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It wasn’t that long ago that Cincinnati appeared headed to the NCAA Tournament.

But after three straight losses, five losses in the last seven games and nine in the last 14 games, the Bearcats need a deep run in this week’s Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Mo., to reclaim consideration for an at-large berth.

That’s the situation facing the 13th-seeded Bearcats (17-14) as they face No. 12 seed Oklahoma State (15-16) in the tournament opener Tuesday. And Cincinnati coach Wes Miller isn’t happy about it.

“It’s unacceptable,” Miller said after the Bearcats lost to Kansas State Wednesday in their home finale. “The effort’s unacceptable. The fight’s unacceptable. It’s on the head coach. I’m the leader of the operation. I’ve got to do a better job.”

Results didn’t get any better for the Bearcats in their season finale, coincidentally against Oklahoma State. But at least it wasn’t due to a lack of effort.

Cincinnati trailed by 18 points in the first half, but managed to trim the deficit to just one with 4:06 remaining before the Cowboys finished the game on a 12-2 run for a 78-67 victory.

This marks the second straight season the Bearcats open the Big 12 tournament with a rematch of their final regular-season game.

The Cowboys took full advantage of having seven seniors on their roster against Cincinnati. Those seniors combined for 70 of Oklahoma State’s 78 points. After Cincinnati cut it to 66-65, the Cowboys answered with 12 straight points that included 8-of-8 free throws. The Bearcats missed seven straight shots and turned the ball over twice during the run.

“Obviously we’re excited to get a win for the seniors on senior day,” Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz said afterward. “They’ve invested a ton into this program. I’m proud that they have continued to fight throughout the season.

“I know that our team has gotten better. We’re not where we want to be as a program, but I know these kids have invested in Oklahoma State basketball.”

Abou Ousmane led the Cowboys with 24 points and eight rebounds against Cincinnati and paces the team in both categories (12.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg). Jizzle James had 17 points for the Bearcats and averages a team-high 12.9 points per game.

The winner Tuesday advances to face No. 5 seed Iowa State in the next round.

–Field Level Media