Recap: West Virginia 59 Cincinnati 54
Cincinnati appeared to have Thursday night firmly in hand, building a double-digit second-half lead and controlling the pace at both ends, but West Virginia flipped the script when it mattered most. A 19-3 Mountaineer run erased the Bearcats’ advantage and turned Fifth Third Arena quiet, as Cincinnati dropped a 59–54 decision in Big 12 play.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
The Bearcats dropped to 11–12 overall and 3–7 in Big 12 play, while the Mountaineers improved to 15–8 and 6–4 in the conference after grinding out the road victory.
“I want to apologize to our fans and all the people that support Cincinnati basketball. It’s not okay. And I don’t want for one second people to think that I think it’s okay. It’s not okay. This program, there’s a higher standard. There’s no excuse. None of the circumstances matter. We have to close games out. We have to play better down the stretch," an emotional Wes Miller said following the game.
"Nobody takes it harder than me. I accept people’s frustrations — they deserve it. But I promise you I’m putting my heart, my soul, everything that I can put into my being into trying to do the job here to get this team over the hump."
Game Recap
The Bearcats set the tone early, jumping out to a quick lead behind aggressive paint touches and hot shooting from Jizzle James. James scored 10 of Cincinnati’s first 12 points and knocked down a pair of early threes as the Bearcats raced ahead 14–2 in the opening four minutes. West Virginia struggled to find rhythm offensively, while Cincinnati continued to attack inside with Baba Miller, stretching the margin to as many as 13 midway through the half.
West Virginia slowly settled in behind interior scoring from Brenen Lorient and Jasper Floyd. Still, Cincinnati maintained control, getting timely buckets from Jizzle James and solid finishing from Miller in transition. A late Miller layup in the final seconds of the half capped a strong opening 20 minutes, sending the Bearcats into the break, up 30–20.
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
The momentum briefly carried into the second half. Miller opened the half with a pair of free throws, and when Day Day Thomas hit a jumper at the 16:11 mark, Cincinnati had its largest lead of the night at 37–23. Even after West Virginia answered with a few baskets, the Bearcats continued to respond, highlighted by a Thomas three at 14:11 that kept Cincinnati comfortably ahead, 40–28.
That’s when the game flipped.
West Virginia caught fire behind a dominant stretch from Honor Huff, who scored 14 straight Mountaineer points. Huff buried three consecutive three-pointers, then added consecutive and-one opportunities as WVU ripped off an 11–0 run, trimming the deficit to one at 39–40. Moments later, Treysen Eaglestaff drilled a three to give West Virginia its first lead of the night, 42–40, with 10:10 remaining.
After the game, Wes Miller pointed to that stretch as the turning point.
“We got a little tight in the second half. I thought we were playing a pretty good offensive game for about 25 minutes, and then Huff scores 12 in a row. We had done a great job on him for the first 25 minutes of the game,” Miller said.
“Then he gets 12 straight, and we got tight. It didn’t matter what I called. We were standing. Guys didn’t look as confident to go make plays. Early in the game, we were popping it around and playing with great confidence. After that run, we just played tight.”
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
From there, the game tightened into a possession-by-possession battle. Jizzle James tied it at 42 with a jumper, but West Virginia continued to apply pressure, capitalizing on transition opportunities and second-chance looks. Cincinnati fought back with timely threes and free throws, briefly reclaiming the lead at 47–46 on a Tyler McKinley free throw with 4:25 to play.
The Mountaineers closed stronger down the stretch. DJ Thomas knocked down a crucial three with just over four minutes left, then added another from deep at the 1:30 mark to push WVU ahead 53–49.
Miller explained the defensive gamble on Thomas late.
“You have to throw two at the ball at Honor Huff in that situation,” Miller said. “They use Thomas as a pick-and-pop five, and we were willing to take our chances. That last three he hit really made us pay. Give him credit — he steps up and hits that shot.”
Cincinnati had chances late, including a James three with 41 seconds remaining to cut it to three, but West Virginia answered every time, sealing the win at the free-throw line and with a late Lorient dunk in transition.
Cincinnati’s early execution and defensive intensity put the Bearcats in position, but West Virginia’s 22–5 surge midway through the second half turned the tide.
Key Takeaways
Another Late Collapse Wipes Out a Comfortable Lead
Cincinnati did enough early in the second half to put the game away — and then completely unraveled. The Bearcats led by 12 points with 14:11 remaining and held a 14-point advantage at the 16:11 mark, but execution cratered from there. West Virginia closed on a 19–3 run, flipping the game while Cincinnati struggled to score, take care of the ball, or generate quality looks. It’s a familiar script: solid stretches undone by prolonged offensive droughts and shaky decision-making when the pressure rises.
Jizzle James Was the Offensive Engine
Jizzle James was the clear bright spot, leading Cincinnati with 18 points and keeping the Bearcats afloat when the offense stalled. He shot 7-of-16 overall and an efficient 4-of-6 from three, knocking down multiple timely shots late — including a clutch triple with 40 seconds left to cut the deficit to three. But even James’ shot-making wasn’t enough to cover for the team-wide breakdown down the stretch.
Baba Miller Delivered on Both Ends
Baba Miller continued to provide steady production, finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds while getting to the line (5-of-6 FT). His two free throws at the 2:10 mark cut the deficit to 50–49 and reignited Fifth Third Arena, but that moment proved fleeting. Cincinnati couldn’t build off it, and Miller’s strong all-around night was overshadowed by the team’s inability to close.
Asked about the second-half offensive struggles, Miller pointed to West Virginia’s adjustments.
“They were a bit more clogged up defensively,” Baba Miller said. “I didn’t see as many lanes. We still tried to get to the ball screens, but they did a good job of clogging the paint.”
Jalen Celestine Stuffed the Stat Sheet — But Missed Chances Linger
Jalen Celestine posted a versatile line with eight points, 10 rebounds, and six assists, setting career highs in both rebounds and assists. He was active and composed, especially as a facilitator, but his 3-of-12 shooting — including a clean late three that rimmed out — loomed large in a game decided by five points.
Foul trouble with Halvine Dzellat and Tyler McKinley as well as a shortened rotation, due to Moustapha Thiam and Shon Abaev being out with injuries, compounded those issues.
“The foul trouble was very difficult, especially with how thin we are in the frontcourt,” Miller said. “It forced guys to play extended minutes, and that wears on you as the game goes on.”
(Photo: Taylor Keeton / Bearcatsportshub)
Offensive Consistency Vanished When It Mattered Most
Cincinnati shot just 30.4% in the second half and scored 24 total points after halftime. The Bearcats committed eight turnovers in the second half alone, repeatedly short-circuiting possessions as West Virginia ramped up pressure. Despite winning the rebounding battle (34–33) and matching WVU in second-chance points, Cincinnati simply couldn’t convert stops into sustained offense. Those turnovers contributed to an 11-2 points-off-turnovers advantage for West Va during the final 20 minutes.
“We never got out in transition in the second half,” Miller said. “When that happens, we’re dead. That’s not an excuse — but it mattered.”
Bench Disappearance Hurt Late
One of the starkest contrasts came off the bench. Cincinnati managed just three bench points from Sencire Harris, while West Virginia got 18, helping fuel the Mountaineers’ comeback. DJ Thomas helped West Va close the game, finishing with 14 points off the bench. As the starters wore down, the lack of reliable scoring or energy from the second unit became impossible to ignore.
Same Old Problem, Different Night
This loss wasn’t about effort or energy — it was about execution, poise, and consistency, especially late. Cincinnati had the game where it wanted it, but once again failed to respond when momentum shifted. Until the Bearcats prove they can close out close games and protect leads under pressure, performances like this will continue to sting more than they should.
Final Thoughts
In the end, this one will linger — not because Cincinnati was outplayed, but because the Bearcats let a winning game slip through their hands. For more than 25 minutes, Cincinnati dictated tempo, defended with purpose, and got exactly the kind of production it needed from its core players to secure a Big 12 win at home. The blueprint was there, and it worked — until it didn’t.
What unraveled the Bearcats wasn’t a single bad possession or one missed shot, but a prolonged stretch where composure vanished and execution followed. West Virginia’s surge exposed the same issues that have haunted Cincinnati throughout conference play: offensive stagnation under pressure, careless turnovers, and an inability to steady the game once momentum swings. Even with strong individual performances from Jizzle James and Baba Miller, the margin for error in the Big 12 is too thin to survive extended droughts and mental lapses.
Still, neither the head coach nor the players sounded ready to fold.
“I believe deeply in what we’re doing and in the people in our locker room,” Miller said. “Tomorrow I’ll be fighting. There’s a lot of basketball left.”
Baba Miller echoed that sentiment.
“Everybody in the locker room is bought in,” he said. “We still have a good amount of games left. We can go on a run — we just have to keep fighting and believing.”
That’s what makes Thursday night especially frustrating. Cincinnati didn’t need perfection — it needed poise. A few clean possessions, a defensive stop paired with a quality shot, or timely help from the bench could have changed the outcome. Instead, the Bearcats watched a comfortable lead dissolve into another missed opportunity, reinforcing a troubling pattern rather than signaling progress.
As the season winds down, the question isn’t whether Cincinnati can compete in this league — they’ve shown repeatedly that they can. The real question is whether they can finish. Until the Bearcats prove they can protect leads, respond to adversity, and close games with confidence, nights like this will continue to define the narrative far more than the stretches where everything goes right.
Postgame Video: Wes Miller, Baba Miller
Postgame Video: Ross Hodge, Honor Huff, DJ Thomas
Game Highlights