TicketsBearcats Drop C-USA Opener
Cold shooting and lack of rebounding dooms UC
Contact: Geoff Wiswell
1/7/2005
Anne Stephens led the Bearcats with 11 points and three blocks against UAB |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Carmen Guzman and Crystal McFadden each scored 15 points as UAB knocked off Cincinnati, 63-45, in each teams' C-USA opener tonight at Bartow Arena. The Bearcats fall to 5-8 (0-1 C-USA) on the season as UAB improves to 4-10 (1-0 C-USA).
UC jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead following an Ashley Brown jumper at the 17:14 mark of the first half. But UAB answered with a 13-2 run, taking a lead it would never relinquish.
An 8-0 UAB run put the Blazers up, 23-14, with 5:28 left in the stanza. UC answered with its own 11-3 run to cut the lead to two before a jumper at the first half buzzer by UAB's Lauren Brittingham sent the Blazers to the locker room with a 30-26 lead.
Cincinnati was twice able to cut the UAB lead to two early in the second half, but the Bearcats were outscored, 33-19, in the period to drop thier third straight contest.
"We don't hit open shots, we don't get easy baskets off offensive rebounds and fastbreaks and slowly but surely out defense whittles down and becomes nonexistent," UC head coach Laurie Pirtle said. "Those are bad ingredients and they lead to 45 points."
UC shot only .353 for the game and were outrebounded, 41-29. UAB grabbed 19 offensive rebounds to UC's 13, leading to a 23-7 edge in second-chance points for the Blazers.
Anne Stephens led UC with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting and registered three blocks. Karen Twehues scored seven, but shot just 3-for-12, including 1-for-6 from beyond the arc.
The Bearcats recorded a season-high eight blocked shots, the second-highest total in school history.
Freshman Emy Ogide made her first career start, and played well before getting into foul trouble. She finished with four points, two rebounds and two blocks in 12 minutes of action before fouling out late in the second half.
UC will travel to USF for a conference game with the Bulls on Sunday, Jan. 9. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.