Day Day Thomas scored 15 points and Dan Skillings Jr. added 13 to lead the Cincinnati Bearcats past the visiting UIC Flames, 69-58, Monday night in the season opener.
CJ Fredrick’s 3 with 8:56 left in the first half gave Cincinnati a lead — 20-18 — the Bearcats would not relinquish. Fredrick finished with 11 points and was the only other Cincinnati player in double figures in scoring.
UIC senior guard Toby Okani posted a double-double and scored 13 of his team-high 20 points in the first half, helping to keep the Flames close. Okani grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and blocked six shots.
Leading 43-38 with 15:41 remaining on an Okani putback layup, the Bearcats rattled off the next nine points to take a 52-38 lead.
Thomas had a pair of baskets during the stretch. Simas Lukosius drilled a three-pointer with 9:38 remaining to spark a 13-5 Cincinnati run capped by a Jizzle James layup that give the Bearcats their biggest lead, 63-47, with six minutes remaining.
CJ Jones and Ethan Pickett had 13 points apiece for UIC.
In a seesaw game with no true perimeter threats, the lead changed several times in the first half before the Bearcats closed on a 14-4 run for a 40-30 lead.
Cincinnati, playing their first season in the Big 12, outscored UIC 20-2 in points off turnovers.
UIC converted just 2 of 16 from 3-point range while the Bearcats made 5 of 25.
–Field Level Media
