TicketsJan. 5, 2011
Postgame Interview with coach Elliott
TAMPA, Fla. - Shareese Ulis (Toledo, Ohio/Trinity Valley C.C.) scored 21 points and Bjonee Reaves (San Bernardino, Calif./Neosho County) hit the tying and game-winning free throws with six seconds left to lead the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team to a 57-56 win against USF on Wednesday (Jan. 5) in the Sun Dome.
Ulis was 8-of-17 from the floor, including 4-of-9 from three-point range and added four rebounds, three assists, a block, and a steal for the Bearcats (8-6, 1-1 BIG EAST), who earned their first BIG EAST win of the season.
Chanel Chisholm (Long Island, N.Y./Vanderbilt) continued her strong play of late with 11 points and eight rebounds. She also added two assists and a pair of steals. Jeanise Randolph (Calumet City, Ill./Thornton Fractional North) chipped in eight points and nine rebounds.
The Bearcats controlled action throughout the first half, leading by as much as 16, 29-13, with under four minutes to play. USF (9-7, 0-2) cut the lead to nine, but a three from Ulis and a layup from Randolph pushed the lead to 12 at intermission.
UC shot 56 percent in the first half while holding the Bulls without a field goal for over nine minutes en route to 24 percent shooting for the stanza.
USF came storming back early in the second half. A 9-0 run to start the frame cut the Bearcats' lead to 37-34 before Kayla Cook (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) hit a pair of free throws to stop the bleeding.
With UC leading 40-34, USF embarked on a 16-5 run to take its biggest lead of the game, 50-45, on a Jasmine Wynne steal and layup at the 7:22 mark.
UC fought back and cut the lead to 52-51 with 3:41 to play on a Randolph putback. After stops by both teams, Ulis hit a pull-up jumper from the right side with 1:30 to go to give the Bearcats a 53-52 advantage.
Andrea Smith answered with a jumper for the Bulls with 55 seconds to go and USF led, 54-53. Cook drove the baseline on UC's next possession and was fouled. She knocked down both free throws for a 55-54 lead with 35 seconds remaining.
After a timeout, USF executed a perfect back-door layup for Porche Grant with 11 seconds to go, taking a one point advantage and setting up Reaves' heroics.
The Bulls pressed following the made basket and Reaves took the inbounds pass up the far sideline and past her defender. She maneuvered all the way to the basket, where she was fouled attempting a layup with six seconds left. The junior college transfer calmly sank both shots for a 57-56 margin.
USF had one final chance, but Reaves was there again to poke the ball away from Leondra Doomes-Stephens and dribble out the clock.
UC shot just 5-of-25 in the second half, but hit 10-of-15 free throws. The Bearcats outshot the Bulls, 38 percent to 36 percent and hit seven threes to USF's three.
The Bearcats continue a two-game road trip when they travel to Morgantown to take on No. 6/7 West Virginia on Saturday at 4 p.m.