TicketsDec. 28, 2011
BLACKSBURG, Va. - The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team (8-5) held off a late Virginia Tech rally as it defeated the Hokies (3-9), 66-55, on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Hokie Classic at Cassell Coliseum. Dayeesha Hollins (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods/Michigan) netted a season-high 26 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-2 from behind the arc and 10-of-11 from the free throw line.
"The last time I said to my team when we met after the game was 'Day's back,' and everyone game a rousing applause to her," said head coach Jamelle Elliott. "The one game she played after she came back from her shoulder injury, you could tell she was a little tentative with her left shoulder, but today she came out and she was the aggressive Day that we love. She was able to get to the basket, made a couple threes, and the thing that's the most under rated is her defensive efforts - especially with helping guard (Virginia Tech's) best player."
The Bearcats took the early lead on a Hollins' jumper and tied it up two times in the first four minutes before it pulled away from the Hokies. Virginia Tech couldn't come closer to 10 to the Bearcats as it benched leading scorer Monet Tellier with six minutes remaining in the half after recording her third foul. A Hollins' 3-ball with 4:24 left gave UC a 28-13 lead but the Hokies made it a 10-point game with 37 second remaining - until Hollins nailed a half-court buzzer beater to give UC the 34-21 lead heading into the break.
The Hokies drew two quick fouls to start the second half but couldn't get a bucket as Kayla Cook (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) and Bjonee Reaves (San Bernardino, Calif./Cajon) drained two from 3-point land to increase the lead, 42-21, with 17:18 left.
Reaves missed both shots after VT's head coach Dennis Wolff was given a technical with 11:26 left, but the hosts didn't have many scorers to turn to with three players in foul trouble. The Bearcats held its largest lead, 56-32, with 7:29 left, but the Latorri Hines-Allen stepped up and scored eight in a row during VT's 16-2 run to make it 58-48 at the 2:43 mark. But it was too little too late for the Hokies, who finally settled with the 66-55 score.
Despite scoring just two points in the first half, Tellier led Virginia Tech with 14 points, while Hines-Allen and Alyssa Fenyn each had 13 a piece. The Hokies shot just 36 percent (21-59), while the Bearcats made 43 percent (20-47) of its shots.
UC will face High Point in the Hilton Garden Inn Hokie Classic championship game on Thursday, Dec. 29 at 5 p.m.