Recap: Cincinnati 91 Oklahoma State 68
The Cincinnati Bearcats responded to Tuesday's loss at Texas Tech with a dominant performance Saturday afternoon, rolling past the Oklahoma State Cowboys 91-68. With the win, Cincinnati improves to 16-13 overall and 8-8 in Big 12 play, positioning itself with momentum heading into the final two regular-season games.
Game Recap
Cincinnati wasted no time setting the tone. After Oklahoma State briefly grabbed a 2-1 lead just 18 seconds into the game — its only lead of the afternoon — the Bearcats seized control for good.
Day Day Thomas jumpstarted the early surge with a three-pointer at the 18:34 mark to give Cincinnati a 6-2 advantage. Moments later, Moustapha Thiam drilled a three of his own, and Thomas continued attacking in transition as the Bearcats pushed the margin to eight.
Midway through the first half, Cincinnati’s perimeter shooting ignited. Back-to-back triples from Jizzle James stretched the lead to 26-14, and Thiam’s steady presence inside helped extend the margin to 14 with just over 10 minutes remaining.
The Bearcats’ defensive pressure fueled offense throughout the half. After Oklahoma State cut the deficit to 30-19 at the free-throw line, Cincinnati responded with a 10-3 push highlighted by free throws from Thomas and a dunk from Thiam. By the 4:00 mark, a three-pointer from Jalen Celestine pushed the lead to 43-25.
Though the Cowboys briefly trimmed the margin to 13 late in the half, Cincinnati closed strong. A pair of interior finishes by Baba Miller and a thunderous dunk from Thiam in the closing seconds sent the Bearcats into halftime with a commanding 51-33 lead.
The second half followed a similar script.
James opened the period with a fastbreak three to stretch the lead to 21. Thomas then caught fire from deep, knocking down three second-half triples — including back-to-back daggers around the 15-minute mark — to push the advantage to 28.
Cincinnati’s largest lead came at the 8:22 mark of the second half when Thomas buried another three-pointer to make it 81-49, a 32-point cushion. From there, the Bearcats maintained control, mixing inside finishes from Thiam and Miller with balanced ball movement.
Oklahoma State never mounted a serious threat. Though Vyctorius Miller scored 15 to lead the Cowboys and Jordan Curry went a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line, Cincinnati’s offensive balance and rebounding dominance kept the outcome firmly in hand.
A fastbreak dunk by Shon Abaev with 1:49 remaining capped Cincinnati’s final field goal, and the Bearcats closed out the 23-point victory without drama.
Key Takeaways
Day Day Thomas’ perimeter explosion
Thomas led all scorers with 26 points, shooting an efficient 7-of-12 from the field and an impressive 7-of-11 from three-point range. His shot-making in both halves halted every Oklahoma State attempt to chip away at the lead. When the Cowboys showed signs of life, Thomas answered.
Thiam’s dominance inside
Thiam was a force in the paint, finishing with 24 points and 15 rebounds for a commanding double-double. He shot 10-of-18 from the field and controlled the glass on both ends. His activity helped Cincinnati secure a 43-32 rebounding advantage and a decisive 24-7 edge in second-chance points.
Ball movement and efficiency
The Bearcats assisted on 24 of 33 made field goals and committed just eight turnovers. Baba Miller stuffed the stat sheet with 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, showcasing the unselfishness that fueled the offense.
Cincinnati shot 47 percent from the floor and 41 percent from beyond the arc (14-of-34), overwhelming an Oklahoma State defense that allowed the Bearcats to lead for 39:24 of game time.
Defensive control and composure
While Oklahoma State made 17-of-20 from the free-throw line, the Cowboys managed 40.7 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three. Cincinnati also limited transition points and never allowed a sustained run.
Winning the hustle categories
Cincinnati dominated the offensive glass (14 offensive rebounds) and turned 14 Oklahoma State turnovers into 16 points. The Bearcats also took care of the ball, finishing with just eight turnovers.
Final Thoughts
Saturday’s performance was exactly what Cincinnati needed at this stage of the season — balanced scoring, dominant rebounding, disciplined defense and hot perimeter shooting. With two games remaining in the regular season, the Bearcats appear to be finding rhythm at the right time, having won five of their previous six, including three 20-point wins and a 16-point victory at Kansas.
If Thomas continues shooting at this level and Thiam maintains his interior presence, Cincinnati will be a difficult matchup down the stretch of Big 12 play.
Next up is AJ Dybantsa and BYU on Tuesday night for senior night to close the season at Fifth Third Arena before traveling to TCU for the regular season finale.