TicketsUC Takes Exhibition Opener, 71-44
Contact: Geoff Wiswell
11/4/2004
Crystal Ashley recorded 15 points and eight rebounds on Thursday. |
CINCINNATI, Ohio ? Four players scored in doubles figures and the Bearcats forced 27 turnovers as Cincinnati defeated Findlay, 71-44, in a women?s basketball exhibition on Thursday night at Fifth Third Arena at Shoemaker Center.
Junior Bellva May, seeing her first action for UC, scored a game-high 20 points on 10-of-20 shooting with six steals. Crystal Ashley added 15 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while Anne Stephens and Karen Twehues each scored 14. Toni Slaughter also six steals as the Bearcats totaled 16 in the game. They scored 26 points off the Oiler turnovers.
The Bearcats shot just .387 from the field for the game, but held UF to .326 and outrebounded Findlay, 43-32.
?We?ve still got a lot of work to do,? said head coach Laurie Pirtle. ?We didn?t do a lot of good things offensively, defensively, or rebounding.?
The Bearcats conclude their exhibition season on Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. when they face the Ohio Legends, featuring former Bearcats Brittani Young and DeAnna Stevenson.
UC was without starting point guard Micah Harvey or one of her back-ups, Treasure Humphries, both out with injuries. Leslie Knoch played all 40 minutes at the point and handed out six assists.
For Findlay, Michelle Vorst scored 16 points and Lindsay Leffert added 10. Julie Kafun had a team-high six rebounds.
The game was tied at 13-13 almost halfway through the first half as both teams struggled offensively. Twehues scored all 12 of her first half points in a 26-10 run by UC to close the half. She hit the Bearcats? only two three-pointers of the night to help them to a 39-23 halftime lead.
May also had 12 points at the half and Slaughter already had four steals.
UC came out stronger in the second half, scoring 15 of the first 19 points to take a 54-27 lead with 11:51 left. Stephens scored the first five points, and then May scored the next six.
Stephens scored six-straight points to put the Bearcats up 64-33 with 5:52 left. UC made just one field goal the rest of the way.