You have the right Idea. Bash the hell outta the A-P, but you fail to realize that bash is not an end all lag-monster. It is, in fact, quite easy to get around. He was obviously either enlarged, or weighed much more than you, or both. Either one of those aspects (as a fire giant) can basically nullify minotaur bash, because you can't carry more than he can (25 str vs 23 str) and you can't enlarge yourself (villager). Therefore, once you realize that he has found a way to nullify your bash, you should have switched tactics.

I hope the info here can help you to get better.