Cincinnati beats Green Bay as Minnesota looms for new-look Bearcats

After defeating Green Bay, Minnesota looms ahead for Jerrod Calhoun.

Sure, that sounds like someone previewing an NFC North game, but it's the early state of University of Cincinnati basketball. The Bearcats bounced the Green Bay Phoenix 81-64 Thursday, Nov. 5, but not without more growing pains.

Green Bay trailed by just eight at halftime and got as close to four a minute into the second half, with some of the 9,003 at Fifth Third Arena getting antsy.

Formerly known as Wisconsin-Green Bay, the Phoenix actually took a 20-19 lead at 8:01 of the first half. UC had to fight back to lead 40-32 at the break.

As UC pulled away, there still were rough edges. Tyler Tejada and Adlan Elamin had off shooting nights, missing10 shots between them. UC eventually led by as many as 21 with 8:11 to play, but then followed with a long scoring drought before winning by 16.

"They're a good team, they're going to have a good year, they've got a great coach," Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb said. "It's good to see 9,000 people here. If you want to get it back to what it used to be, show up. Everyone else in the Big 12 shows up; you've got to have home-court advantage."

Myles Colvin led the Bearcats by tying a personal best with seven treys. He had 31 points, two shy of his career-high. Without him, it would have been a woeful night from the perimeter. UC finished 10-for-31, but among players not named Colvin, they were 3-for-19. Colvin was the top rebounder with seven and had two of UC's five blocked shots.

"It was good to see the ball go in the basket after a tough shooting night," Colvin said. "My teammates trust me and my coaches trust me. They put me in a position to get as many points as I did today."

Gottlieb said Green Bay focused on shutting down Tylen Riley as he's the "straw that stirs the drink". Riley had just two points and three assists. MJ Collins Jr. picked up in the assist department with six.

Amani Lyles added 14 points for UC and Collins and Eric Mahaffey each had 11. UC outrebounded Green Bay 30-25 and caused 21 turnovers. Orlando Lovejoy led Green Bay with 16 points.

"Amani Lyles and Eric Mahaffey were part of NCAA tournaments," UC coach Calhoun said. "Those guys are winners. They know how to win. You saw tonight who was on the court the last eight minutes was two guys who have won a bunch of games and will do what they're asked to do."

Extra work for Cincinnati's Myles Colvin pays off

Colvin, held to three points in the American University win, came back to the court well after the game Nov. 2 to work on his shot. It paid off as he was one of the few Bearcats hot in the first half, hitting four of UC's five 3-point shots. He finished with seven on the night.

Mahaffey also helped the Bearcats early, making all of his first-half shots and providing clutch defense with a pair of steals and a block. He also received his first technical after hanging on the rim after a dunk.

"That's on me, that's my first technical of my career," Mahaffey said. "My dad already texted me about it. I had momentum, then I saw him (player) under me, then I pulled up. He (ref) got me real quick."

Green Bay's Doug Gottlieb compares UC to exhibition opponents

The Phoenix played Wisconsin from the Big Ten and Marquette from the Big East. He said the Bearcats compare favorably to Marquette, but the Golden Eagles have the better defense. He likes UC's offense.

"You basically have a mid-major-plus all-star team and a bunch of guys who have been 'the guy' at their program," Gottlieb said. "Now they've come into a program where they've got to be one of 'the guys'."

Gottlieb said offensively UC's further along than Marquette, but the Bearcats don't have the rim protection of Marquette. Some of that may have been the absence on the court of Jayden Hastings.

Update on injury to UC Bearcats center Jayden Hastings

The shoulder of Hastings was pulled out of its socket early in the win over American. He tried to return but suffered the same issue again. Hastings did not dress for the Green Bay game and is considered week-to-week. He was not wearing any particular shoulder support item.

No surprise. No Jayden Hastings tonight. https://t.co/ghjbVeGom7

— Scott Springer (@sspringersports) November 5, 2026

Also, sophomore guard Akai Fleming did not dress as he's day-to-day with a knee ailment. Calhoun said Fleming felt uncomfortable at the shoot-around before the Green Bay game.

Riley Allenspach started the game for Hastings, and UC got their best minutes from Lyles, who had his first double-digit game for the Bearcats. David Iweze also played over 21 minutes with six points, three rebounds and a block and again had the best plus/minus figure of the game for UC at 20.

Power conference opponent ahead for UC Bearcats

Come Monday, Nov. 9, the Bearcats will entertain the Minnesota Golden Gophers of the Big Ten. Minnesota was 15-18 (8-12 Big Ten) last season but did have ranked wins over Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan State last season. They return four players who played significant minutes in 2025-26. Playing for North Dakota State last season, Trevian Carson was his team's top scorer against them with 14 points in a Nov. 2025 loss.

The game will be the Twyman-Stokes Classic, honoring former Bearcat and Cincinnati Royal Jack Twyman, who became the guardian of teammate Maurice Stokes when a life-changing injury ended his NBA career. Twyman's No. 27 is retired at UC and he's a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer.

UC women take opening game

UC beat East Texas A&M Nov. 4 at Fifth Third Arena 66-58. Caliyah DeVillassee led the Bearcats with 16 points.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati beats Green Bay as Minnesota looms for new-look Bearcats