Baba Miller had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Moustapha Thiam added 15 points and host Cincinnati held on to beat Colorado 77-68 on Wednesday night.
Cincinnati (9-8, 1-3 Big 12) led wire-to-wire to earn its first conference win.
Isaiah Johnson scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half, Barrington Hargress finished with 14 points and Bangot Dak contributed 12 points for the Buffaloes (12-5, 2-2), who have dropped two straight.
Colorado turned it over on its first four possessions and five times in the first 4:10.
The Bearcats scored the game’s first 10 points and led 18-4 with 13:01 left, then pushed the lead to 30-11 with 8:30 remaining.
Colorado found some rhythm, going on a 9-4 run over the next 3:45 to get within 34-20 but Cincinnati went into halftime ahead 43-25.
The Bearcats raced out to a 50-29 lead on Miller’s dunk early in the second half before the Buffaloes chipped away at the deficit. Hargress drained a 3-pointer, Dak dunked and Johnson also hit from deep during an 11-2 run that got Colorado within 12.
Cincinnati pushed its lead to 15 but the Buffaloes surged again, with Johnson making two buckets and Josiah Sanders hitting a layup to get within 59-52.
Colorado had a chance to get closer but an offensive foul on Elijah Malone led to Miller’s layup and a 61-52 lead.
The Bearcats missed five shots on one possession and Alon Michaeli hit a layup to get the Buffaloes within five, but Day Thomas hit a 3-pointer and a pull-up jumper to make it 66-56. Colorado turned it over, Miller scored at the other end and Dak made a 3-pointer.
Hargress made a pair of free throws with 1:32 left, then a 3-pointer after a Cincinnati turnover made it 68-64. Jizzle James hit two free throws as the Bearcats closed it out at the line.
–Field Level Media
