Recap: Arizona 77 Cincinnati 51
Arizona’s balance was on full display Wednesday night, as the No. 1 Wildcats placed four players in double figures and steadily pulled away from Cincinnati for a 77–51 victory. Motiejus Krivas led the way with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Brayden Burries added 12 points and a team-high 10 boards as Arizona’s depth and physicality asserted control after halftime. Cincinnati was paced by Baba Miller’s 14 points and six rebounds, with Shon Abaev providing a spark off the bench with 13 points in 18 minutes, but the Bearcats couldn’t keep up once the Wildcats found their rhythm.
(Photo: Arizona Athletics)
Game Recap:
The opening 10 minutes were competitive, with Cincinnati even grabbing a brief 20–16 lead after a strong stretch from Abaev, who knocked down a transition three and converted multiple free throws. Miller was active early as well, scoring inside and on short jumpers as Cincinnati tried to establish some offensive rhythm.
But Arizona’s defensive pressure quickly became a problem. The Wildcats mixed coverages on ball screens — switching, hard-hedging and dropping — while applying consistent perimeter pressure that disrupted Cincinnati’s flow. Those issues showed up in the numbers, as the Bearcats shot just 9-of-25 in the first half and struggled to generate clean looks, often settling for contested attempts late in possessions.
Day Day Thomas (1-for-8) and Jizzle James (2-for-7) couldn’t find consistency, and Cincinnati finished with just eight assists on 17 made field goals. “It was a tough offensive night for us,” head coach Wes Miller said. “Four for 21 from three. The turnovers — 14 turnovers — that was very disappointing.”
(Photo: Arizona Athletics)
Arizona, meanwhile, steadily leaned on its interior size and efficiency. Krivas scored repeatedly in the paint, finishing 7-of-9 from the field, while Arizona consistently punished Cincinnati with second-chance opportunities. The Wildcats took a 33–27 lead into halftime despite modest three-point shooting, simply by owning the paint and the glass.
“We’re not happy with that,” Miller said of Arizona’s interior success. “They did a great job of scoring off the drive, the pick-and-roll, and the seal with the duck-in — got us for some really easy ones. The offensive rebounding got us for some easy ones.”
Second half swing
Cincinnati showed resilience coming out of the locker room. Miller scored on consecutive possessions, and a Celestine fast-break three cut the margin to 38–36 midway through the half. The Bearcats tied the game earlier and briefly looked poised to flip the momentum behind improved defensive effort and better ball movement.
Defensively, Cincinnati adjusted its coverage on Arizona guard Jaden Bradley, holding him to a quiet shooting night. Bradley finished just 2-of-10 from the field and missed his only three-point attempt.
But the margin for error was thin, and foul trouble quickly altered the game’s trajectory.
“You can go look at the first four minutes of the second half — it felt like it was just foul, foul, foul, foul,” Miller said. “We got our whole team in foul trouble, and that makes it difficult to play the way we have to play physically.”
Despite generating cleaner looks, Cincinnati couldn’t convert. The Bearcats hit just 2-of-14 from three after halftime and finished the night 4-of-21 (19.0%). “Sometimes there’s a lid on it,” Miller said. “There was a little bit of a lid on it tonight, even when we did get good shots.”
Arizona seized control with a decisive 11–0 run midway through the second half, fueled by second-chance points, transition layups and breakdowns in Cincinnati’s defensive execution. The Wildcats outscored Cincinnati 44–24 after halftime and dominated the paint 48–14 for the game.
Physical edge tells late
Two recurring issues ultimately sealed the outcome: turnovers and rebounding. Cincinnati committed 14 turnovers, many unforced, and Arizona converted them into 17 points. The Wildcats also won the rebounding battle 46–33, including an 18–11 edge on the offensive glass — a point of frustration for Miller.
“We pride ourselves on that, and to give up 18 offensive rebounds is very frustrating,” he said. “So again, not pleased overall. But it’s the Big 12, you’re on the road. We’ve got to regroup.”
Arizona closed the game on a 19–3 surge, stretching the final margin to 26 points and underscoring its physical dominance as Cincinnati ran out of answers. While Miller acknowledged Arizona’s execution, he emphasized internal accountability moving forward.
“It would be totally unfair to say that Arizona’s defense isn’t good — their defense is very good,” he said. “But from our standpoint, we’re focused on us.”
Cincinnati now turns its attention to the rest of the road swing, with little margin for error in league play. “Every game in this league matters,” Miller said. “We’ll do the same thing for the game against Arizona State on Saturday.”
Key Takeaways:
Second-half efficiency gap:
Cincinnati managed just 8-of-31 shooting (25.8%) after halftime, including 2-of-14 from three, while Arizona went 16-of-33 (48.5%) and consistently converted around the rim. The Wildcats scored 44 second-half points to Cincinnati’s 24, turning a tight game into a runaway.
Paint and glass dominance:
Arizona’s physical edge showed clearly in the numbers, outrebounding Cincinnati 27–16 in the second half and holding a 10–6 advantage on the offensive glass. That translated into a 28–10 edge in points in the paint and a 13–4 margin in second-chance points after halftime.
Arizona’s balance held firm:
Even with Jaden Bradley limited to eight points on 2-of-10 shooting, Arizona’s depth carried the load. Motiejus Krivas was perfect from the field in the second half (3-for-3), while Koa Peat and Ivan Kharchenkov combined for 14 points, keeping constant pressure on Cincinnati’s interior defense.
Cincinnati’s guards couldn’t spark a run:
Day Day Thomas and Jizzle James combined for just four points on 2-of-6 shooting in the second half, and Cincinnati finished the game with only three assists after the break — a sign of how difficult sustained offense became.
Final thoughts
Cincinnati’s inability to sustain momentum ultimately came down to execution and physicality. The Bearcats briefly put themselves in position to contend early in the second half, but missed perimeter looks, rebounding lapses and foul trouble erased any margin for error. Arizona capitalized with poise, depth and efficiency, leading for more than 36 minutes and closing the game with authority.
For Cincinnati, the loss underscores the thin line between competing and falling behind in Big 12 play. The Bearcats will need sharper shot selection, stronger defensive rebounding and more consistent guard play to avoid similar outcomes moving forward — especially with little time to regroup before Saturday’s matchup at Arizona State.
Postgame Video: Wes Miller
Game Highlights: