Recap: Cincinnati 90 BYU 68
The Cincinnati Bearcats celebrated Senior Night in style Tuesday, overwhelming the BYU Cougars 90-68 inside Fifth Third Arena. In front of a sellout crowd, Cincinnati delivered another complete performance offensively, while also forcing 15 turnovers and converting them into 21 points on the defensive end.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
With the win, Cincinnati improved to 17-13 overall and 9-8 in Big 12 play, moving into a tie for seventh place entering the regular-season finale.
Afterward, head coach Wes Miller made it clear how much the night meant to him and his seniors.
“ I'll start by saying I appreciate everybody that made that a special environment tonight,” Miller said. “The crowd gave us a huge lift tonight. Like the energy in the building was significant and I appreciate that because I think they came out for Day Day Thomas and he's what college athletics is all about."
Miller spoke about Thomas' other opportunities, but how his loyalty to Cincinnati always came through in the end.
"He could have left here. He could have looked for the more money or the next thing and he just wanted to be at Cincinnati and be a part of this transition into the Big 12. I really appreciate how people came out to celebrate him tonight and our seniors. That meant the world to me. I felt more pressure to coach tonight than I've can remember ever feeling because I wanted us to win for him so badly. I told the guys I had to calm down a little bit. I wanted it too bad type of thing. I thought the energy in the building was just awesome and significant and I'm glad that we got that win for our seniors and and obviously for Day.”
Game Recap
BYU struck first and the Cougars briefly held a 6-3 edge at the 17:30 mark — their largest lead of the night. That advantage evaporated quickly.
A three-pointer from Jalen Celestine ignited a 12-0 Cincinnati surge that flipped a three-point deficit into a 15-6 lead. Baba Miller powered the run with a dunk, a paint jumper and a free throw, while Jizzle James pushed the tempo for easy buckets.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
Cincinnati’s defensive pressure began to suffocate BYU. The Bearcats jumped passing lanes, turned live-ball turnovers into transition opportunities and dominated the paint. Celestine knocked down three first-half triples, and James added a deep ball of his own as the lead ballooned to 14 midway through the period.
At halftime, Cincinnati led 43-31 while shooting 50 percent and forcing double-digit turnovers. Miller credited the defensive tone.
“Our defensive intensity was significant tonight, especially to start the game,” he said. “Our defensive energy was significant. We chart deflections and our goal is 15 in a half. We had 21 at halftime. I thought our defense led to offense.”
On the other sideline, BYU head coach Kevin Young pointed to those early mistakes as decisive.
“Dug ourselves in a hole to start the game with just bad offense,” Young said. “They had 13 points off of turnovers in the first half and that continued into the second. It was a 21-4 deficit in points off turnovers — tough to win. Just careless with the ball. They’re a team that does a good job with their hands and they’re very physical and so forth, and we took the bait. Thought that got us into a bit of a hole.”
BYU opened the second half with a quick 5-0 burst to cut the lead to seven, its closest margin since early in the first half. Cincinnati responded immediately.Day Day Thomas buried a three-pointer, then converted a pair of free throws to steady the game. Miller and James attacked the rim, and Moustapha Thiam delivered emphatic dunks to reestablish a double-digit cushion.
Midway through the half, Cincinnati broke it open for good with a 12-0 run, stretching the margin to 20 points. The lead eventually swelled to 24 at 85-61 with just over two minutes remaining.
Even as projected 2026 NBA top-three draft pick AJ Dybantsa continued to score, Cincinnati’s defensive plan made him work for everything.
“This is how good he is. You're sitting here talking about a good job we did and he got 23 and six rebounds. That's a great player,” Miller said. “We wanted to keep him off the foul line and we didn't do a great job of that in the second half, but that's something we talked about a lot. We wanted to make sure everything went over the top of us. I thought not just Jalen (Celestine), but our team did a nice job of making it a more difficult night for a good player.”
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
Dybantsa acknowledged the physicality.
“Not well — just turning the ball over,” he said of handling the defensive attention. “Careless passes, not being strong with the ball. They were just being physical. I felt like I was getting to my spots. I think I did settle for tough mid-range shots at times. I could have gone all the way to the rim and challenged shot blockers. For the most part, it was good looks, but just trying to be more physical with the ball and stop the stupid turnovers.”
Young echoed that sentiment.
“Well, they just took the ball from us. I mean, that’s really the bottom line,” he said. “So we’ve got to do a better job with our decision-making. That’s been an area that we’ve struggled in. Rob and AJ have the ball a lot — they had nine turnovers between them — and that’s got to improve.”
Key Takeaways
1. Ball Pressure Dictated the Game
Cincinnati forced 15 turnovers and turned them into 21 points, finishing with 10 steals and six blocks.
“They’re a team that does a good job with their hands and they’re very physical,” Young said. “We took the bait.”
2. Efficient, Balanced Offense
Five Bearcats scored in double figures:
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Jalen Celestine: 18 points (7-9 FG, 4-6 3FG)
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Jizzle James: 18 points (6-10 FG, 3-7 3FG)
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Baba Miller: 15 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists (12th double-double)
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Moustapha Thiam: 16 points, 9 rebounds
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Day Day Thomas: 12 points, 6 assists, 5-5 FT
(Photo: Taylor Keeton/BearcatSportsHub)
Miller highlighted the evolution of his frontcourt.
“I think Baba’s had just such a terrific year to date,” he said. “He's never had a consistent year like this in college, but I think he started the year off with effort stuff — running the floor, defensive intensity, and rebounding on offense and defense. And then as the year’s progressed, he's maintained that, but he's become a playmaker. And I think that's made us very different offensively… So the evolution of the front court with those two throughout the year has been significant for our offensive success and it's made it easier on these guys.”
Dybantsa was equally complimentary.
“He’s tough. A senior who can do it all — kind of like a triple-double kind of guy,” he said of Miller. “I remember him at Florida State. Unique skill set. I think he can do well at the next level, too.”
Young also praised Cincinnati’s balance.
“You’ve got to give Wes tons of credit,” he said. “He’s a competitive guy. He’s a good coach and he’s done a good job of finding a rhythm with this particular group that he’s playing with right now… I think Baba is very impressive. I’ve been in the NBA a long time, and that’s what guys in that league look like because of the size and skill set… Wes deserves a ton of credit. He’s done a fantastic job turning the season around here, and they showed it tonight for sure.”
3. Senior Leadership Shines
For Day Day Thomas, the night was emotional.
“Really this night, just all the fans showing love tonight,” Thomas said. “Just playing my last home game here with one of the best coaches and you know just me and Jizzle got here at the same time. So just playing my last home game with y'all just kind of got me emotional happy.”
On their bond, Miller added with a smile:
“It goes back to Wingstop, Kilgore, Texas. We finally got this guy to learn how to be on time. That was a process. The only thing he ever didn't do well was show up on time. Couldn't figure that out. But yeah, we go back. It's been special and it ain't over yet though.”
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
4. NCAA Tournament Outlook
Cincinnati’s late-season surge has sparked tournament discussion, but Miller isn’t entertaining it publicly.
“The only thing that we're doing is trying to win the next day,” he said. “And I do believe in my heart when it's all said and done, we'll play in the NCAA tournament. But we're not putting pressure on ourselves that we have to win this game or not. We're just trying to win the next day.”
Young believes the Bearcats have the profile.
“Could they? Yeah, for sure. Will they? I don’t know,” he said. “But just in terms of talent and the way they’re playing… yeah, they’re very deserving to be in the tournament because they’re playing good basketball right now and they have a lot of talent.”
Final Thoughts
Tuesday night wasn’t just about the final score — it was about validation. Validation of growth. Validation of resilience. Validation that this version of the Cincinnati Bearcats is peaking at the right time.
From the opening 12-0 run to the emphatic dunks that put the game out of reach, Cincinnati dictated terms. The ball pressure was suffocating. The offensive rhythm was fluid. The response to every BYU push was immediate. Against a talented opponent, including one of the nation’s premier young prospects, the Bearcats never wavered from their identity.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / BearcatSportsHub)
What stood out most was the maturity. When BYU cut the deficit to seven early in the second half, there was no panic — only poise. Day Day Thomas settled things. Baba Miller controlled the glass and facilitated. Jizzle James pushed pace with purpose. It was a veteran group playing with urgency but also composure.
And maybe that’s the biggest takeaway.
This team looks connected. It looks confident. It looks like a group that understands exactly how it needs to play to win in the Big 12 Conference — with physicality, depth, and defensive edge.
Whether March brings certainty or suspense, Cincinnati has given itself a chance. More importantly, it has found a formula. If that formula holds, Senior Night won’t just be remembered for the emotion — it may be remembered as the moment this team fully realized what it can be.