TicketsFeb. 11, 2006
VILLANOVA, Pa. - Cincinnati scored a season-low 40 points and suffered its worst defeat in BIG EAST play, falling at Villanova, 64-40, on Saturday afternoon at The Pavilion.
VU, who leads the BIG EAST in three-pointers, made a season-high 13, including six by Jenna Viani. The Wildcats improved to 14-8 overall and 5-6 in league play. The Bearcats shot just .360 from the field in dropping their third-straight game and seeing their record fall to 14-8 and 4-7.
Viani finished with 24 points, five rebounds and four assists for VU, who entered the game last in the league in rebounding margin, but outrebounded UC, 32-30.
Michelle Jones was the only Bearcat in double-figures with 10 points and six rebounds. Karen Twehues added eight points and Anne Stephens had seven. UC's leading scorers, Treasure Humphries and Shelly Bellman, combined for 12 rebounds and seven assists, but just seven points, including none in the first half.
The Bearcats will look to stop their slide at home, as they host West Virginia on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. in Fifth Third Arena.
Jones, who had eight of UC's 17 first-half points, scored three in the opening three minutes to help UC to a 5-4 lead. That would be the last of the game for the Bearcats. Viani made two three-pointers and Jill Stephens scored twice as the Wildcats earned a 12-10 lead with 9:27 left.
The Bearcats were then held scoreless for the next six minutes, as VU scored the next 19 points. Viani had 11 of the 19 points, making three more treys. Kate Mager Dessart added four points, the final two making the score 29-10 with 4:36 to play.
Jones scored five points in the final two minutes to stem the tide, but the Wildcats hit two more triples and took a 37-17 lead into halftime.
The Bearcats managed just 7-of-21 shooting in the half and turned the ball over 10 times. Jones added three rebounds to her eight points and Bellman had seven boards.
The Wildcats shot 47 percent from the field, including 7-of-20 (.350) from behind the arc. Viani scored 19 points, making five-of-nine three-pointers. VU had just two turnovers and outscored UC, 15-1, on points off turnovers.
Twehues opened the second half with a three for the Bearcats, but the Wildcats hit three more triples in scoring 15 of the next 19 points to open up a 52-24 lead with 8:43 to go.
UC scored the next six points, but Courtney Roantree hit back-to-back three-pointers to erase the run and UC never got closer than 24.