TicketsNov. 22, 2006
CINCINNATI - The Bearcats improved to 4-0 overall and brought head coach Laurie Pirtle one step closer to her 300th win at Cincinnati with a 83-51 win over St. Francis () on the eve of Thanksgiving at Fifth Third Arena. Five Bearcats scored in double figures, propelling UC to a 3-0 all-time record against the Red Flash. Pirtle picked up win No. 299.
UC set the pace and dominated the first half in the post and on the boards. Sophomore Michelle Jones led the way, topping her season-high - in the first period - with 14 points. SFU stayed with the Bearcats in the opening minutes, answering each UC basket and even taking an 8-6 lead with 16:52 left to play in the half, but then Cincinnati used a 15-2 run and held the Red Flash scoreless for nearly four minutes. UC scored 30 points in the paint and also had 18 second-chance points. The Bearcats - paced by Jones' 6 boards - had 30 rebounds to SFU's 9.
"The team talked a lot," said Pirtle. "I saw a lot of promising improvements in this game."
The second half saw more of the same as UC outscored the Red Flash, 38-28. SFU had outscored all but one opponent in the second half until tonight's contest against the Bearcats.
" Francis prides themselves on outscoring opponents in the second half," said Pirtle. "We challenged our girls to not allow that to happen. They stepped up and I was proud of their effort."