TicketsJan. 3, 2012
CINCINNATI - Dayeesha Hollins (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods/Michigan) scored a game-high 22 points, but it wasn't enough as the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team (9-6, 0-2 BIG EAST) was defeated by the USF Bulls (9-6, 1-0 BIG EAST), 58-55, on Tuesday, Jan. 3 at Fifth Third Arena.
After shooting 50 percent (13-26) in the first half, the Bearcats lost a 31-27 halftime lead by shooting just 34 percent (9-26) in the second stanza. Senior Chanel Chisholm (Long Island, N.Y./North Babylon/Vanderbilt) carried UC in the final minutes, but the Bearcats still saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.
Chisholm and Tiffany Turner (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) were among UC's other double-digit scorers, who pitched in 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Hollins put up the first nine points for the Bearcats, including two 3-pointers, to give the hosts the 9-5 advantage just three minutes into the game. USF then hit back-to-back 3-balls to give the Bulls the first lead, 11-9, but UC continued to keep the narrow margin until USF knotted it up at 22 with less than four minutes remaining.
It was tied up once more before Cincinnati went on a roll - scoring the last seven points of the half to head into the break with a 31-27 lead.
UC came out flat in the second half, scoring five points in the first two minutes before going scoreless for five minutes while USF went on an 11-0 run to make it 40-36 with 12:46 left. Hollins stopped the drought, but Cincinnati continued to struggle with its shooting, allowing the Bulls to pull ahead by 11, 53-42, with less than four minutes remaining.
Chisholm single-handedly made it a four-point game, 53-49, when she went on a 7-0 run to narrow the deficit, 53-49, with 1:34 left on the clock. Alyesha Lovett (Newark, N.J./Malcolm X Shabazz) scored the final five points, including a 3-pointer with .02 seconds left, but it was too little too late as the Bulls held on for the 58-55 victory.
Jasmine Wynne had a team-best 16 points for USF, while the team shot just 37 percent (18-48) from the field. Instead, it relied on its perimeter shooting - making nearly 43 percent from behind the arc (6-14).
Cincinnati travels to Piscataway, N.J. to take on Rutgers on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. The game will be televised on the BIG EAST Network.