Recap: Cincinnati 88 Alabama State 51
Cincinnati delivered the exact response it was searching for Wednesday night, cruising to an 88–51 victory over Alabama State behind a dominant first half and a career night from Baba Miller.
( Photo: Taylor Keeton/Bearcatsportshub )
The Bearcats seized control from the opening tip, scoring 50 first-half points while holding Alabama State to 25, setting the tone for a wire-to-wire performance that head coach Wes Miller said reflected a step forward for his team.
“We talked to the guys about taking a step as a team tonight,” Miller said. “I liked the way we approached it. I thought the guys prepared the right way.”
Fast Start and Interior Control
Cincinnati attacked early and often, repeatedly getting the ball inside and converting high-percentage looks. The Bearcats finished 49% from the field, converting 22-of-24 attempts on layups and dunks. At the other end of the court, Alabama State shot just 29.0% for the game and 28.2% in the second half, as the Hornets struggled to generate consistent offense against Cincinnati’s physical defense.
Despite Miller’s respect for an Alabama State team that had previously beaten UAB and nearly upset New Mexico on the road, the Bearcats’ execution made the game look lopsided.
“They’re a really good team,” Miller said. “I thought we played well enough that it didn’t appear that way at times. We were able to take them out of things.”
Baba Miller’s Career Night
At the center of it all was Baba Miller, who turned in his most efficient and impactful performances to date as a Bearcat. Miller finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds, shooting an astonishing 11-for-12 from the field while anchoring the defense.
( Photo: Taylor Keeton/Bearcatsportshub )
“When he’s playing with the right intention and right mentality, he’s pretty special,” Miller said. “He strung together 26 minutes of playing the right way tonight.”
Many of Miller’s points came in transition and off easy looks around the rim, the result of smart positioning and teammates making the extra pass.
“I got a lot of easy ones because my teammates made the right play,” Miller said. “I was in the right position at the right time.”
His presence fueled Cincinnati’s 44 points in the paint, more than doubling Alabama State’s output, and helped the Bearcats win the rebounding battle 45–40, an area Miller acknowledged still has room for improvement.
Ball Movement and Balance Shine
Cincinnati’s offense flowed all night, finishing with 25 assists on 33 made field goals, something Wes Miller pointed to as a key indicator of growth.
“That tells you the game is more than one person,” he said. “When you see 25 assists, that’s always a good thing.”
( Photo: Taylor Keeton/Bearcatsportshub )
Kerr Kriisa directed traffic with 7 assists, while Shon Abaev contributed 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, impacting the game even on a night when his perimeter shot didn’t fall (1-for-7).
“If my shots aren’t falling, I’m going to get to the basket,” Abaev said. “I’m not a one-level player.”
Abaev has struggled to find consistency with his shot both outside the arc and at the free throw line. Despite those struggles, he has continued to find ways to positively impact a game.
“He’s going to shoot the ball well. You can take that to the bank. He works at it like crazy and we have a lot of confidence in him," Wes Miller explained.
"His decision-making and playmaking is probably the most untapped part of his game. That’s world class when he does it consistently. He’s got to find the balance between scoring, shooting, and playmaking, but I think he can do it as good as anybody in the country as he matures."
Jizzle James Returns with an Impact
Off the bench, Jizzle James made a memorable return, scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-5 from three, and capping Cincinnati’s 38-point lead with a late three-pointer.
( Photo: Taylor Keeton/Bearcatsportshub )
James’ presence resonated far beyond the stat sheet.
“I’m more proud of him for other stuff than basketball,” Miller said. “But it was great for our team to see him out there.”
"He’s worked really hard to even be in the position that he could come back here. He made amends with the guys and worked out in the facility. We added him to the roster weeks ago so he could practice. He’s been practicing for a couple weeks now."
Baba Miller echoed what his head coach had to say about James' return.
“It was great. Feels like he didn’t miss a beat. He helped us offensively and defensively. Having another experienced player out there is really good for our team. We’re happy to have him back.”
Defense Sets the Standard
Defensively, Cincinnati smothered Alabama State, holding the Hornets to 4-of-20 shooting from three, forcing 11 turnovers, and limiting them to just 7 assists. The Bearcats turned those miscues into 12 points off turnovers, added 17 fast-break points, and recorded 7 blocks and 6 steals.
Moustapha Thiam finished with four blocks to go along with nine points, nine rebounds.
( Photo: Taylor Keeton/Bearcatsportshub )
Micah Simpson led Alabama State with 13 points and 7 rebounds, but needed 21 shots to get there, emblematic of a night where quality looks were hard to come by.
"We value protecting the rim. That team tonight puts numbers up offensively, Miller said. "I thought we guarded their guards really well and did a good job protecting the rim, especially Baba, and with positional defense.”
The Hornets made just 1-of-13 from the field to close the game, contributing to Cincinnati maintaining a 30-plus point lead.
Moving Forward
Coming off recent frustrating losses to Xavier and Georgia, the performance served as both a confidence boost and a reminder of Cincinnati’s potential when details are sharp.
“We have competitive guys who care, and they’ve known they have the ability to be a very good team. There’s an expectation that they’re going to show up and try to get it right,” Miller said. “I thought they did that this week.”
With renewed energy, improved execution, and a reminder of how dangerous they can be when sharing the ball and defending with intent, Cincinnati now turns its attention toward its next challenge against Clemson, looking to build on a night that felt like a step in the right direction.
Game Highlights