TicketsMarch 4, 2011
HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team dropped a 66-41 decision to No. 22 West Virginia in the first round of the 2011 BIG EAST Championship in the XL Center on Friday night (March 4).
Bjonee Reaves (San Bernardino, Calif./Neosho County) scored a team-high 11 points for the Bearcats, who fell to 9-20 on the season.
UC shot just 32.6 percent (15-of-46) from the field against West Virginia's (23-8) aggressive defense.
Cincinnati never lead after falling behind 6-0 in the first two minutes of the contest. The Bearcats battled back to draw within three, 20-17, with 9:41 to play in the first half, but a 17-6 run to close the stanza propelled the Mountaineers to a 37-23 halftime lead.
Neither team could muster much offense in the second half, combining for just seven points in the first eight-plus minutes. West Virginia took control from there and led by as much as 24, 49-25, with 10:31 to go.
The Bearcats scored 11 of the next 14 points to cut it to 53-39 with 6:28 to play, but that was as close as they could get.
Seniors Shareese Ulis (Toledo, Ohio/Trinity Valley C.C.) and Shelly Bellman (Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf) scored seven and six points, respectively, in their final game as Bearcats.
Bellman was honored prior to the game with the BIG EAST Sportsmanship award and the trophy accompanying it. Also honored pregame were freshmen Kayla Cook (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) and Jeanise Randolph (Calumet City, Ill./Thornton Fractional North), who were named to the BIG EAST all-Freshman team.
Bellman scored six points with four rebounds, while Cook tallied seven points with three rebounds. Randolph scored three points and grabbed a team-high six caroms.
West Virginia advances to play St. John's on Saturday at 6 p.m.