Recap: Cincinnati 67 Baylor 57
Cincinnati responded in a positive way Wednesday night after a rough two-game road swing in Arizona. The Bearcats set the tone from the opening tip and never let Baylor gain momentum, delivering a poised, wire-to-wire performance in a 67–57 victory.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / BearcatSportsHub)
Playing without Sencire Harris and Shon Abaev, the Bearcats opened with early energy on both ends of the floor, timely three-point shooting, and steady production in the paint, allowing the Bearcats to build a first-half cushion and methodically expand it after the break. Baylor made several attempts to claw back into the game, but Cincinnati consistently answered each push, maintaining control throughout to improve to 11–10 overall and 3–5 in Big 12 play.
After the game, Wes Miller emphasized how important the response was following Saturday’s loss at Arizona State:
“I felt pretty good about the direction we've been going here the last three weeks or so and some of the things we've been doing in practice and in games. I did not feel good about Saturday night at Arizona State," Miller explained. "That wasn’t characteristic of who we've been and how we've been approaching it. So I thought bouncing back tonight, I was really, really pleased with our guys."
Miller also noted how his team handled an extended and frustrating road trip that preceded the win
“These guys handled it like professionals. Nobody pouted. We were hurt about how we played Saturday night — not just me, our team. We met in the hotel and they weren’t pleased. Then to find out you can’t get back home and you’re stuck out there longer — they handled it like professionals."
Miller continued.
"We actually got a practice in Monday morning before we flew back. It was a less-than-ideal scenario, but I’m really proud of how this group handled it. This group’s been so resilient. The togetherness has been there, the want has been there. We haven’t gotten every result we’ve wanted, but if people really knew the ins and outs of how these guys go about it, they’d be very proud of how they represent Cincinnati.”
Game Recap:
The Bearcats set the tone immediately, winning the tip and getting on the board with a fast break Thomas to Miller alley-oop dunk just :04 seconds into the game. After Baylor tied the game at 2–2 in the opening minute, a jumper from Moustapha Thiam and three-pointer from Jizzle James pushed Cincinnati out to a 7–2 edge less than three minutes in.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / BearcatSportsHub)
James knocked down another three at the 14:31 mark, and Keyshuan Tillery added a jumper and a three on consecutive possessions to stretch the lead to double digits at 15–5 with 12:17 left. Baylor answered with a burst of perimeter shooting from Obi Agbim, who hit three triples in the half, including back-to-back threes that pulled the Bears even at 15–15 with 8:27 remaining.
The tie was short-lived. Miller answered immediately with a dunk, and Day Day Thomas buried a three to swing momentum back to Cincinnati. The Bearcats closed the half strong, getting points from Miller, Jizzle James, and Jalen Celestine in the final four minutes. Miller capped the opening period by converting two free throws in the final minute, sending Cincinnati into the locker room with a 35–28 lead.
Baylor struck first after halftime, trimming the margin to five, but Cincinnati quickly reasserted control. James drilled another three at 18:37, and Thiam followed with consecutive baskets to push the lead to 42–30. Baylor tried to stay within striking distance behind scoring from Yessoufou and former Bearcat, Dan Skillings Jr., but every small run was met with a Cincinnati answer.
Skillings’ presence on the opposite sideline was emotional for Miller.
“It’ll never sit right with me that Dan Skillings and Josh Reed didn’t finish their careers here. They were here for three years, they loved being here, and they were such important parts of our program. I don’t blame them at all — I blame all the dumb crap we’ve done in college basketball. That’s on the adults," Miller said. "I love both of them. I don’t want to see Dan in a Baylor jersey playing against us because I care about him, but other than tonight I’m pulling for him. I follow his games, I follow Josh’s games. I want them to be successful unless they’re playing against the Bearcats.”
Midway through the half, the Bearcats delivered the decisive stretch. A James three at the 14:28 mark made it 50–37, and Thiam continued to dominate the paint, scoring repeatedly on jumpers and adding a free throw to keep the lead comfortably in double figures. Miller added a dunk at 9:36, and James buried yet another three at 8:02 as Cincinnati capped off a five-point possession to extend the lead to 61–46 following a technical foul on Baylor Head Coach Scott Drew.
Cincinnati’s lead peaked at 18 points (64–46) after a Thiam free throw with 6:36 remaining. Baylor continued to compete, getting late buckets and free throws from Yessoufou and Carr, but the outcome was never in doubt despite the Bearcats scoring just three more points over the final 6:35.
Key Takeaways:
Baba Miller was the best player on the floor.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
It was an all-around, tone-setting performance from Miller, who finished with 18 points and 17 rebounds. He controlled the glass on both ends, got to the free-throw line (6–6), and consistently bailed Cincinnati out when the offense stalled. His activity and physicality were a major reason Baylor never seriously threatened in the second half.
For Miller, the rebounding was the most important aspect of his performance.
"Rebounding, especially offensively, is a conscious decision and effort. I’m just trying to help my team win.”
Elite defensive execution, especially on Cameron Carr.
The Bearcats’ defensive game plan was crystal clear and brilliantly executed. Cameron Carr, who entered Wednesday averaging 20.4 points per game, was held to just 4 points on 1-for-11 shooting with four turnovers.
“He was a big part of our preparation. He’s impressive running off screens and in transition," Miller said. "I thought the zone helped us cover the three-point line. He got a couple good looks he missed, but I thought we covered him well. He’s a really special player in our league, so you’re pleased with the job we did.”
Cincinnati stayed disciplined, contested everything, and forced Baylor into tough shots all night, holding the Bears to 35.4% shooting overall. UC was able to turn ten Baylor turnovers into a 13-7 advantage.
Three-point shooting carried the offense early.
Cincinnati built and maintained control largely thanks to timely perimeter shooting, led by Jizzle James, who poured in 17 points while going 5-for-6 from three. That shooting punch helped open up driving lanes and sparked the 18-point second-half lead.
“He’s really improved his shot. Early on it was obvious, and while he hasn’t shot it as well recently, tonight doesn’t surprise me," Miller said of James. "His work ethic is admirable. He’s back to working on his game, and I think he’ll continue to shoot it better and better."
Dan Skillings Jr.’s return
In his first game against Cincinnati, Skillings finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 5-for-12 shooting, and 0-for-2 from three in 35 minutes. While not an efficient scoring night, his physicality and activity stood out.
Miller’s emotions about seeing Skillings in another uniform were clear, while still praising his character:
“I think it says more about Dan and Josh that they stayed here three years during all this chaos than that they didn’t finish. That old way of building with guys and seeing them become seniors — that matters. I don’t blame them. I pull for them. I just don’t want to play against them.”
Interior scoring and physicality
The Bearcats lost the paint battle 34–24, but were able to lean on Miller and Thiam (14 points) to score just enough to draw fouls early and punish Baylor inside. Cincinnati also converted at the free-throw line (11-for-14), a quiet but important edge against a Baylor team that has a short bench.
“Just working on it, being in the gym, trusting myself," Thiam explained. "When the right time comes and my team finds me, I just let it go.”
Offensive consistency remains a concern.
Despite the double-digit win, the offense was far from smooth. Cincinnati shot just 38.7% from the field and endured multiple scoring droughts, including a stretch of 0-for-8 to close the game.
"We’ve been working really hard on closing games — talking about it in practice, film, and timeouts," Miller said. "We’ve got some good examples now: Colorado, Iowa State, tonight against Baylor. We’re continuing to improve.”
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / BearcatSportsHub)
Rebounding battle
While Miller dominated individually, Baylor won the rebounding battle 42–38, including 11 offensive boards. That’s an area Cincinnati will want to clean up, especially considering it directly impacted the two most recent losses to Arizona and Arizona State.
Final Thoughts:
This was exactly the type of response Cincinnati needed after the Arizona road swing. Short-handed and coming off two underwhelming performances in losses, the Bearcats played with purpose, discipline, and edge from the opening tip, delivering one of their most complete defensive performances of the season. Baba Miller’s dominance on the glass and Jizzle James’ timely shooting provided the backbone, but the real story was Cincinnati’s collective commitment to guarding, rebounding with physicality, and answering every Baylor run before it could turn into real momentum.
There are still clear areas to clean up — offensive droughts, finishing possessions on the defensive glass, and putting teams away earlier — but this win was another example of what Cincinnati can look like when its identity is sharp. Miller called it a “character win,” and it showed. Cincinnati never trailed, never panicked, and consistently answered every Baylor run. The Bearcats controlled the game for nearly all 40 minutes and imposed their will on a Baylor team that entered with a lot of offensive confidence and firepower. If this performance becomes the standard rather than the exception, Cincinnati’s climb in Big 12 play is far from over.
Postgame video: Wes Miller, Moustapha Thiam, Baba Miller