Following a tough 79-74 loss in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout at Xavier, Cincinnatihead basketball coach Wes Miller was disappointed with the final score but optimistic about the year’s trajectory.”Very disappointed in the result, disappointed for our players,” Miller said. “Just disappointed, but we showed why we’re gonna have a good year and be a good team.”Of course, there are plenty of reasons for disappointment with the Dec. 5 loss for Bearcats fans. A game which saw UC win the rebounding battle 51-37 and hold Xavier to just 6-of-28 shooting from 3-point range still resulted in an L. Cincinnati has not won at Cintas Center since 2001; it was the 11th straight home win for Xavier in the Shootout.Whether fans will buy into the notion that the Bearcats’ future is still bright is another question. In the preseason, this Cincinnati squad was projected as the No. 36 team in the country by KenPom. UC has now lost three games: to AP No. 6 Louisville, in a buy-game against Eastern Michigan, and to archrival Xavier. A 6-3 record to start the year was not what fans expected. And yet, in the face of adversity, Miller said he believes his team can turn things around. “There’s a lot we can build on,” he said. “We’re going to keep taking steps and getting better, but there’s a lot we can learn from tonight.”Missed free throws the difference at XavierMiller’s gameplan seemed to work everywhere but the final score, and missed free throws were a major factor. The Bearcats dominated the glass and held Xavier to half its normal 3-point output, but the Bearcats left 11 free throws on the table. In a five-point loss, that number will haunt the Bearcats.”You’ve gotta be able to convert those things on the road to win,” Miller said.Miller confident Bearcats will growCincinnati still has a long season ahead, and despite the miscues in the first month, Miller said he believes the team is still together and ready to get some wins.”It’s clear we’re going to have a great team and a great year,” Miller reiterated. “It’s clear to the guys in the locker room, it’s clear to the coaching staff.”The Bearcats returned just one player, Day Day Thomas, from last year. Getting the team to gel has been an issue, but Miller wanted to assure fans they would get there. “We’re still learning each other,” Miller said, “but it’s a connected group, it’s a high-character group.”A grueling Big 12 schedule lies ahead. For Miller, the mission is simple: “We just get back to work.”This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Wes Miller optimistic following UC basketball loss at Xavier