Madsen Drops 28 Points, but Utes Fall Short Against Cincinnati

Despite a standout 28-point effort from Gabe Madsen, the Utah Runnin’ Utes couldn’t hold off Cincinnati, falling 85-75 on Tuesday night. Madsen, who previously played for the Bearcats before transferring to Utah, drained eight three-pointers on 22 attempts, matching his season-high in scoring.

Madsen’s Return to Cincinnati

Reflecting on his return, Madsen expressed mixed emotions.

“I have a lot of memories here since it was the last place I played before coming to Utah,” Madsen said. “It’s been an up-and-down year for me, so it felt good to knock down some shots. But obviously, we wanted a different outcome.”

Cincinnati Closes Strong

Cincinnati’s Jizzle James played a pivotal role in the victory, matching his career-best with 25 points. With the game tied at 72-72 in the final minutes, the Bearcats surged ahead with an 11-0 run, highlighted by Day Day Thomas scoring five points and Aziz Bandaogo finishing an alley-oop dunk. James sealed the win with two free throws, surpassing his previous season-high of 24 points from Cincinnati’s recent win over BYU.

James finished the night 10-of-15 from the field, adding two three-pointers and six assists. He was backed by Josh Reed (13 points), Simas Lukosius (11 points), and Bandaogo (10 points, 10 rebounds).

Utah’s Effort Comes Up Short

For Utah (13-11, 5-8 Big 12), Lawson Lovering contributed 14 points, while Ezra Ausar and Mike Sharavjamts added eight points each.

The Utes tied the game at 68-68 with 7:27 left and again at 72-72, but Cincinnati’s late push proved too much. At halftime, Cincinnati led 42-36, with James scoring 11 points and Lovering and Madsen leading Utah with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Madsen Climbs Utah’s All-Time Scoring List

With his performance, Madsen moved into 22nd place on Utah’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Johnny Bryant and Timmy Allen. His career total now stands at 1,326 points.

What’s Next for Utah?

The Utes will look to bounce back when they host No. 17 Kansas on Saturday.

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keelee-mccain

Keelee McCain is a junior at Weber High School. This is her second year on staff, this year as Assistant to the Chief. She does have a life (probably) but she can't think of anything to write in here, so she's probably just going to ramble now. She has an orange cat who she likes better than any human. If you see her being quiet or not sitting on top of a desk, there is something very wrong. In her free time she enjoys harassing her favorite teachers and sleeping. Her life plans include making it through high school and leaving. Happy lifeing.