ORLANDO, Fla. — In a thrilling showdown on Wednesday night, Day Day Thomas set the pace for Cincinnati by scoring 18 of his season-best 20 points in the first half, while Jizzle James made a significant impact late in the game with seven of his 15 points in the final four minutes. Cincinnati maintained their lead throughout the second half, ultimately securing a 93-83 win over UCF.

James played a crucial role as he hit a jumper from the free-throw line, extending Cincinnati’s lead to 85-77. He followed that up with an impressive left-handed layup, pushing the advantage to 10 points with just 1:44 left on the clock. In the closing moments of the game, James showcased his defensive skills by recording steals on consecutive possessions, both of which led to emphatic dunks by Dillon Mitchell, helping Cincinnati to seal the victory.

Dillon Mitchell contributed significantly for Cincinnati with 19 points, and Aziz Bandaogo added 16 points to the tally for the team. This marked Thomas’s second start of the season after having started 35 games last year, prior to suffering a foot injury in the NIT opener.

UCF was led by Keyshawn Hall, who scored 23 points, while Darius Johnson chimed in with 21 points. Additionally, Moustapha Thiam delivered a solid performance with 14 points and eight rebounds, and Jordan Ivy-Curry added 11 points to the team’s effort.

In a pivotal moment before halftime, Thomas capitalized on a turnover by UCF, making a steal and then tipping in his own missed shot just before the buzzer, giving Cincinnati a 40-36 advantage at the break. This first-half performance marked the Bearcats’ highest scoring output in a half since tallying 46 points against Alabama State on November 27.

Looking ahead, Cincinnati will host BYU on Saturday, while UCF is set to face Baylor on the same day.