TicketsUC Falls at Evansville, 69-50
Contact: Geoff Wiswell
12/15/2004
Toni Slaughter scored a career-high 20 points for her fourth-straight game in double-figures. |
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Megan Liffick scored a team-high 16 points, 10 from the free throw line, to lead the Evansville Purple Aces past the University of Cincinnati, 69-50, in women?s basketball action Wednesday night at Roberts Stadium. Eleven different players scored for Evansville.
?We need to execute better offensively and get more consistent on defense,? said head coach Laurie Pirtle. ?We?ll get it fixed.?
UE (5-1) got off to a fast start converting its first three baskets and two free throws to jump out to an 8-0 lead just 1:04 into the game. The Bearcats (3-5) had 4 turnovers in the first minute, leading to all eight points for the Purple Aces.
UC would fight back, closing the gap to 14-13 after an Anne Stephens layup at 10:59. But a 6-0 spurt, highlighted by a four-point play by Sarah Hyslop, stretched the Evansville lead back to seven and UC would get no closer than two for the rest of the game.
Stephens and Toni Slaughter, who tied a career high with 20 points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, scored all of Cincinnati?s 23 points in the first half, shooting a combined 9-15. The rest of the team was 0-12 from the field.
Evansville scored 16 of its 28 first-half points off of UC turnovers.
In the second stanza, four early points by Stephens brought the Bearcats to within four at 32-28. The teams traded baskets over the next few minutes before Leslie Knoch hit a three pointer from the left wing at the 13:50 mark, the first Bearcat to score besides Stephens and Slaughter.
A Crystal Ashley free throw brought UC to within 45-43 with 8:20 to play, but Evansville went on an 11-0 run, scoring six from the foul line, over the next 3:18 to pull away.
The Purple Aces, who shot 28-34 (.824) from the charity stripe, made 12 straight freebies down the stretch to put the game out of reach.
UC cashed in on only nine of its 22 free throw attempts for 40.9 percent.
UC had won the previous three meetings between the schools by an average of 34 points, including last season?s 81-43 drubbing at Fifth Third Arena.
Cincinnati is next in action on Saturday, Dec. 18, when they host Alabama State at Fifth Third Arena. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.