TicketsDec. 1, 2013
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Las Vegas, Nev. |  71 CINCINNATI | ||||||||||||
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LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team advanced to the championship game of the Lady Rebel Round-Up with a 71-64 win over UNC-Charlotte Saturday evening in Las Vegas. The Bearcats will face Fordham in the championship game Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT).
Jeanise Randolph (Chicago, Ill./Thornton Fractional North) picked up her second double-double of the season to lead the Bearcats in both scoring and rebounding. Her 20 points tied her career high total first set back on Feb. 15, 2011 at Villanova. Her 11 rebounds were a game high.
Alyesha Lovett (Newark, N.J./Malcolm X Shabazz) and Dayeesha Hollins (Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods) each added double-digit points with 14 and 12 respectively. Alexis Durley (Houston, Texas/Andy Dekaney) contributed nine points while Chelsea Jamison dished out a career-high five assists.
Overall the Cincinnati offense churned out a season-best 71 points on the top shooting performance of the season, making 41 percent (25-61) of their shots. Six different Bearcats tallied at least five points and UC recorded assists on 18 of 25 scores.
UC held advantages in points in the paint (32-26), bench scoring (19-6) and fast-break points (8-0). Cincinnati was also aided by a 47-36 rebounding advantage, marking the third game this season UC has held a plus-nine advantage on the boards.
Points from the free throw line also proved crucial for the Bearcats as UC went 14-of-17 from the charity stripe during the final three minutes and 29 seconds of the contest. Overall Cincinnati was 19-of-23 (82.6 percent) from the line, also a season-best mark.
Charlotte led by as many as six points during the first half following a three-pointer from Charlotte leading scorer Hillary Sigmon. However, UC responded with a quick 6-0 run to tie the contest at 20 all. Lovett started the scoring with a long jumper before two passes from Bianca Quisenberry (Springfield, Ohio/Tecumseh) led to scores from Randolph and Lovett.
Cincinnati was able to erase a two-point deficit at the break, outscoring Charlotte 38-29 during the final 20 minutes. Just two minutes into the half, UC exploded for a 9-0 run and never looked back. Durley added six points during they run while Shelbi Chandler (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) converted the and-one free throw following her score to account for three points.
The Bearcats pushed the lead to as many as 10 during the final minutes of the contest, never letting Charlotte cut the lead to less than four to finish off the 71-64 win.
The Bearcats will face off with Fordham in the championship game of the UNLV Lady Rebel Round-Up Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.