Recap: Cincinnati 74 Dayton 62
Cincinnati didn’t play its cleanest basketball on Monday night but still found a way to grind out a 74-62 win over the Dayton Flyers.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
The Bearcats turned it over 24 times, missed 14 free throws, and went stretches where their offense ground to a halt. Still, when the final horn sounded, the Bearcats walked off the floor with a win because of their toughness and resilience on the defensive end of the floor.
“I told the guys in the locker room, this’ll go in the book one day — turn it over 24 times and win,” Miller said postgame, shaking his head with a grin. “Those are the best wins. When you can’t make a shot, can’t throw it in the ocean, and you still find a way — that’s character. That’s the part I’m most proud of.”
Cincinnati’s character showed up in the numbers. Despite the turnovers, the Bearcats shot an efficient 47% (21-for-45) from the field, including 47% from three (9-for-19). Their defense held Dayton to 32% shooting and a dismal 2-of-26 from beyond the arc, completely taking the Flyers out of rhythm.
Day Day Thomas led the way with 20 points, going 12-for-12 from the free throw line while knocking down a pair of triples. The senior guard also anchored the defense, spending much of the night guarding Dayton’s lead guard Javon Bennett, who finished just 3-for-15 from the floor.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
“I don’t have words for Day’s value,” Miller said. “He’s the heart and soul of our group. That was one of his best defensive games since I’ve been here. He set the tone. When your best players buy into guarding, that’s leadership.”
“I just wanted to take the challenge tonight,” Thomas said. “That’s one of their top scorers [Bennett], so I wanted to lock in on defense. My teammates trusted me, and I just tried to be aggressive on both ends.”
Kriisa, who hit two timely threes to steady the offense, praised Thomas’s mentality.
“Two hours before shootaround, I saw him in the gym drenched in sweat,” Kriisa said. “I told him, ‘You’re going for 30 tonight,’ and he said, ‘No, I’ve got to lock Bennett down.’ That says everything about him. Nobody here is thinking about themselves — we just want to win.”
Thomas got plenty of help. Shon Abaev added 14 points on a 4-of-5 shooting night, including two threes and four made free throws. Kerr Kriisa efficiently ran the point, totaling 9 points and 8 assists despite committing five turnovers, while Baba Miller contributed 8 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks — eight of those boards coming on the defensive glass.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
“Baba didn’t score until late, but he kept impacting the game,” Miller said. “He had a great impact defensively and on the boards. And that’s what maturity looks like — he stayed with it.”
Cincinnati dominated the interior, outrebounding Dayton 43–33, including 37 defensive rebounds that limited second chances. The Flyers benefited from Cincinnati's 24 turnovers, converting the UC miscues into 25 points.
After building a 27–11 first-half lead, the Bearcats let Dayton creep back into it before halftime. A technical foul on Baba Miller that sent Dayton to the line helped the Flyers trim the deficit to 33-26 at the break.
“We played a really nice first half but kind of let them back into it,” Miller said. “That technical hurt us — not just the points, but Baba went from one to three fouls quick, and that changed things. But I thought we handled it. They cut it to five, we got it out of the net, advanced it, and scored right back. That’s what good teams do.”
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
Dayton was led by Amael L’Etang, who posted 14 points and 8 rebounds, and De"Shayne Montgomery, who added 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals. But the Flyers couldn’t overcome their poor outside shooting and Cincinnati’s size inside.
The Bearcats’ bench also provided key moments. Freshman Tyler McKinley gave Cincinnati a spark midway through the second half, with an offensive rebound and tip-in to extend the lead from two to four then an assist to Thomas for a momentum-shifting three that pushed the lead to nine points.
“It’s just so nice to have Tyler playing again,” Miller said. “You can see how special he’s going to be. He gave us great minutes tonight — effort, skill, and passing. That stretch was huge for us.”
Dayton never got closer than seven points following that stretch.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
Miller was quick to praise his defense for forcing the Flyers into uncomfortable looks.
“They’re an aggressive, downhill team,” he said. “We wanted to contain the ball, run them off the line, and make the right guys shoot. For the most part, we did that. I thought our switching and communication were better, and that’s something we can build on.”
While the 24 turnovers and 27 Dayton free throw attempts left plenty for the film room, Miller insisted that the win’s value went beyond numbers.
“Everybody talks about running fast until it gets wacky,” Miller said. “If we’re going to be the kind of running team I think we can be, we’ve got to play through some stuff. We’ve got a lot to clean up — defense, glass, half-court execution — but I’m not going to let anyone make it negative. We won the damn game. And that matters.”
The win moves Cincinnati to 3-0 and gives the Bearcats an early-season confidence boost over an opponent Miller considers “a power program.”
“I’ve got so much respect for Anthony [Grant] and Dayton,” Miller said. “I don’t think of them as an Atlantic 10 team — that’s a power-four program. So to find a way to win against a big-time team at home, even when we didn’t play our best basketball — that’s something to be proud of.”
First Half Recap:
On Cincinnati’s first trip down the floor, Shon Abaev buried a corner three to make it 3–0. After Dayton’s Jacob Conner answered with a fast-break dunk, Kerr Kriisa responded with a deep triple, and the Bearcats never looked back.
Cincinnati’s energy off the bench blew the game open midway through the half. Four Sencire Harris free throws, a Jalen Celestine three, and Tyler McKinley dunk sparked a 9-0 Bearcat run that pushed the lead to 17–4.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
Dayton’s DaRon Montgomery and Amael L’Etang tried to chip away inside, but Cincinnati’s defense held the Flyers to just two field goals over a seven-minute stretch. A Thomas three-pointer moments later helped spark an 8-2 run, giving UC its largest lead of the game at 16 points (27–11) with 8:56 left in the half.
Dayton used a 10-2 run over the final five minutes to cut the Bearcats' lead to six but a Sencire Harris free throw with 11 seconds left sent the Bearcats to halftime up 33–26.
Second Half Recap:
The Flyers opened the second half strong. L’Etang hit two quick free throws and later buried a rare Dayton three to pull within 36–31 at the 16:29 mark. But each time Dayton threatened, Cincinnati’s guards answered.
Both times Dayton cut the lead to 5 or less points, Day Day Thomas found a way to get to the free throw line, calmly knocking down six-of-six free throw attempts.
Dayton made a push midway through the second half with Montgomery scoring five straight— cutting the deficit to just 48–46 with 9:32 remaining.
But Cincinnati had a response. Tyler McKinley calmly hit a jumper to stop the bleeding, and on the next trip, Baba Miller scored in transition. Moments later, Thomas splashed a corner three to cap a 9–0 Cincinnati run and restore a 55–46 cushion.
“That’s what I love about this team,” said Kerr Kriisa. “We turned it over too much, but nobody put their head down. Everybody just made the next play.”
Final Stretch:
From there, the Bearcats took control. Miller added a pair of dunks and a layup down the stretch, and Abaev threw down a one-handed slam to push the lead to 63–51 with 4:50 left.
Dayton’s Jordan Derkack and Montgomery combined for a few late buckets, but Cincinnati never let the margin shrink below 10. Thomas closed the game at the line — sealing the 74–62 final.
Final Thoughts:
The Bearcats were sloppy with the ball, inconsistent in the half court, and far from their offensive ceiling. Yet, they won by double digits against a well-coached, veteran Flyers team because they rebounded, defended, and refused to fold. That’s the identity Wes Miller wants to see take root. Day Day Thomas embodied that mindset, controlling the game on both ends and willing his team through adversity. Baba Miller’s work on the glass, Kerr Kriisa’s playmaking, and the spark from Shon Abaev and Tyler McKinley all showed Cincinnati’s depth and balance. There’s plenty to fix — 24 turnovers won’t cut it in Big 12 play — but as Miller said, “the trait to find a way to win a game matters more than any detail or problem that happened during the game.”
If the Bearcats can bottle up that toughness and grow from their mistakes, this gritty November victory could serve as a building block for something much bigger down the road.
Game Highlights:
Postgame Video: Miller, Thomas, Kriisa