TicketsNov. 30, 2008
CINCINNATI - Shelly Bellman (Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf) scored a game-high 16 points, including a three-pointer with 19 seconds to play to lead the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team to a 52-47 win against Eastern Illinois in the finale of the Courtyard by Marriott Florence Thanksgiving Classic. The Bearcats won the holiday tournament after defeating Mississippi Valley State, Savannah State and EIU over the weekend.
Kahla Roudebush (Noblesville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) scored 11 points and freshman Shanasa Sanders (Jacksonville, Fla./Ribault Senior) tied a career high with nine points and added four assists for the Bearcats (5-1).
UC's defense again led the way, holding the Panthers (4-3) to 47 points and forcing 21 turnovers. No opponent has scored 60 points against the Bearcats this season.
"I can't say enough about our defense," head coach J. Kelley Hall said. "Eastern Illinois is going to be an NCAA team. I believe they will win their league and go on to win their tournament. Our defense did a great job of taking the things that they wanted to do."
Playing its third game in as many days, UC got off to a sluggish start, missing its first three shots and falling behind 5-0. Sanders hit a three to get the Bearcats started and Bellman followed with the first of her four threes to pull the Bearcats within one at 7-6.
Back-to-back triples by EIU pushed the Panther's lead to seven points at 13-6, but UC closed the half on a 27-9 run to take a five point lead into the locker room, 27-22.
Sanders had eight points at the half, knocking down a pair of three-pointers. The Bearcats forced Eastern Illinois into 12 turnovers in the first 20 minutes and gathered eight offensive rebounds, scoring nine points off turnovers and six second-chance points.
The Panthers fought back in the second half and took a one-point lead (35-34) on an Ellen Canale jumper with 11:49 to play. UC responded with an Angel Morgan (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield North) layup and a Bellman jumper to recapture a three-point advantage.
The Bearcats went up by seven, 48-41, on a Bellman three with just under five minutes to go, but the visitors would not go away, as Rachel Galligan scored the next two baskets to cut the lead to three with 1:19 to play. After an EIU foul, the Bearcats ran the shot clock down and the ball ended up in the hands of Bellman, who hoisted from 25 feet away as the shot clock expired. Her fourth three of the game gave the Bearcats a six-point lead with 19.4 seconds on the clock.
A layup by Galligan cut the lead to four, but Sanders knocked down one-of-two free throws with four seconds to play to produce the final margin.
Eastern Illinois was led by Canale, who scored 15 points and Galligan, who added 12.
The Bearcats welcome regional foe Dayton to Fifth Third Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. The Skyline Chili Women's Crosstown Shootout against Xavier follows on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. Tickets for both games are available at the door or by calling 1-877-CATS-TIX for $7 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under and $3 each for groups of 10 or more.