Winners and Losers from Cincinnati's 71-60 win over #12 BYU

Saturday night Cincinnati picked up their biggest win of the Wes Miller era following a 71-60 victory over 12th-ranked BYU.

 CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bearcats just beat the No. 2 team in the NET rankings on Saturday, toppling BYU 71-60 on the road.

Here are our top winners and losers from the impressive defensive effort.

Winners

Wes Miller: Miller has not only won his team's first game as members of the Big 12 conference, but he has also won arguably the biggest game of his tenure as head coach of the Bearcats. Miller was just 6-20 all-time in Quad 1/2 opportunities over the last three seasons but tonight he led the Bearcats to a huge Quad 1 victory and did so without a key contributor in CJ Fredrick, who is still out dealing with a hamstring injury.

However, for Miller, this was a huge opportunity for the Bearcats to get back on the right track after losing their only two non-conference games that held significant weight to Xavier and Dayton last month. But for now, Wes Miller and the Bearcats will enjoy this win over one of the best teams in the country and quickly turn their focus to Texas come Tuesday.

Jizzle James: Safe to say that James was the spark the Bearcats desperately needed when it mattered the most tonight. The Freshman point guard stepped up at the biggest time of the game there in the second half where he willed the Bearcats back into this contest after trailing by as much as 10 points. James was making it a priority to get downhill and attack which resulted in seven points in under two minutes of play. The momentum changed quickly after James finished a layup through contact, converting the three-point play to give the Bearcats a 53-51 lead halfway through the second half. That was the turning point for the Bearcats where they kept their foot on the gas and never looked back.

James finished the game with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting in just 13 minutes of play. James has continued to rise to the occasion this season in desperate measures, and it seems like no matter the situation, James is ready for that moment. Following the Bearcats win tonight Wes Miller noted that James's performance tonight was "unbelievable" despite struggling early in the first half.

However, for Wes Miller and the Bearcats, if they can continue to get that kind of performance from James on a nightly basis, watch out. That will be the turning point for the Bearcats season as everyone knows how talented the guard position is in the Big 12 conference.

Aziz Bandaogo: Aziz Bandaogo entered this contest as a true game-time decision due to that back injury that sidelined him for the last three games. Despite just returning to practice earlier this week the seven-footer wasn't going to miss this game for anything it appeared. Miller noted that he wasn't sure Bandaogo would be able to give it a go until moments before tip-off, but the team had elected to start Dan Skillings in place of Bandaogo.

Miller decided to bring the big man off the bench where he checked in for the first time around the 16:00 minute mark of the first half, but then quickly changed the game on all aspects. Bandaogo had arguably his most efficient night of the season where he finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds on a near-perfect 4-of-5 shooting. This was Bandaogo's fourth double-double of the season, but most importantly the seven-footer looked like himself prior to the back injury, even catching a few lobs along the way.

Now the main question for the Bearcats is how Bandaogo's will back respond tomorrow after a very physical contest. That is something to keep an eye on as this was Bandaogo's first live game action in nearly three weeks since the injury. Despite, it being his first game reps in nearly three weeks, it was a great sight to see for Miller and company as you can clearly see the impact he has on this team when he is healthy, and on the court.

Losers

Day Day Thomas: Thomas struggled tonight for the Bearcats which is why they quickly turned to Jizzle James for key minutes there in the second half. Thomas finished the night with just five points on 0-of-7 shooting, with five rebounds and two assists. So statistically, it wasn't Thomas's night on the offensive side of things as he really struggled finding his shot tonight.

Although James strived in his limited opportunities, the Bearcats know they will have to have one of their two guards step up every night when needed and pilot the ship through the gauntlet of the Big 12. Thomas is shooting just 2-of-17 from the field over the last two games for Cincinnati.

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