TicketsDec. 29, 2009
CINCINNATI - Behind 16 points from senior Michelle Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) and 14 points from senior Kahla Roudebush (Noblesville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern), the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team extended its winning streak to three games with a 51-45 win over Wright State University Tuesday evening at Fifth Third Arena. Cincinnati (7-5) and Wright State (4-6) turned the ball over 22 times apiece, but the Bearcats outscored the Raiders by six at the charity stripe, which proved to be the difference.
Roudebush's 14 points moved her past K.B. Sharp, Bev Ventura, Anita Tersigni, and Stephanie Geter into 13th on UC's all-time scoring list with 1,178 points. Her last five points came in the final 1:39 helping UC close out the six-point win.
In a first-half characterized by turnovers, Cincinnati hit half of its shots (10-of-20) from the field to take a three-point lead, 25-22, into intermission. UC connected on just one of its first four shots in the opening four minutes before making four consecutive shots to take an 11-6 lead with 13:22 to play.
Just as the Bearcats got rolling, UC went scoreless from the field over a 6:42 stretch and during that period, the Raiders used an 11-2 surge to recapture a 17-13 lead with under eight minutes to play.
Cincinnati remained composed over the final seven minutes and held WSU to just one field goal while using treys from junior Carla Jacobs (Cleveland, Ohio/Regina) and Roudebush to take the lead into the half.
Jones was effective inside for UC with eight points in the first half but missed the final minutes of the half after picking up her second foul. Jones reestablished her dominance in the paint in the early stages of the second half scoring Cincinnati's first six points of the half to give the Bearcats a 31-26 lead with 16:55 to play.
A sophomore Val Schuster (Wausau, Wis./Wausau Newman Senior) three-pointer with 12:13 to play widened UC's lead to seven-points, 40-33, but the Bearcats went scoreless for the next 5:26, allowing Wright State to close within one point, 40-39, with 6:48 on the clock.
Leading by two points, 45-43, with 1:43 to play, Roudebush made a lay-up and was fouled with 1:39 remaining upping the lead to 47-43. The Bearcats used three consecutive offensive rebounds to dwindle the clock down to 33 seconds before another jumper by Roudebush moved the lead back to six, 49-43.
The Raiders made a lay-up with 19 seconds on the clock and the Bearcats hit 2-of-4 free throws down the stretch to close out the 51-45 victory.
Jones finished with a team-high 16 points, her eighth double-figure scoring effort of the season, and added five rebounds. Jacobs chipped in six points and a game-high tying six rebounds.
UC has now held its last three opponents to 50 points or less as it heads into its BIG EAST Conference opener on Saturday, Jan. 2, at 2 p.m., against Louisville in Fifth Third Arena.