TicketsFeb. 18, 2009
CINCINNATI - Shanasa Sanders (Jacksonville, Fla./Ribault Senior) and Jill Stephens (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) each scored 16 points, but the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team dropped its eighth straight game, a 67-61 decision against Marquette, on Wednesday night (Feb. 18) in Fifth Third Arena.
Angel Morgan (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield North) flirted with a triple-double, posting nine points, a game-high nine rebounds, and a career-high eight assists in 40 minutes.
Angel Robinson led Marquette with a game-high 17 points and Krystal Ellis and Jessica Pachko chipped in 15 and 14 points, respectively.
The Bearcats fell behind by as much as 13 in the first half after a Robinson three pushed Marquette to a 26-13 advantage with 6:27 to play in the stanza.
UC closed out the half on a 17-7 run to cut the MU lead to 33-30 going into the break, despite a 23-12 rebounding advantage for the Golden Eagles, which included 13 offensive caroms.
A Kahla Roudebush (Noblesville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) layup cut the Marquette lead to 33-32 early in the second half, but the Golden Eagles used a 17-3 run over the next five minutes to take a 50-35 lead.
A game Bearcats squad then embarked on a 17-3 run of their own to bring it back within one at 53-52 with 7:41 to play.
UC had five possessions to try to gain its first lead since the 14:54 mark of the first half, but they were unable to score.
Marquette then got back-to-back layups from Ellis to the lead to five, 57-52.
Sanders drilled a three on a kick out from Michelle Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) with 3:46 to go, trimming the lead back to a pair, 57-55.
Robinson hit a pair of free throws on the ensuing MU possession and Jones scored on a short jumper to again cut the lead to two, 59-57, with 2:32 to go.
After a miss by Marquette, a Roudebush triple wouldn't go down and Pachko scored on the other end to make it a four-point game, 61-57, with just 1:22 on the clock.
UC was unable to get closer than four, as the Golden Eagles knocked down 4-of-5 free throws in the final minute.
Marquette outrebounded the Bearcats, 33-28, but UC allowed just two offensive rebounds after intermission.
UC shot 46 percent from the floor and 47 from beyond the three-point line.
The Bearcats travel to Pittsburgh on Saturday, Feb. 21, for a 2 p.m. tilt against the Panthers at the Petersen Events Center.