Cincinnati Tries to Put Rivalry Losses Aside, Takes on Merrimack

Wes Miller and Simas Lukosius recap the Bearcats 82-68 loss to Dayton

Cincinnati will aim to rebound from its most disappointing game of the season when Merrimack visits Tuesday night in the first meeting between the two programs.

After winning their first seven games, the Bearcats (8-2) have dropped two of their last three, including Saturday’s 82-68 decision to Dayton. The game was played on a neutral court, but the game took place just four miles from the Bearcats’ campus in downtown Cincinnati.

Cincinnati’s only two losses have come at the hands of local rivals, Dayton and Xavier seven days earlier.

“These games get you ready for league play,” Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller said. “The fact that people get all charged up for them, that’s good. I hate that we lost two of them this week. That stinks and it feels terrible. But I’m not afraid of that. We’re not going to not want to play good teams locally because we’re worried about what the hell people think.”

The Bearcats were outscored 28-8 at the foul line, with the Flyers missing just two free-throw attempts while Cincinnati was just 8-for-16.

The Bearcats couldn’t take advantage of the debut of Jamille Reynolds, their second player to be reinstated to the roster midseason.

Reynolds was added to the active roster following an NCAA ruling, playing eight minutes and scoring his first points on an offensive rebound and dunk. He also went 2-for-2 at the foul line to finish with four points.

Cincinnati’s other reinstated player, Aziz Bandaogo, is averaging 13 rebounds over his last three games, becoming the first Bearcat since Tre Scott to record double-digit rebounds in three straight games. Bandaogo also collected his second-straight double-double after recording 17 double-doubles with Utah Valley last season.

After a 10-day break, Merrimack (5-6) returns to action after narrowly defeating Division II Felician 89-85 at home on Dec. 9.

The Warriors were led by Adam “Budd” Clark with 15 points. Jordan Derkack added 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds while Samba Diallo and Devon Savage finished with 12 points apiece.

Merrimack shot a season-best 61.8 percent from the field in the win over Felician. Jaylen Stinson filled the stat sheet with seven points, five rebounds and six assists.

The Warriors scored 17 points off 14 turnovers to hold on for their second win in six games.

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    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

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    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

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    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

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    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

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    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

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