TicketsFeb. 24, 2007
, - The University of could not overcome a 10-point halftime deficit, falling to West Virginia, 61-49, on Saturday at WVU Coliseum.
Cincinnati (14-13, 5-9 BIG EAST) cut the lead to eight in the first minute of the second stanza on a couple of Karen Twehues free throws, but that's as close the Bearcats would get. The Mountaineers (19-9, 10-5 BIG EAST) kept UC at bay and came away with the conference win, bettering their chances to earn a bye in the BIG EAST Championship. UC is still in good shape to earn a spot in the tournament, holding on to their 11th place standing. The top 12 teams advance.
Olayinka Sanni was too much for UC, pouring in a game-high 22 points for the Mountaineers. Karen Twehues led the Bearcats with 17 points, the second consecutive game the senior has led the Bearcats in that category. Michelle Jones had a game-high 11 rebounds, helping UC outrebound WVU, 41-31. Treasure Humphries had eight to go along with her nine points and four steals. Shelly Bellman had a team-high four assists for the Bearcats.
The Bearcats had a few calls go against them in the opening stanza. Humphries' break away lay up at the buzzer, which was originally counted, was waved off after a video replay. When the points were taken off the board WVU owned a 39-29 lead.
Twehues started off the scoring, hitting one of four treys (4-of-6) in the first half. The senior, who averages 8.8 points, led the Bearcats with 13 points in the first period. The Mountaineers went on a 7-0 run. Humphries put UC back on top with a steal and coast-to-coast layup to give the Bearcats a 15-14 lead with 11:15 to play. WVU rattled off another run, this one an eight-pointer, to go up 22-15 with 8:35 to play. UC went three minutes without a field goal.
The Bearcats cut the lead to 29-25 on another one of Twehues' treys at the 5:02 mark. Twehues drained another at the 2:45 mark, UC's last made field goal of the half to cut it to a three-point lead, 31-28. Sanni scored 16 points to pace the Mountaineers, including two three-point plays the hard way. She helped WVU to a team field goal percentage of 52 percent (15-29).
outrebounded WVU, 20-12, with the help of six boards each by Humphries and Jones.
owned its largest lead of the half, 39-28, on a Sparkle Davis triple with 45 seconds to play. UC had another video replay go against them when Twehues was fouled on what appeared to be a 3-point attempt. The officials determined her foot was on the line, giving her just two throws from the charity stripe. She hit one of the chances to give the Bearcats 29 points.
The Bearcats play their final regular season game at home vs. on Monday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at Fifth Third Arena. UC will celebrate Senior Night, recognizing Bianca Roldan-Jarus, Karen Twehues and Treasure Humphries at the conclusion of the BIG EAST contest against the .