Cincinnati basketball improved to 7-1 on the season following their 84-67 win over Howard this afternoon.

The Bearcats were led by veterans Simas Lukosius (18 points, four assists, on 8-10 FG), Aziz Bandaogo (17 points and 6 rebounds on 8-10 FG) and Dillon Mitchell (14 points, on 5-6 FG).

Bandaogo, had arguagbly his best offensive performance of his Bearcat career, and showcased his offensive game which is something that fans haven't seen quite as often over the last year and a half to current date. However, that was a great sight to see for Bearcats fans, especially how he complimented Arrinten Page in this one as well there in the front court.

Veteran wing, Dan Skillings made his return to the floor this afternoon for the first time in over a month after missing the last six games with a knee injury that required a minor procedure.

Skillings finished with just two points, three assists, and three rebounds in 14 minutes of action, but was a huge impact on this game and you could clearly see how much his presence changes the dynamic for Cincinnati. Which was something they desperately missed over the last month, but it is huge news with the team heading into the Crosstown Shootout next week.

"It was good to see Dan back out there tonight." Wes Miller noted. "I think it was a lift for our team, certainly a lift for me. We are a much different team with him and can do so many different things in terms of putting pressure on the rim, bounce, getting to the boards, etc. I could've played him a little more, but he practiced the last two days, and when I felt the game was in hand, I elected to rest him. I think big picture, it was the right thing to do, even though I know Dan wanted to go back in the game."

"You just feel the difference in this team when Dan is on the floor. Dan Skillings has the ability to make plays even in bad situations. We are a much better team with Dan, we missed him dearly."

"We are really excited to have Dan back," Bandaogo told reporters. "He is a hell of a player. Dan coming back gives this team more confidence because he brings so much to the table for this team. He makes the game so much easier with his athleticism, hustle and scoring abilities."

The Rundown

The Bison jumped out to an early 10-6 lead over Cincinnati with 15:39 remaining in the first half. Cincinnati was looking to spark the energy early in this one, after a warm ovation for Dan Skillings as he made his return to the floor with 16:44, for the first time since November 4th, after missing the last month due to a knee injury.

You could quickly feel the momentum shift for Cincinnati when Skillings returned to the floor as the junior wing, was simply all everywhere it appeared. Now, it was pretty clear and evident about how much Skilling's presence meant to this team as he was quickly impacting the game in just about every facet.

The Bison started the game 3-3 from the field, while Cincinnati was just 2-4, as the Bison was looking to attack the Bearcats from the outside. However, the Bearcats were looking to get out and push the tempo as they cut the lead to one with 11:22 remaining in the first half, but Cincinnati was searching for something quickly on the offensive end.

Simas Lukosius would do just that, after knocking down his first three of the night, tying the game at 16. In a moment, in which Cincinnati was looking to spark some momentum, they then created three consecutive turnovers, silencing all momentum in the middle segment. But Wes Miller was forced to take a timeout with the game tied at 20, with 6:58 remaining, in hopes of sparking some sort of momentum to carry throughout the final minutes of the first half.

The Bearcats would do that after a huge offensive rebound and putback from Josh Reed following the Day-Day Thomas missed jumper. Thomas then quickly forced a turnover that resulted in a layup for Dillon Mitchell, forcing a Howard timeout, as Cincinnati took their first lead of the game at 28-25.

Cincinnati ended the first half on a 6-0 run from Lukosius after a huge, contested corner three at the buzzer gave Cincinnati a 36-32 lead at the half. The Lithuanian sharpshooter quickly rose to the occasion for the Bearcats, like he has for majority of his career, but in a time, Cincinnati was searching for answers. The Bearcats finished the first half, shooting nearly 48% from the field, led by Lukosius who had a game high 13 points on 5-6 shooting over the first 20 minutes of play.

The Bearcats held the Bison to just 1 for 7 to end the half as they really turned it up a notch after the final media timeout. Once, the Bearcats saw shoots start to fall, things really opened up, especially after Cincinnati looked to play inside and take control of the height and size advantage in the paint. That was the difference maker as Cincinnati outrebounded the Bison 19-12 in the first half, in a game it felt like could be much more than a four-point game at the half to say the least.

Cincinnati came out of the half with a whole new level of intensity as they forced three consecutive turnovers to start the second half, resulting a six point swing, forcing a Bison timeout. Cincinnati wasted no time as they looked to get out and run as they extended their lead to double digits, for the first time all afternoon at 42-32, with 18:47 to go.

The Bearcats kept their foot on the gas as they had Fifth Third Arena on their feet after consecutive lob dunks from Mitchell. The veteran wing was looking to play freer this afternoon, as Cincinnati was looking to open the floodgates to this one. Howard was in desperation mode as they quickly saw all the momentum change right before half following the buzzer beater three from Lukosius.

The Bearcats would extend their lead to 68-45, following a 16-2 run as Cincinnati was quickly heating up from behind the arch. The Bison simply had no answer for the Bearcats coming out of the second half as everything seemed to be trending in Cincinnati's favor to say the least.

The Bearcats continued to pour it on down the stretch, as the Bison held on by a thread. However, Cincinnati was just too much for the Bison in the second half. Cincinnati took the lead before the half, and never looked that as they outscored the Bison 48-35 in the second half.

Up Next for the Bearcats

The Bearcats now will have a week to prepare for their highly anticipated rivalry game, as they welcome in Xavier (7-2) to Fifth Third Arena on Saturday, December 14th at 2pm for the annual Crosstown Shootout.

Now, for the Bearcats, they have a week to prepare for the Musketeers, while Xavier on the other hand has to gear up and get ready to play Morgan State on Tuesday night, before turning their focus to Cincinnati.

"I have talked to a couple of the guys about this rivalry, I know it's a big rivalry here in the city," said Dillon Mitchell. "This is the next game on our schedule, so we treat it just like any other game. Now, for me, I have been playing in the Big 12 the last two years before this, every game in the Big 12 is tough. I know this is a big game, and everyone is excited for it, including me. It's the next game on the schedule and we will be ready to go."

"We treat this game like we do every other game." Aziz Bandaogo told reporters. "Yes, there will be a lot of pressure surrounding the game and what it means to the city of Cincinnati. But at the same time, we are preparing to win especially knowing that game is the next one on the schedule."