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No. 22 Dayton’s comeback falls short against No. 19 Cincinnati

Photo of Malachi Smith. Photo courtesy of Rick Roshto
Malachi Smith (11) against No. 19 Cincinnati on Dec. 20, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio Photo courtesy Rick Roshto - www.dblrphoto.com (Rick Roshto /Rick Roshto)

CINCINNATI — The No. 22 University of Dayton men’s basketball team came up short against No. 19 Cincinnati in the Simple Truth Hoops Classic presented by CareSource losing 66-59 Friday in downtown Cincinnati.

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UD never led and scored only 17 first-half points. Their first field goal came at the 8:45 mark of the first half. The Bearcats led the Flyers, 25-17, at halftime.

Dayton trailed by as much as 18 points, 53-35, with 7:36 remaining.

UD got as close as four points, 61-57, with 2:01 left on a three-pointer by Malachi Smith. But the Bearcats sealed the win by making five of six free throws.

Dayton ends the non-conference season with a 10-3 record.

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Dan Skillings, Jr. led Cincinnati with 17 points while James Jizzle made four three-pointers and finished with 14. Simas Lukosius added 13. The Bearcats outrebounded Dayton, 38-32, and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds.

Nate Santos and Malachi Smith each led UD with 13 points while Zed Key and Posh Alexander both scored 11. The Flyers shot 5-18 from three-point range.

Dayton now heads into the Christmas break. They return to action on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, when they host La Salle to start Atlantic 10 play. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. at the UD Arena.

The game will be broadcast on WHIO Radio. It will also be carried here at WHIO.com.

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