Bearcats defense sends No. 2 Iowa State in frenzy, secures top-10 victory for first time since 2012

Cincinnati secured its biggest win of the Wes Miller era on Saturday, following its 79-70 victory over #2 Iowa State.

The Bearcats were led by Day-Day Thomas (19 points), Jizzle James (15 points), Sencire Harris (12 points), and Jalen Celestine (12 points), as Cincinnati’s backcourt played a crucial part in today’s victory.

Meanwhile, Iowa State’s Milan Momcilovic finished with a game-high 34 points, with 26 of those coming in the second half, in what was arguably the best shooting performance we have seen in quite some time.

This was Cincinnati’s first win vs an AP top-ten team since 2012.

However, it was also the first time Cincinnati defeated a top-2 team at home since 1967, per CBS Sports Matt Norlander.

“I am really happy for our players.” Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller said. “They keep coming into the gym and try to get a little bit better. I am so glad they could feel that this afternoon. I think that is a quality win, but I am very happy for our players. I’m also happy for our former players, too. I was able to see a couple of them on the court after the game with the students. I am glad the fans got to experience Cincinnati basketball playing at the level they are supposed to be playing at again.”

Cincinnati led this contest for 33:41 minutes, with Iowa State's last lead coming at the 8-5 mark in the first half.

“Hats off to Coach Miller and Cincinnati,” said Iowa State head coach TJ Oztelberger. “They have a tremendous defensive identity. They did a great job disrupting us on the offensive end, especially early. You could tell they were very well prepared. That team is very well coached. They were urgent to get a big win, so congrats to them.”

Court Storming in Clifton

“Our fans, students, the people invested in our program, it is so neat for them.” Wes Miller told reporters. “They deserve to feel that. Again, I am proud of our players because they deserve to feel that and created that opportunity. I am really glad that our students, players, and former players were able to feel that today. I want them to enjoy today.”

“This game meant a lot to me,” said Thomas. “This guy right here (Coach Miller) has been through a lot. We are going to enjoy it today and then get back to work tomorrow, but this one really means a lot to me.”

Elite Guard Play.

Cincinnati was anchored by its back court this afternoon, with huge days from Day-Day Thomas, Jizzle James, and Sencire Harris. The trio combined for 47 of Cincinnati’s 77 points. However, they impacted the game on both ends of the court. They set the tone early with their grit and relentless pressure, which was able to force Iowa State over 12 times, while limiting the Bearcats' offense to just eight turnovers on the day.

Jizzle James anchored the Bearcats' offense as his 15 points stand out, but the biggest stat of the day was just one turnover. That was huge for Cincinnati, especially vs a tough and physical team like Iowa State that is known to turn teams over. To see one turnover was a positive for Cincinnati.

“We knew we had to take care of the ball if we wanted to win this game.” Day-Day Thomas told reporters.

“Jizzle was terrific today. I stopped him on my way over here and told him how proud I am of him.” Wes Miller said. “Iowa State has had an elite defense over the recent years. He had to handle a lot of pressure to get our offense started, and Jizzle handled it masterfully. I thought it was as good a floor game as I have ever seen him play. He handled the pressure and got our offense in the system. His ability to handle the ball under pressure was huge for us.”

Baba Miller continues to Shine.

The senior forward continues to play some of the best basketball of his career. Despite finishing with just eight points in the win, he continued to impact the game in other ways. Miller finished with 12 rebounds, but what stood out the most was his passing ability. There were a few times throughout the game, where Miller made some incredible passes opposite court that resulted in made buckets for Cincinnati. Two of those came on cross-court skip passes to Thomas for made three-point shots.

He has shown his ability to score and rebound the basketball throughout the season. Now, if Miller can continue to be a facilitator in the offense as well, this team could take another huge step following today’s victory.

The Rundown

Cincinnati jumped out to an early 13-8 lead with 13:17 in the first half after Jalen Celestine hit a transition three, kicking off an 8-0 run. Sencire Harris immediately set the tone defensively, applying relentless pressure on Tamin Lipsey and establishing Cincinnati’s defensive presence early.

Building on that momentum, Celestine scored nine quick points, and Day-Day Thomas hit the Bearcats' fourth straight three-pointer to push the lead to nine.

The Bearcats' active defense forced a five-minute Cyclones scoring drought, making defense the difference in this stretch. Meanwhile, Cincinnati was seven for its last seven from the field after Keyshuan Tillery blew by Jamorian Batemon for the easy layup. Tillery followed suit, and the ensuing possession after a great backdoor cut resulted in another layup for the freshman guard.

Iowa State made this a 27-19 game after a pair of free throws from Josh Jefferson following the foul on Thomas, his second of the game. Tamin Lipsey followed with another layup to cut the lead to seven. Meanwhile, the Bearcats' relentless defense was not slowing down anytime soon as they continued to smother the Cyclones on the other end.

Moustapha Thiam extended Cincinnati’s led to eleven after a made three-pointer from the top of the key. That is when things started to pick up in terms of physicality, as Harris and Lipsey were tied up away from the ball after exchanging some words. Harris then picked up his second foul seconds later and was forced to the bench alongside Thomas in foul trouble.

Iowa State rattled off a seven-point swing to end the first half after Milan Momcilovic cut the deficit to five after knocking down the midrange jumper. Meanwhile, the Bearcats finished the first half just one for their last eight as the Cyclones held the Bearcats scoreless down the final three minutes of the first half.

Despite Iowa State’s late run, Cincinnati was able to take a 35-31 lead into the half, with Jalen Celestine leading all scorers with nine points.

Iowa State tied the game at 38, but Cincinnati responded with a triple from Miller as the shot clock expired, which was his first made three-pointer in nearly a month. Cincinnati then responded with a steal from Thomas for the easy layup on the other end. Just like that, the Bearcats' offense was starting to find some momentum, knocking down four straight buckets, with Cincinnati leading 47-42 with 15:45 to play.

Celestine buried his fourth triple of the afternoon to extend the lead to eight. Tyler McKinley got in on the scoring action after a great drop feed from Celestine for the layup off the pump fake. That is when the tide turned in favor of Cincinnati, after a steal from Tillery resulted in a James run-out, Cincinnati saw its lead extend to 14.

Iowa State went zero-of-ten from the field during that run from Cincinnati, before a Momcilovic three-pointer silenced the run. Meanwhile, Cincinnati took advantage as they just poured it on the Cyclones, causing a frenzy in Fifth Third Arena. Thomas knocked down the contested three to give Cincinnati their largest lead of the game, with just over eight minutes to play, leading 67-50.

Cyclones answered with a six-point swing before a floater from James silenced the run. Cincinnati would then get a huge steal on the defensive end before Harris would miss a wide-open dunk, leading to two more for Iowa State the other way. Momcilovic then went on a personal 9-0 run to cut the deficit to eight with five minutes to spare.

Meanwhile, Momcilovic continued to showcase why he is arguably the best shooter in the country, as he continued to rise up and knock down big-time shots. This time, he buried his fifth three of the half after knocking down a step back jumper on the run, making it a 69-64 game with 3:38 to play.

Thomas silenced the run with a mid-range jumper to give the Bearcats some new life. Jizzle James followed suit with a midrange jumper of his own to extend the lead to nine. Thomas found Harris for another easy layup to extend the lead to 11, with 1:48 to go.

Up Next

Cincinnati hits the road for a west coast trip as they will spend the week in Arizona to take on the #1-ranked Arizona Wildcats. That game is scheduled for Wednesday night at 9pm ET