CINCINNATI -The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team got a career high 25 points from Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) and needed overtime, but picked up a win over Houston, 69-66, Saturday in American Athletic Conference action inside Fifth Third Arena.
CINCINNATI 69 (6-15, 3-7) | HOUSTON 66 (6-15, 1-9), OT
// THE SHORT STORY
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Cincinnati, who earned a sweep in the season series over the Cougars, with both games going to overtime ... Houston has lost seven games in-a-row ... UC led by 10 at the half, 32-22 ... The Bearcats' offense struggled in the second half, firing at a 32-percent clip (8-of-25) while the Cougars shot almost 50 percent in the half (14-of-29) ... Houston got five points from Jessieka Palmer in the final two minutes to knot things up at 60 and force overtime ... Owens scored the first four points in overtime to give UC a lead it would not relinquish ... she finished 7-of-17 from the field, hit four three pointers, grabbed four rebounds and dished out a pair of assists ... Marley Hill (Cleveland, Ohio/Columbus Africentric) was 3-of-4 from the free-throw line in overtime and 6-of-7 for the game ... Chelsea Jamison (Indianapolis, Ind./Broad Ripple) had a career-high 14 rebounds, helping UC win the rebounding battle 44-37 ... UC has scored 69 or more points in each of its wins this season.
// KEY PLAYERS
CINCINNATI
#3 Ana Owens: 25 points (career high) | 4 rebounds
#23 Jasmine Whitfield: 14 points | 5 assists
#35 Marley Hill: 12 points | 6 rebounds
#25 Chelsea Jamison: 14 rebounds (career high)
HOUSTON
#22 Marche' Amerson: 19 points | 3 rebounds
#24 Mariah Mitchell: 17 points | 4 rebounds
#21 Jessieka Palmer: 11 points | 3 rebounds
// KEY RUNS
- Cincinnati used a 22-12 run over the final 10:33 of the first half to lead 32-22 at the break.
- Houston used a 24-17 run in the first 11:41 of the second half to tie things up at 49 apiece with 7:39 left.
- Houston took its only lead of the game with 7:02 remaining, neither team would lead by more than five the rest of the way.
// NATIONAL GIRLS & WOMEN'S IN SPORTS DAY
Saturday marked National Girls and Women in Sports Day with the Bearcats welcoming over 250 girls in grades 5-8 for an educational program and the game against the Cougars. The Department of Athletics partnered with UC's College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH and Sport Administration) to create an education program which celebrated NGWSD and educated the participants about college degrees in sport administration as well as careers in the field. Sport administration programs, as well as leadership and management positions in sport, have been traditionally male dominated. The Bearcats also put on a free postgame clinic for the youths in attendance.
Peg Valentine, a longtime supporter of UC athletics and a member of UC's board of trustees, was honored by the American Athletic Conference during the game for her contributions to women's athletics at the University. Valentine endowed a scholarship for the women's tennis team, marking the first time in UC history a scholarship has been fully endowed specifically for a female student-athlete.
// WOMEN'S EXCELLENCE FUND
UCATS has recently established the women's excellence fund, with monies raised directly benefitting UC's women's sports and student-athletes. Some of the most recent gifts have come from Valentine, Ginger Warner, a member of UC's board of trustees and Richard and Laura Kretschmer, members of UC's teaching faculty.
For more information on the UCATS Women's Excellence Fund, please contact Dianna Rafferty at 513-556-0668 or dianna.rafferty@uc.edu.