Cincinnati Falls to No. 16 Texas Tech 80-68: Big 12 Basketball Recap

Texas Tech Defeats Cincinnati 80-68, Anderson Leads the Way

LUBBOCK, Texas — The Cincinnati Bearcats suffered a road defeat Tuesday night, falling 80-68 to No. 16 Texas Tech at United Supermarkets Arena. The loss drops Cincinnati to 15-13 overall and 7-8 in Big 12 Conference play, while Texas Tech improves to 21-7 on the season and 11-4 in conference action.

Cincinnati started the game with remarkable efficiency, connecting on their first nine field goal attempts, including all four from beyond the arc, to establish a 23-16 lead after a three-pointer from Jalen Celestine at the 12:40 mark of the first half. However, the Bearcats were unable to maintain that momentum. Texas Tech responded with a 15-2 run to take control before halftime.

The Red Raiders continued to build their advantage in the second half, with a layup by Luke Bamgboye extending the lead to a game-high 78-61 with 4:23 remaining, effectively sealing the victory.

Christian Anderson was the dominant force for Texas Tech, finishing with 31 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. It was Anderson’s eighth double-double of the season, and his first with rebounds, filling a void created by the season-ending knee injury to star forward JT Toppin. Moustapha Thiam led the Bearcats with his fourth double-double of the season, recording 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Three other Cincinnati players scored in double figures: Celestine added 15 points, while Baba Miller and Jizzle James each contributed 12.

Texas Tech controlled the boards, outrebounding Cincinnati 40-24 and 28-13 on the defensive end. The Red Raiders also shot efficiently, connecting on 52% of their field goal attempts (27-of-52) and 40% from three-point range (10-of-25).

After their hot start, Cincinnati’s offense faltered. Following the initial 23-16 lead, the Bearcats made only one of their next seven shots as Texas Tech trimmed the deficit to 25-23 on free throws from Bamgboye with 10:48 left in the first half. Cincinnati briefly regained a five-point lead at 32-27 on a three-pointer from Miller with 5:34 remaining, but the Red Raiders closed the half on a 15-2 run, fueled by three-pointers from Donovan Atwell, to take a 42-34 advantage into the break.

At halftime, Miller and Thiam led Cincinnati with nine points apiece, while Anderson paced Texas Tech with 12 points, six rebounds, and five assists.

A dunk by Thiam opened the second half for Cincinnati, sparking a quick surge. Celestine followed with back-to-back layups, and Thiam capped the run with a mid-range jumper. Texas Tech responded with a 10-3 run, led by seven consecutive points from Anderson, extending their lead to 59-46 with 11:22 remaining.

A three-pointer from Celestine at the 6:33 mark brought the Bearcats within 10 points, but a layup from LeJuan Watts and a three-pointer from Anderson pushed the score to 71-58 with 6:08 left. The Red Raiders continued to extend their lead, with a layup by Bamgboye pushing the advantage to 78-61 with 4:23 on the clock, effectively ending the game.

Cincinnati will return home to face Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. Saturday at Fifth Third Arena.