Over the past few games, Cincinnati’s offense has been riding the hot hands of Jizzle James and Jalen Celestine. When those two are locked in, the Bearcats can light it up from just about anywhere on the floor.
But that rhythm hit a wall against Utah. James and Celestine combined for just nine points on 3-of-10 shooting, including 1-of-5 from deep - and when they go cold, the entire offense tends to follow suit.
Still, despite the offensive struggles, Cincinnati found itself in a familiar spot late in the game - down five with under two minutes to play. It's the kind of scenario that’s haunted this team all season.
Too often, it’s been the same story: defensive breakdowns, missed free throws, rushed shots. And too often, it’s ended in heartbreak.
But this time? Different script.
It started with a midrange jumper from Day Day Thomas. Then came two clutch free throws from Baba Miller.
Suddenly, the Bearcats were within one, 65-64. Utah missed again - their third straight empty possession - and Moustapha Thiam came down with a big rebound.
He quickly pushed it up to James, who found Celestine, who then threaded a perfect pass to Miller for a powerful dunk. Just like that, Cincinnati had the lead.
James and Celestine hadn’t been at their best all night, but when it mattered most, they delivered. That dunk capped off a 9-0 run to close the game, sealing a gritty 69-65 win - the kind of win that hasn’t come often for this group in tight contests.
“That’s a character win for us,” head coach Wes Miller said afterward. “We’ve been in that position several times, and we found a way to win the game. I’m extremely proud of our players tonight.”
It marks three straight conference wins for Cincinnati - something they hadn’t done since February 11 of last season. Two of those wins were dominant.
Sunday’s was anything but. The Bearcats were outrebounded 40-30 and shot just 26% from beyond the arc.
Utah nearly walked out with its first road win in over a year. But Cincinnati held firm, and Miller sees something in that.
“I’ve coached teams that have won championships, and those teams had plenty of games they didn’t play well - but they found ways to win,” Miller said. “That’s one of the great qualities of a great team. And we found a way tonight.”
The celebration was telling. When Miller’s squad took the lead, the bench erupted. The players ran onto the court with a kind of joy that said they knew how rare - and how important - this win was.
While James struggled offensively, the Bearcats got a jolt of energy from freshman Keyshuan Tillery. He made his presence felt early, locking in defensively on Utah’s top scorer, Terrence Brown, and forcing a turnover.
Then he turned defense into offense, drawing a foul in transition and knocking down both free throws. It was a small sequence, but it reflected the kind of effort Cincinnati needed to stay in the fight.
The game actually opened with a familiar sight: a Day Day Thomas-to-Baba Miller alley-oop. It’s a play Cincinnati has run to perfection all season - and once again, it caught the opponent off guard. Utah head coach Alex Jensen admitted postgame that their inability to stop that play was a reflection of his team’s inexperience.
“No one has repped the opening tip more than we have,” Jensen said.
That opening play, combined with Cincinnati getting its 90% free-throw shooter to the line five times - his most attempts since conference play opened - gave the Bearcats just enough of an edge to hang around until the final moments.
“It just had that feeling like nothing’s gonna go our way,” Miller said. “But we held our poise. Guys made big-time plays late.”
Miller pointed to one moment in particular - the go-ahead dunk. “Jizzle throws a terrible pass coming up the floor to Jalen,” he said with a laugh.
“But JC gets it, goes to two feet in the paint, drops it off to Baba for the dunk. We kept our poise no matter what was going on and made some plays.
That was the difference. Big step for us tonight.”
Thiam also made his mark in his return to the lineup after missing the Kansas State game. He recorded his third double-double of the season, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds. He played with physicality on both ends, giving Cincinnati a much-needed presence inside.
This win closes the book on a four-game stretch that looked like it might define the Bearcats’ season. After a deflating loss to West Virginia, Cincinnati bounced back with three straight wins - including two over the conference’s bottom teams, Kansas State and Utah. That may not be enough to move the needle in the standings just yet (they’re still sitting in 10th), but it’s enough to keep the door cracked open.
Make no mistake, the road ahead is brutal. Cincinnati faces Kansas and Texas Tech on the road, then returns home for Oklahoma State and BYU.
It’s one of the toughest remaining slates in the country. The nails may be in the coffin, but the Bearcats aren’t buried yet.
And if Sunday’s win showed anything, it’s that this team might still have a few surprises left.