Recap: Cincinnati 91 Kansas State 62
Coming off an emphatic 92-72 victory over UCF at Fifth Third Arena, Cincinnati faced a critical test of its growth away from home. Prior road trips had resulted in disappointing losses to Arizona, Arizona State and Houston, and entering Tuesday night the Bearcats were 0-9 outside their home floor with an average margin of defeat of 11.3 points. Presented with an opportunity to build momentum against a struggling Kansas State squad, Cincinnati responded with poise and purpose. The Bearcats surged to an early lead, maintained control throughout, and rode a team-high 24 points from Jizzle James to a convincing 91-62 road win over Jerome Tang’s Wildcats, showing signs of finding their rhythm at a pivotal point in the season.
(Photo: UC Athletics)
“You know, certainly pleased with our performance tonight and pleased with the way that we came out of the gates on both ends of the floor," head coach Wes Miller said following the game. "I thought we were really engaged defensively and then offensively we shot it. We’ve always felt like we had this great offensive roster that we put together. We’ve never felt like we’ve ever had it all together at any point. But seeing guys start the last couple games to all find their offensive rhythm at the same time, it’s been nice to see us become a better offensive team that we’ve always known we had. So, I’m pleased with that."
Miller also emphasized the magnitude of securing a conference win away from home.
“Road wins in the Big 12 are a big deal. I feel a lot of joy that our players get to feel that and get back on this plane. It feels a lot better. This plane ride will feel a lot better. So the locker room is obviously fun on nights like tonight.”
He added that the offensive cohesion has finally started to materialize over the last two games.
“Well, I think the last two games, it’s the first time we’ve just had everybody start to shoot the ball and play offensively in sync, where a bunch of guys are all kind of playing within a rhythm. It hadn’t happened all year and it’s happened the last two games and it’s been nice to see. I mean, we felt like we put together this special roster, and I think Kansas State would say the same thing too, but we’ve never really had it together with any real continuity. And still tonight, I mean, we look over and Jaylen Haynes and Moustapha (Thiam) aren’t playing, and Kerr (Kriisa) is still dealing with the shoulder stuff, so we still haven’t had that. But it’s nice to see the ball go in with the guys that are out there playing the last couple games.”
Game Recap
The Bearcats set the tone just 19 seconds in on a Tyler McKinley basket and quickly stretched the lead behind hot perimeter shooting.
After Kansas State trimmed the margin to 5-3 early, Cincinnati responded with a barrage from deep. Jalen Celestine knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers, and Baba Miller followed with a triple of his own to ignite a 12-2 surge that pushed the advantage to double digits.
Midway through the first half, the game turned decisively. Clinging to a 22-11 lead, UC erupted on a 10-0 run capped by a Celestine jumper that made it 32-11 with 10:37 remaining. The Bearcats’ defense forced tough shots while the offense flowed through Jizzle James, who scored at all three levels. Cincinnati shot 57 percent from the field in the opening half and went 9-of-14 from beyond the arc, taking a commanding 53-31 lead into the locker room — its highest-scoring first half of the season.
Kansas State opened the second half with back-to-back baskets to cut the deficit to 18, but Cincinnati quickly slammed the door. James drilled a 3-pointer, threw down a fast-break dunk, and assisted in a 12-2 burst that extended the lead to 65-37. From there, it was all Bearcats. Another James triple made it 73-48, and consecutive threes later in the half ballooned the margin to 29.
“No, I just got in a rhythm and I just kept trusting in my work and I’m glad they was able to go down,” James said of his shooting performance. “It’s something I’ve just been working on consistently and it was just good to see a night like this.”
UC’s largest lead reached 32 points at 91-59 following a late triple from Jordi Rodriguez. The Bearcats finished 16-of-28 (57.1 percent) from three-point range — a season high in makes — and assisted on 21 of 31 field goals in a dominant all-around effort.
James led the way with a season-high 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 6-of-8 from deep. Celestine poured in 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting (4-of-6 from three). Miller recorded his 11th double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds while adding six assists in a stat-stuffing performance. Sencire Harris contributed 12 points, and Day Day Thomas added 10 points and a game-high seven assists.
Kansas State was paced by PJ Haggerty’s 24 points, but the Wildcats shot just 40.3 percent overall and 6-of-25 (24 percent) from three.
Cincinnati led for 39:26 of game time and did not allow a single tie or lead change.
Key Takeaways
Perimeter dominance defined the night
Cincinnati’s 16 made 3-pointers (57.1 percent) compared to Kansas State’s 6-of-25 (24 percent) was the biggest statistical separator. James (6-of-8), Celestine (4-of-6), Miller (2-of-2), Thomas (2-of-5) and Harris (1-of-4) all connected from deep. The Wildcats simply could not keep pace from the outside.
(Photo: UC Athletics)
Jizzle James’ offensive command
James’ season-high 24 points came efficiently (9-of-14 FG), and he added two assists with just one turnover in 32 minutes. He scored in transition, off the dribble and from beyond the arc, repeatedly halting any Kansas State momentum.
“Very, very proud of our players and especially of Jizzle,” Miller said. “He’s one of the great stories right now, I think, in college basketball. And I hope people start paying attention because it’s amazing what he went through this summer and fall and missing stuff, and he’s just kind of stayed with it. So, I’m just super proud of him.”
Celestine’s breakout performance
Celestine’s career-high 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting provided a major spark. His four made threes stretched the floor, and his early first-half shooting helped Cincinnati build separation quickly.
“Listen, I think for five months, Jalen Celestine — he got here in June — after one week he wasn’t able to participate, had back surgery,” Miller said. “So even when he was playing in November to start the year, he basically hadn’t practiced and he was very limited if he practiced at all. Over the last three, four weeks, he’s been able to consistently practice. He’s gotten healthier and you’re finally seeing — I think Cincinnati fans are finally seeing — what Jalen’s capable of. In fairness to him, he just never had the ability to put days together. So yeah, every time he shoots it, I think it’s going in. When I coached against him, I thought that about him. He’s a terrific shooter, but he’s more than that. I thought he did a great job getting to some loose balls tonight. His ball pursuit was so much better tonight. And I think the more he can keep improving those little things, I think the better we are with him on the floor.”
Baba Miller’s all-around impact
Miller secured his 11th double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds while dishing six assists. He shot 6-of-8 from the free-throw line and knocked down both of his 3-point attempts. His versatility was critical, especially with Thiam unavailable in the frontcourt.
Balanced, connected offense
The Bearcats assisted on 21 of 31 field goals and finished with five players in double figures. Thomas’ seven assists set the tone, and UC committed just 13 turnovers while forcing 16. Cincinnati also out-rebounded Kansas State 37-29 and held a 20-13 edge in second-chance points.
Miller credited his team’s steady mindset throughout an up-and-down season.
“I don’t know if anything that was said publicly has mattered at all to our players in the locker room,” he said. “They’ve been incredibly resilient all year. The record and some of the stuff that we’ve dealt with, win and loss, has been very difficult, but it’s been really rewarding to work with this group because it’s been the same approach all year. So the last couple games it’s looked better on the court, but their approach day in and day out has kind of been the same all year. They haven’t been any different the last couple days in practice than they were previously. They’ve been an excellent group to work with whether it’s been good or bad. So I’m very proud of that.”
Defensive consistency
While Haggerty scored 24, the Wildcats received limited offensive support. No other Kansas State player reached double figures, and the team shot just 40 percent overall. UC added five blocks and seven steals in a disciplined defensive effort.
Moustapha Thiam Update
Miller explained Thiam’s late absence following the game.
“He tweaked his ankle literally like — it might be the last possession. It was basically the last possession. We were trying to get one good defensive sequence to finish our last segment in practice and it was a non-contact play, just planted and kind of tweaked the ankle. So I don’t think we knew how it — I don’t think it’s serious or long term — but obviously we didn’t know if he’d be able to go tonight. He woke up this morning and just doesn’t feel comfortable. I trust him. I know how bad he wants to play. But I think the real story tonight is Tyler and Halvine and how they were able to lift up their games. I’m really proud of what they were able to do. I thought they both did that against West Virginia in the same circumstances for 25 minutes, but the foul trouble was so difficult. And tonight, I thought they took another step.”
Final Thoughts
Considering the circumstances — playing without starting center Moustapha Thiam and key guards Kerr Kriisa and Shon Abaev — this was one of Cincinnati’s most impressive performances of the season. The Bearcats controlled the game from start to finish, showcased elite perimeter shooting, shared the ball effectively and received standout efforts from James, Celestine and Miller.
“I think we just build on it, get our first one, and now we just look forward to our next game and just take it one game at a time and just keep believing in each other, keep believing in coach, and I think we’ll be all right,” James said of what the Big 12 road win means moving forward.
If Cincinnati continues to combine efficient three-point shooting with balanced scoring and strong rebounding, it will be a difficult matchup moving forward. Wednesday night in Manhattan was not just a win — it was a statement performance built on execution and confidence.
Postgame Video: Wes Miller, Jizzle James