February 24, 2026; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats forward Babar Miller (18) dribbles against Texas Tech Red Raiders forward LeJuan Watts (3) in the first half at United Supermarket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Image Cincinnati faces an uphill battle to get back into NCAA Tournament contention and is hoping to make a late push starting Saturday when it hosts Oklahoma State.
The Bearcats (15-13, 7-8 Big 12) ended their four-game winning streak with an 80-68 loss at No. 16 Texas Tech on Tuesday. It was a disappointing loss just days after the upset. 8 Even though Kansas is on the road, coach Wes Miller had a brief message after the game.
“Hey, we just got through the Big 12 road division. You played two (good) teams in three days on the road and we went 1-1,” Miller said. “That doesn’t mean we have to be happy about anything tonight. Like all year, we have to respond in the right way. So Saturday is a big game for us.”
The Bearcats hold their opponents to 67.5 points per game, establishing themselves as the fourth-best defensive team in the Big 12.
Cincinnati’s Baba Miller scores a team-high 13.8 points and ranks second in the Big 12 with 10.0 rebounds per game. Moustapha Thiam has emerged as a top scoring threat in the last two games, scoring 28 points against Kansas and 21 against Texas Tech.
Oklahoma State (17-11, 5-10) looks to finish strong after snapping a five-game losing streak with a 91-84 overtime win at home against West Virginia on Tuesday.
“I don’t think people understand how incredibly tough this league is,” Cowboys coach Steve Lutz said. “When you lose five games in a row, I think the world is falling apart. … It just consumes you and defeats you. So I’m happy for our guys that they were able to come out tonight and get a hard-fought win.”
But the Cowboys absorbed a major setback when Parsa Fallah tore his ACL in the final minute.
The Cowboys have the third-highest scoring offense in the Big 12 at 83.8 points per game. Anthony Roy leads the team in scoring with 16.8 points and is among the league leaders with 3.1 points per game.
This is the first meeting between the two teams since Cincinnati defeated Oklahoma State in last year’s Big 12 Tournament.
–Field level media
