CINCINNATI (AP) — Simas Lukosius scored 20 points, Dan Skillings Jr. added 17 and No. 20 Cincinnati beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff 109-54 on Monday night in the season opener for both teams.
Connor Hickman had 13 points and Jizzle James had 12 for the Bearcats, who had six players score in double figures.
Dante Sawyer led the Golden Lions with 11 points.
The Bearcats got off to a sluggish start but overwhelmed the Golden Lions with a 17-2 run to close the first half.
James beat the halftime buzzer with a 3-pointer to make it 55-32.
Cincinnati is ranked in the AP poll for the first time since 2018-19, the last time it reached the NCAA Tournament.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff: Cincinnati is the one of two ranked opponents on the schedule for the Golden Lions, who play No. 19 Texas on Dec. 15. The Golden Lions are 0-33 against ranked foes since moving to Division I in 1998.
Cincinnati: Tyler McKinley, a 6-foot-9 forward who was expected to contribute as a freshman, is out for the season, and third-leading scorer Day Day Thomas is recovering from a foot injury. But the Bearcats' depth showed, with 12 players seeing action and 10 scoring.
The Bearcats were 4 of 10 shooting to start the game, but consecutive baskets by Lukosius and a breakaway dunk by Skillings highlighted a 10-0 run that helped them build a big lead.
Cincinnati shot 68% from the free-throw line last season, which proved costly in close losses to Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma. The Bearcats went 13 of 23 (56.5%) from the line on Monday night.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff: Hosts Champion Christian College on Wednesday.
Cincinnati: Hosts Morehead State on Friday.
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
Cincinnati forward Aziz Bandaogo dunks during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Cincinnati guard Simas Lukosius (41) drives against Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Zach Reinhart (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
NEW YORK (AP) — Bobby McMann scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal late in the third period, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New York Islanders 2-1 on Thursday night.
Joseph Woll stopped 32 shots as the Maple Leafs topped the Islanders for the second time this week and won for the third time in four games.
Scott Mayfield scored for New York and Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves in the Islanders' third straight loss.
Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech was called for a tripping penalty which set up the power play that McMann and Toronto capitalized on to get the winning goal with 2:59 remaining.
The Islanders poured on the pressure in the final minutes but Woll preserved the Maple Leafs' win.
McMann opened the scoring at 10:43 of the second, and Mayfield tied it with 1:45 remaining in the period.
Islanders: Twenty-year-old Islanders defenseman Isaiah George left the game in the second period when he caught an elbow from Max Domi and did not return.
Maple Leafs: Toronto assistant coach Lane Lambert returned to UBS arena for the first time since being fired by the Islanders on Jan. 20, 2024. Lambert originally came to New York with Barry Trotz in 2018 and then took over behind the bench when Trotz was fired in 2022.
Mitch Marner gave his right-handed stick to left-handed defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson after his stick broke, but the Maple Leafs' defenseman was unable to clear the puck out of the defensive zone on his off hand. That turnover led to the Islanders scoring the tying goal late in the second period.
The Islanders allowed the opening goal for the 12th time in 14 games and are 5-8-1 in that span.
Toronto Maple Leafs' Max Domi (11) fights for control of the puck with New York Islanders' Bo Horvat (14) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Toronto Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann (74) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Toronto Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann (74) fights for control of the puck with New York Islanders' Pierre Engvall (18) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) celebrates with teammates after an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Toronto Maple Leafs' Max Pacioretty (67) and Mitch Marner (16) celebrate with teammates after a goal by Bobby McMann during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) protects the net during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Toronto Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann (74) celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Islanders, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
