No. 17 Cincinnati beats Nicholls State 86-49 | iNFOnews.ca
Cincinnati’s Simas Lukosius drives to the basket as Nicholls State’s Caleb Robinson defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)
Simas Lukosius, Jizzle James each score 19 points and No. 17 Cincinnati beats Nicholls State 86-49 | iNFOnews.ca
Nicholls State’s Caleb Robinson, left, and Cincinnati’s Dillon Mitchell, right, compete for a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)
Simas Lukosius, Jizzle James each score 19 points and No. 17 Cincinnati beats Nicholls State 86-49 | iNFOnews.ca
From left to right: Cincinnati’s Dillon Mitchell, Nicholls State’s Ike Cornish and Cincinnati’s Aziz Bandaogo compete for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)
Simas Lukosius, Jizzle James each score 19 points and No. 17 Cincinnati beats Nicholls State 86-49 | iNFOnews.ca
Cincinnati’s Rayvon Griffith saves a ball from going out of bounds against Nicholls State during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar)

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