TicketsNov. 25, 2009
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Michelle Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) and Kahla Roudebush (Noblesville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) scored 15 points each to lead the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team to a 67-54 win over Western Carolina on Tuesday (Nov. 24) night in the first round of the 2009 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout.
The Bearcats (3-1) advanced to take on host Alaska Anchorage in the championship game on Wednesday, Nov. 25, at 9 p.m. ET. The Seawolves are three-time defending champions of their annual tournament.
Roudebush was 6-of-12 from the floor and hit three three-pointers while adding six rebounds, three assists, and a pair of blocks. Jones was an efficient 7-of-9 from the field with seven rebounds.
Western Carolina jumped out to a 9-0 lead at the 13:58 mark on a three-pointer from Kaila'Shea Menendez. Cincinnati answered with an 11-0 run, capped by a Stephanie Stevens (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central) layup with 9:37 to go.
The teams traded baskets and Stevens put UC ahead, 26-24, with a pair of free throws with less than a minute to go in the half.
Jones led the Bearcats in the first stanza with nine points, but was plagued by foul trouble, picking up three fouls in the first 20 minutes.
UC held a slim lead throughout the first eight minutes of the second half. A Kristin Feemster layup at the 11:24 mark gave Western Carolina (1-3) a 41-40 lead, but the Bearcats quickly answered with a 19-3 run to take a commanding 59-44 lead with just under six minutes to play.
A 6-0 mini-run by the Catamounts cut the UC lead to nine with 1:47 to play, but Carla Jacobs (Cleveland, Ohio/Regina) and Shareese Ulis (Toledo, Ohio/Trinity Valley C.C.) combined to knock down 6-of-6 from the free throw line to close out the game and send the Bearcats into the Great Alaska Shootout championship game.
Daress McClung (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) again played well in 21 minutes off the bench, scoring eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, grabbing eight rebounds, and adding three assists.
UC shot 50 percent (14-28) in the second half, including 9-of-10 from the free throw line.
Roudebush was named the Carrs/Safeway Player of the Game.