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Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29

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A late dunk, a last-second 3 add to Cincinnati’s heartbreak

Xavier guard Myles Davis reacts after a last-second shot by Wisconsin guard Bronson Koenig gave Wisconsin a 66-63 victory in a second-round men's college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 20, 2016, in St. Louis. (Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)  EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT
Xavier guard Myles Davis reacts after a last-second shot by Wisconsin guard Bronson Koenig gave Wisconsin a 66-63 victory in a second-round men's college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 20, 2016, in St. Louis. (Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT Xavier guard Myles Davis reacts after a last-second shot by Wisconsin guard Bronson Koenig gave Wisconsin a 66-63 victory in a second-round men's college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 20, 2016, in St. Louis. (Chris Lee/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT; THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

CINCINNATI (AP) – Octavius Ellis slumped on a stool near the basket for the longest time, unable to fathom how he’s just missed giving Cincinnati a game-tying dunk. Myles Davis pulled his white, No. 15 jersey over his face and slid to the court, unable to comprehend how Xavier’s season had just ended.

Back in Cincinnati, their fans were just numb. No other city has watched its sports teams meet with such unimaginable endings in the last three months.

Yep, fans in Cincinnati know what it’s like to have everything right there on the fingertips … and have it all pulled away at the last moment.

“It’s just heartbreaking,” Xavier coach Chris Mack said, after Wisconsin’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer led to a 66-63 win over one of the Musketeers’ best teams ever on Sunday night in the NCAA Tournament.

Mack knows heartbreak another way. He’s a Bengals fan.