TicketsCINCINNATI — Senior forward Baba Miller delivered a dominant all-around performance, posting 11 points, 21 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Cincinnati men’s basketball team to an 89-62 victory over Lipscomb Monday night at Fifth Third Arena.
Miller’s 21 rebounds marked the most by a Bearcat since Tre Scott grabbed 21 against UCF on Feb. 19, 2020, and represented the first 20-rebound game by a Big 12 player this season.
Cincinnati closed out non-conference play with four players scoring in double figures, led by sophomore center Moustapha Thiam’s team-high 18 points. Thiam poured in 16 of those in the second half, connecting on an efficient 8-of-10 from the floor. Junior guard Jizzle James matched his season high with 16 points and added a season-best five assists, while graduate guard Kerr Kriisa impressed in his first game off the bench, knocking down 5-of-8 3-pointers en route to 15 points.
Lipscomb opened the contest with a 7-1 run as Cincinnati missed its first five shots, but the Bearcats quickly seized control. Cincinnati responded by hitting seven of its next nine attempts, including three triples from Kriisa during a 17-5 surge that gave the Bearcats an 18-12 lead at the 12:15 mark. Cincinnati would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the contest.
The Bearcats dominated across the stat sheet, holding decisive advantages in rebounding (45-31), fast-break points (17-4), points off turnovers (19-7) and points in the paint (46-20).
Miller set the tone in the opening half as Cincinnati carried a 44-24 advantage into the break. He pulled down 13 rebounds and dished out a season-high seven assists, while also contributing a block and a steal. Kriisa and James added nine points apiece, as the Bearcats shot 50% from beyond the arc (8-of-16) and limited Lipscomb to 28.6% shooting from three (4-of-14).
Cincinnati wasted no time extending its lead after halftime, opening the second half on a 6-0 run that forced a Lipscomb timeout less than a minute in. Sencire Harris ignited the spurt by pushing the ball coast-to-coast after a rebound and finishing at the rim, before Miller capped the run with an offensive putback to make it 50-24.
At the 8:02 mark, a Miller dunk followed by a James layup pushed the Bearcats’ lead to 80-52. A late 4-0 run with 3:02 remaining sealed the 27-point victory.
Cincinnati opens Big 12 play at 2 p.m. Saturday against No. 8 Houston at Fifth Third Arena.