Cincinnati Bearcats Basketball 2026 Instant Takeaways: Ohio State Exhibition

The Bearcats battled the Ohio State Buckeyes in the opening game of the 2026 CareSource Invitational under the sun. Cincinnati won 79-68 in a foul fest that proved to be pretty sloppy from both teams.

UC head coach Jerrod Calhoun anticipated things would look a little disjointed last week, and that's what happened in another learning experience for the UC roster. Still, they dominated the second half for the win.

The Bearcats cooked Ohio State 49-33 in the second half, shooting 48.3% from the floor across the full game.

The Bearcats still haven't played a game with the full roster, as the currently ineligible MJ Collins did not appear in the game. Newest guard Javontae Campbell, who was on the bench in a boot, also did not see action, while Myles Colvin appeared to injure his ankle early in the game.

Outside of that, Wednesday marked a productive grouping of reps for Calhoun and his staff to build off of ahead of Illinois coming to town next week.

Top Takeaway: Tough Shooting Outdoors

Oct 7, 2026; Mason, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard John Mobley Jr. (0) drives to the basket against Cincinnati Bearcats forward David Iweze (11) in the first half during the 2026 CareSource Invitational at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Neither team got the offensive juices flowing very often in this game. The sun blanketed much of the court for the whole game, and it hurt the shooting sight lines for both teams.

That extended to the free-throw line. Neither team touched 60% from the line, and UC has a 75%-plus roster history from its players throughout their careers. It seemed like the outdoor setting hurt passing timing a little bit as well.

Neither team moved the ball well for consistent open shots, with UC posting 14 assists on 28 made baskets. Elijah Perryman (eight points, game-high five assists) fought through the new environment to play pretty well in an elevated spot without Campbell, Colvin, or Collins.

The young Utah State transfer guard led the team in assists and commanded the floor well across his 16 minutes. The frontcourt hierarchy is pretty well set with Jayden Hastings (16 points, six rebounds), Riley Allenspach (one points, three rebounds) and Tyler Tejada (17 points, five rebounds).

How the backcourt works out over the next month is a huge storyline.

Player of the Game: Jayden Hastings/Tyler Tejada

The two talents share the POTG crown in this one. Hastings was consistently strong all afternoon, rolling well to the basket and leading UC in scoring just about the whole game.

The Boston College transfer did a nice job working to his hot spots and even hit a three in this one. Cincinnati would love to have every player be a threat from outside, and Hastings is a key factor toward that goal.

Rims gotta watch out when Hastings is rumbling around; he looks like an interior force.

We know Tejada can hit from deep when in a rhythm (32.3% career outside shooter). He didn't find the outside shot on Wednesday, but he did a great job attacking the rim and getting to the low paint when the Bearcats needed someone to start complementing Hastings.

The right-side dribble drive is going to be a problem for opponents this season. He was a big reason Cincinnati posted 49 points in the second half after trailing 35-30.

Tylen Riley (game-high 23 points, three assists) also deserves a shoutout for playing pretty well in his Cincinnati live-action debut. He looked healthy and mobile attacking the basket after missing all the Bahamas exhibitions in August.

Cincinnati is back to practicing before another exhibition next Saturday at 5 p.m. ET against Illinois.

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