Bearcats Claw the Utes, 69-65, Behind Last Second Comeback

Cincinnati improved to 14-12 (6-7 Big 12) on Sunday following its 69-65 victory over Utah.

Graduate guard Day-Day Thomas led the way with a team-high 16 points in the victory, while Baba Miller recorded thirteen points and seven rebounds. Freshman guard Keyshuan Tillery also recorded ten points in the victory.

Cincinnati was 0-5 in close games this season prior to this afternoon, before coming away with a gutsy win down the stretch.

“We didn’t play our best basketball at all.” Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller stated. “I am really proud of how we finished. That is a character win for us. We have been in that position a number of times, and we found a way to win the game with the 9-0 run. The best part is we won a game down the stretch when things weren’t going our way.”

Moustapha Thiam returns.

Sophomore center Moustapha Thiam made his return to the court on Saturday after an injury sidelined him for the victory over Kansas State on Wednesday.

“Moustapha was really good for us coming off the tweaked ankle. I thought he was really good for us.” Wes Miller told reporters.

Thiam finished the game with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the victory.

“I am trying to be out there as much as I can,” said Thiam. “I get down on myself when things like that happen because of how bad I want to play. I want to be out there as much as possible.”

Keyshuan Tillery's impact.

“Keyshuan Tillery gave us a huge lift of energy tonight.” Wes Miller noted. “I thought he was very impactful. Freshman point guards and head coaches, that isn’t easy. I have been very hard on Keyshuan because I think so highly of him. He is a terrific player and will be a world-class player for us. Tonight, I thought he was crazy impactful in winning.”

Tillery finished with 10 points and three assists in the victory. However, he made a huge impact on both ends of the court in this one. Tillery has seen his minutes increase over recent weeks due to injuries and such but has taken advantage of the opportunity.

He even noted that he continues to be a sponge to guys like Day-Day Thomas, Kerr Kriisa, Jizzle James, and Sencire Harris, being the young guy in the backcourt.

“Since the summer, I have worked out with graduate assistant Malik Massey and Day-Day Thomas on a daily basis,” Tillery told reporters. “I am learning things from Buck on the defensive end, I am watching Jizzle and the older guys and see how they adapt to the game. I continue to stay under their wings and see how they adapt to the game.”

The Rundown

Cincinnati took an early 6-4 lead over the Utes in the opening minutes of this one. The Bearcats got the scoring started just four seconds into the game after Moustapha Thiam won the tip-off to a perfectly placed Day-Day Thomas, who threw it up to Baba Miller for the slam. Now, for Utah, they struggled to find the basket in the opening minutes, shooting just 1 for 7 from the field to start the game.

Suddenly, the Utes found their stride on the offensive end as shots began to fall. The Utes went on to make their next five shots after Terrance Brown gave the Utes their first lead of the day with 12:30 to play.

Cincinnati, on the other hand, was held scoreless for nearly three minutes during that span. However, they also found themselves in early foul trouble after Thiam picked up his second foul with 11:59 to play in the first half.

Cincinnati responded with a 10-0 run over the next three minutes to take a 26-20 lead with 8:17 to play as Utah was forced to call a timeout. Freshman guard Keyshuan Tillery then entered the chat and quickly made an impact. Tillery knocked down a pair of threes over a thirty-second span to force a Utah timeout, which drew a loud applause from the fans at Fifth Third Arena.

The Bearcats held a 37-34 lead over the Utes at the break as Thomas and Miller led the charge with eight points each. However, the Bearcats' offense went stagnant over the final 2:19 of the first half. The Utes clawed back slowly as they continued to make an impact on the glass, as they outrebounded the Bearcats 17-15 in the first half.

Utah gained some momentum early in the second half after a huge four-point swing cut the Bearcats' lead to two. Baba Miller was hit with a technical foul after a block attempt on Keanu Dawes at the rim was whistled for a foul. The technical was assessed for “throwing the ball” in frustration, as the ball did land in the student section after the play.

Terrance Brown would tie the game at 48 with 12:30 left to play. Meanwhile, Cincinnati was held scoreless for nearly three minutes of that span. That was until Jalen Celestine knocked down his first bucket of the game after a huge made three with contact for a big four-point swing in favor of Cincinnati. Seconds later, Don McHenry did the exact same thing to Cincinnati, with the foul coming from Tillery.

The Bearcats regained the lead with just over five minutes to play after Baba Miller hit a pair of free throws off the turnover. Utah responded with a midrange jumper from McHenry. Moustapha Thiam answered the bell on the other end for Cincinnati.

Utah controlled a 65-62 lead with 1:30 to play until Baba Miller knocked down a pair of free throws with a minute to play. Then Cincinnati got another huge defensive stop and pushed the tempo in transition, resulting in a big slam from Miller to force a timeout with Cincinnati leading 66-65. The Bearcats then got another huge defensive stop after Keanu Dawes missed three.

Day Day Thomas extended the lead to three with a pair of free throws in the final seconds to seal the victory.

Up Next

The Bearcats now have a week off to prepare for their upcoming matchup vs ranked Kansas on Saturday, as they take a three-game winning streak to Lawrence.

Tip-off for that game is set for 1 p.m.