TicketsMarch 2, 2009
CINCINNATI - Kahla Roudebush (Noblesville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) became the second Bearcat to reach the 1,000 career point plateau in as many games, but the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team dropped a 67-47 decision against DePaul on Senior Night at Fifth Third Arena on Monday.
Senior Jill Stephens (Mineral Wells, W.Va./Parkersburg South) scored a game-high 20 points and added seven rebounds in her last game in Fifth Third Arena.
Sam Quigley led the Blue Demons (22-8, 10-6 BIG EAST) with 18 points, knocking down 4-of-8 from three-point range. Keisha Hampton added 15 points, Dierdre Naughton scored 14, and Erin Cattell had 11 for DePaul.
After a quick start for the Blue Demons and an 11-5 lead, UC (13-16, 3-13 BIG EAST) used a 10-3 run to take a 15-14 lead with 12:25 to play in the first half.
DePaul ratcheted up its press and began to push the Bearcats out of a comfort zone. Turnovers and missed shots led to a 22-2 run and a 36-17 DePaul lead with 4:23 to play in the half.
The highlight of the first stanza for UC came when Roudebush knocked down the second of two free throws to record her 1,000th career point at the 2:00 mark. She became the 23rd player in school history to reach the mark following Stephens, who got her 1,000th point at USF on Saturday.
The Bearcats trailed, 39-22, at the half. Stephens scored 14 of UC's 22 first-half points.
DePaul continued its press in the second half and forced the Bearcats into 21 turnovers in the game. The Blue Demons converted those turnovers into 29 points.
Senior guard Angel Morgan (Springfield, Ohio/Springfield North), playing in her final game in Fifth Third Arena, scored just one point but grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and added five assists, her fifth straight game with four or more assists.
DePaul hit a season-high 14 three-pointers, including 10 in the first half when their lead was built.
UC outrebounded the Blue Demons, 34-30, and scored 20 points in the paint to DePaul's 12.
UC will open the BIG EAST Tournament on Friday, March 6, against No. 9 seed Marquette at 2 p.m. in the XL Center in Hartford, Conn.