Cincinnati Basketball surges past Utah 73-66 as Celestine’s 19 points send Bearcats into Big 12 Tournament Round 2
cincinnati basketball advanced in Kansas City on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 (ET), holding off Utah 73-66 in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament at T-Mobile Center. Jalen Celestine drilled five 3-pointers, scored 19 points, and iced the outcome with two free throws with 29 seconds left. The ninth-seeded Bearcats moved on to the second round with their NCAA Tournament hopes boosted, while the 16-seed Utes ended the season on another tough night of missed chances.
Cincinnati Basketball takes control early, then survives Utah’s late push
Cincinnati turned the game with a decisive close to the first half, finishing on a 15-2 run to grab a 29-20 lead at the break. After halftime, the Bearcats stretched the margin to 48-33 by the midway point of the second half, a moment that looked like it might put Utah away for good.
Utah didn’t fold. Terrence Brown almost willed the Utes back himself, answering with back-to-back baskets in a mid-half burst and then scoring nine straight points for Utah down the stretch. His three-point play cut the deficit to 66-61 with 3: 07 remaining, and Utah was still within 68-64 with a minute left.
The finishing sequence belonged to Cincinnati at the line. Day Day Thomas and Celestine made late free throws to close it out, even as the Bearcats left points on the board earlier, going 10-of-18 at the stripe overall.
Celestine leads the way; Thiam and Miller control the glass
Celestine’s season-high 19 points came with perimeter punch and late-game poise: five made 3s, plus the two clinching free throws in the final half-minute. In the paint and on the boards, Moustapha Thiam posted 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Baba Miller filled the box score with 11 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists.
Utah’s numbers reflected both the struggle and the fight back. Brown finished with 22 points and six assists, Keanu Dawes added 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Seydou Traore scored 12. Utah’s first half was defined by a prolonged scoring drought; over an 11-plus-minute stretch, the Utes made just 2 of 21 field goals, and their 20 points at halftime marked a season-low. The offense was sharper after the break, with both teams shooting over 50% in the second half.
Immediate reactions: coaches point to pressure defense and resilience
Utah head coach Alex Jensen, in his first season leading the Runnin’ Utes, emphasized the response after the early hole and credited Cincinnati for shifting the game’s shape.
“Happy our guys fought and came back, ” Jensen said. “Give (Bearcats coach) Wes (Miller) and Cincinnati credit; they made good adjustments, good game plan. Unfortunate, but I’m happy that our guys fought. ”
Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller highlighted the stretch where his team’s pressure defense created the separation that ultimately mattered most.
“Our best offense is when our defense leads the offense. In that stretch, defense led the offense. We got stuff in the open court, ” Miller said.
Quick context: two teams heading in opposite directions
Cincinnati improved to 18-14 and has won seven of its last nine games. Utah finished 10-22, ending the season with five straight losses and 18 losses in its last 20 games.
What’s next: Cincinnati gets UCF on Wednesday; Utah turns to the offseason
Cincinnati will face No. 8 seed UCF on Wednesday (ET) in the second round, after splitting two regular-season meetings with each team winning at home. For Utah, the focus shifts immediately to regrouping in the offseason after another first-round Big 12 tournament exit, while cincinnati basketball walks out of Tuesday night still playing—and still pushing its postseason case forward.
