Feb. 27, 2010
CINCINNATI - Kahla Roudebush (Noblesville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) scored 19 points, but the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team dropped a 72-60 decision to Pittsburgh on Senior Day in Fifth Third Arena on Feb. 27.
Michelle Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) had 15 points and four rebounds in her final home game for the Bearcats (11-16, 4-11).
Chelsea Cole led the Panthers (16-12, 5-10 BIG EAST) with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Brittany Thomas and Jania Sims scored 15 points apiece and Taneisha Harrison added 10 for Pitt, who outrebounded the Bearcats, 42-29.
The Bearcats jumped out to a 6-0 lead and led by as much as 9, 13-4, with 15:04 left in the first half. A 10-0 run for Pitt, capped by a Sims three at the 5:30 mark, gave the Panthers a 26-23 lead.
The Bearcats answred with five straight points and took the lead, 28-26, on a three from Roudebush with 4:04 remaining.
A three-point play from Shareese Ulis (Toledo, Ohio/Trinity Valley C.C.) gave Cincinnati a 33-31 lead, but Pitt got a layup from Sims at the end of the half to tie the game at 33 heading into the break.
A Val Schuster (Wausau, Wis./Wausau Newman Central) jumper tied the game at 41 with 14:10 left, but an 11-1 run for Pitt made it 52-42 with 10:39 to go.
The Bearcats cut the lead to eight on Roudebush's third three of the game at the 3:23 mark, but that was as close as they would get and Pittsburgh held on for its fifth conference victory.
Senior Stephanie Stevens (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central), also playing in her final game in Fifth Third Arena, scored six points and got her first start of the season.
Head coach Jamelle Elliott pledged $2 per point and $5 per three-pointer made to the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Elliott and the women's basketball program have formed a team to walk in the 21st annual Walk MS in downtown Cincinnati on April 24. More information can be found at http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/ucwomensbball.
Cincinnati honored four seniors prior to the game: Shelly Bellman (Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf), Jones, Roudebush, and Stevens.
The Bearcats head to Milwaukee, Wis., for the regular-season finale against Marquette on Monday, March 1 at 8 p.m. ET.