Recap: Cincinnati 94 NJIT 67
Cincinnati returned to the floor Tuesday night with a purpose following Friday night's loss to Louisville, steamrolling NJIT 94–67.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
The Bearcats used a balanced offensive attack, aggressive defense, and a 52-point second half, consistently showcasing their depth and identity to overwhelm the Highlanders. After briefly trailing 9–8 early, UC took command with a decisive 13–0 run and never looked back. In a game that featured 24 assists, five Bearcats in double figures, and a bench that exploded for 46 points. the Bearcats were able to showcase the necessary consistency that lacked at times during their loss to Louisville.
First half Recap
Early on, NJIT hung tight behind sharpshooting from David Bolden (16 points), Ari Fulton (10), and Jeremy Clayville (8). The Highlanders briefly held a 9–8 lead at the 14:34 mark.
Cincinnati answered immediately.
Shon Abaev, coming off a cold shooting night Friday, buried multiple threes on the way to a game-high 20 points and 8 rebounds. Moustapha Thiam controlled the paint on his way to another double-double (15 points, 10 boards), and Jordi Rodriguez added a pair of threes as UC pushed the lead to 42–28 at halftime.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
Head coach Wes Miller emphasized afterward that the team’s selflessness stood out throughout the game.
“The thing that I like is we’re having high assist numbers… We’re sharing the ball and making some good decisions. I look down and there’s 24 assists — I like that tonight.”
Freshman Keyshuan Tillery has had an up and down start to his first season in red and black, but showed an energy and confidence that hadn't been showcased during the Bearcats' first five games.
"Keyshuan Tillery is so important to our team this year as we move forward and, you know, him getting out there and getting extended minutes and being able to play through some mistakes, I think that's really important because we're going to need him to be confident and ready to compete and ready to play," Miller said. "And I thought there were some really good moments for him tonight that he should gain some confidence from."
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
Tillery finished with 9 points on 4-of-10 shooting, also knocking down 1-of-3 attempts from deep. Despite being called for a technical foul for showing too much emotion after a defensive stop that forced a turnover, Miller was encouraged by the level of passion Tillery displayed during his expanded opportunity.
"That transition from high school to college is very significant, especially at this level. And the transition at that position is very significant. That's the hardest position to transition." Miller explained. "I think early here in the year if there’s opportunities for him to continue to build his confidence but also learn from mistakes that you kind of can't repeat, I think there's value in that. And that's an example of a moment — we talk about Bearcat basketball—what a great play he made to get the turnover and defending the ball, the energy, the edge. That's what we all love and want. But at the same time, it doesn't matter if we don't maintain our discipline. From a competitive standpoint, Keyshuan’s not a guy you’ve got to rev up. He's a Bearcat. "
Second Half Recap
Cincinnati came out in the second half looking much different than the team we saw to begin the game. Abaev scored seven straight points in the first two minutes, including a fast-break dunk, transition three, and nice assist to Thiam for a dunk, stretching the lead to 51-31. The Bearcats outscored NJIT 52–39 after the break, scoring 16 points off nine NJIT turnovers. For the game, Cincinnati forced 20 turnovers, leading to 33 points.
Miller praised his team’s response to his challenge at the under-eight media timeout:
“I really challenged them to just play Bearcat basketball… And I thought that group came out for the next couple minutes and did that. We’re still learning what that means, but there were moments tonight you could see it.”
Cincinnati reached its largest lead — 33 points — when Halvine Dzellat finished scored 1:24 left.
Dzellat has seen limited minutes over the past few games but finished with a career-high 11 points Monday night in 14 minutes, converting 4-of-5 attempts from the field and 3-of-4 free throw attempts.
As a team, Cincinnati finished 14-of-21 from the free throw line.
NJIT knocked down 12-of-31 attempts from deep to keep Cincinnati from making the final score worse.
Shon Abaev
After Friday’s struggles, Abaev returned with swagger and efficiency finishing 6-of-13 from the field, 4-of-11 from deep, while also knocking down all four free-throw attempts.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
Asked if he approached the game with more intent, the freshman kept it simple:.
“Friday night was Friday night. It was just time to focus on the next game… I just kept believing in myself and my team and it showed tonight.”
Abaev also addressed his career-high eight rebounds:
“The whole coaching staff has been on me a lot about that… Just being able to rebound and help our bigs is something they’ve pushed me on.”
One thing that has consistently been communicated from Miller and Abaev's teammates has been his consistent approach to the game with his work ethic. Following Cincinnati's loss to BYU in football on Saturday, Abaev was spotted in Fifth Third Arena working out and getting shots up.
“Yeah, I work out multiple times a day… I love being in the gym. It’s how I became who I am today," Abaev said.
"I was glad the ball went in for him. He's had a couple games where he just hadn't shot it well," Wes Miller added. "You could see him find his rhythm tonight. I think us trying to find the right shot quality for him is really important. You know, we can't take away who he is and what makes him special. And he can go make a tough shot and that's going to be needed in the big games."
Buck Harris- Another Two-Way Performance
Senior guard Sencire “Buck” Harris delivered another strong two-way performance with 12 points, 5 assists, and relentless on-ball pressure that disrupted NJIT’s guards all night.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
Harris, known for his defensive bite, said he takes pride in studying matchups:
“I actually have the coaches pull up film… I look at their movement, their go-to moves. If I see a guy shaky with the ball, I apply more pressure. That’s what I do best.”
Now averaging 8.6 points per game, Harris is seeing his role offensively expand as he continues to put an emphasis on attacking the rim and being aggressive with the ball in his hands.
“Being in college four years and really understanding the game… I’m starting to be more aggressive. These guys allow me to be aggressive and they lean on me. So that’s what I’m doing," Harris said following the win.
Moustapha Thiam: Consistency at both ends
Thiam had another standout performance Monday evening, scoring 15 points on a season-high 12 attempts from the field, while also pulling down 10 rebounds.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
The big man has had nine or more rebounds in four of the Bearcats' six games this season, while also scoring in double figures in five of six games. "
"Moustapha just keeps getting better. He cares a lot," Miller said when asked about his big man's consistency. "
"he was supposed to be a high school senior playing last year at Central Florida and I thought Johnny was really really smart. They kept it very simple for him. You know, he played in the dunker most possessions and then he'd release to the top of the key sometimes and he'd shoot it or go dribble handoff, and they didn't do a whole lot more with him. And I say that out of respect because I think they knew he was a young player. They needed him to play and so they kept it very simple. Same thing defensively—kind of played in a big drop most of the time and every once in a while in a 2-3 zone."
Miller went on to explain how Thiam's role has changed since arriving at Cincinnati.
"We’ve asked him to do quite a bit more. We've had the whole offseason, and he had a year of college basketball. So we've thrown a lot at him and I think he's handled it masterfully well. He keeps getting better every week and I think he's starting to play with more physical force. I think everybody that's come to games—we're seeing it in practice—but I think you're seeing him play with more physicality and force around the basket and that’s been good to see."
With Baba Miller being day-to-day with an injury, Cincinnati will need Thiam to continue playing with that same consistency and confidence as the schedule ramps up with December quickly approaching.
Baba Miller Update
Miller came out of the Louisville game with just over 10 minutes remaining and did not return. The 6-foot-11 big man was also unable to go Monday night, leaving a void in Cincinnati's lineup.
"He hasn't practiced. He was not able to do anything leading up to this game or today. I don't think it's a long long-term thing, but it's a day-to-day thing for sure. So I don't have an update on where he is. I just knew on Saturday morning that after they examined him, he would not be able to play in this game most likely," Miller said when asked for an update. "You always hope he wakes up one day and goes, “Coach, I'm good.” But we're not quite there yet. So I think Wednesday's (against Eastern Michigan) up in the air. Again, it's all about his healing process. But I think Wednesday's totally up in the air, and I'd hope that we can have him back sooner rather than later."
Jordi Rodriguez sighting
After playing 15 and 17 minutes in the Bearcats' first two game, Rodriguez was limited to just five minutes against Dayton and did not play against Mount St. Mary's and Louisville.
Rodriguez returned to the lineup Monday night, instantly making an impact as he knocked down 3-of-4 attempts from deep on his way to a 10-point effort in 22 minutes.
Miller on defense, toughness, and growth
Miller took time to explain how NJIT’s shifting zone/man looks caused some early problems with Cincinnati's inconsistency on offense.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
“When people play junk defense… sometimes you catch it and there’s nobody within six or seven feet of you. It’s designed to make you uncomfortable.”
He also stressed what Cincinnati basketball must look like as the Bearcats were out-rebounded by the much smaller Highlanders, 40-38, including giving up 13 offensive rebounds that led to 15 second chance points.
“Bearcat basketball is about diving on the floor, getting a big rebound, getting in a stance with five guys. The more consistent we get with that, the better we’ll be in every way.”
Final Thoughts
Cincinnati initially looked like a team simply going through the motions, but quickly adjusted and started to play at the level expected. With Abaev’s bounce-back, Thiam’s consistency, and Harris’ growing two-way impact, the Bearcats continue to show signs of a group that is embracing the process and day-to-day growth necessary to compete against what lies ahead.
Rebounding and three-point defense -- NJIT made 12-of-31 attempts -- need to continue to be refined, but Miller summed up the night best:
“We’re still learning… but there were moments tonight you could see what Bearcat basketball looks like. And that’s the good stuff.”
Next up: A quick turnaround as UC prepares for Wednesday's game against Eastern Michigan, with recovery and a new focus being the priority.
“We recover, watch film, and go right back to practice and play hard. Get ready to play hard," Harris concluded.
Game Highlights