Cincinnati stuns No. 8 Kansas in road upset victory
Heading into Saturday’s game against Kansas at Phog Allen Fieldhouse, it appeared Cincinnati had some momentum after a rocky start to Big 12 play. The Bearcats added to their surge with an upset victory.
Cincinnati took down Kansas, 84-68, for its fourth consecutive victory to get back to .500 in Big 12 play. It marks the first time in 36 years the Bearcats got a true road victory against a Top-10 team.
In fact, it’s the largest home loss for Kansas ever under Bill Self against an unranked opponent. It’s also the Jayhawks’ first double-digit home loss to an unranked team since 1993, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.
Cincinnati took a two-point lead into halftime, and Kansas later took the lead with 17:20 to go in the game. But the Bearcats responded as the Jayhawks offense struggled mightily, making just four three-pointers during Saturday’s game. Two of those made treys came in the final minutes after Cincinnati had virtually sealed the upset.
Moustapha Thiam led the way with 28 points for Cincinnati on 11-of-17 shooting, while Baba Miller had 18 points to go with seven rebounds and eight assists. On the Kansas side, Flory Bidunga had a team-high 18 points along with 12 rebounds for a double-double. Darryn Peterson also had 17 points as he played 32 minutes.
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Before the winning streak began, Cincinnati had lost four out of five Big 12 games – including losses against Arizona State and West Virginia. The Bearcats have since flipped the script with four straight victories entering the final stretch of the schedule. Another ranked opponent awaits on Tuesday as Cincinnati heads to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech.
Saturday’s game could also have an impact on the NCAA Tournament picture. Cincinnati was squarely on the bubble as the Bearcats looked to get back to .500, and On3’s James Fletcher III said their stock was up entering the game against Kansas. UC sat at No. 62 in the NET ahead of the matchup.
Now, Cincinnati has another Quadrant 1 win after previously knocking off then-No. 2 Iowa State earlier in conference play. The Cyclones entered Saturday as a No. 1 seed and the No. 4 overall team in the NCAA Tournament, according to the selection committee’s Top 16 seeds. Kansas was a No. 3 seed and the No. 10 overall team in the field.