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CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team was defeated, 51-48, by the Georgia Lady Bulldogs on Thursday afternoon inside Fifth Third Arena.
UC has now dropped its third-consecutive game and falls to 6-4 on the season, while UGA improves to 7-3 overall.
The matinee was tightly-contested throughout with four ties and six lead changes. After the two teams played to a first half draw, the Lady Bulldogs opened the second half with an 8-0 run to take the largest lead of the game. The Bearcats countered to cut their deficit to just one point, 49-48, with 2:54 remaining in the fourth quarter. After a pair of free-throw conversions from UGA with 2:15 to go and a subsequent scoreless two minutes from both squads, UC had the ball out of timeout with four seconds to play but were unable to get a shot off as the Lady Bulldogs escaped with the victory.
Junior Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) recorded her sixth double-double of the season with game highs of 19 points and 13 rebounds. Junior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) posted her seventh double-figure scoring game of the year and the 47th of her career with 11 points.
UGA had three players with double-figure scoring performances with Pachis Roberts tallying a team-best 14 points, as well as a team-high eight rebounds, while Simone Costa and Caliya Robinson scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.
// QUARTER-BY-QUARTER BREAKDOWN
UC found itself down by six points on two occasions in the first quarter but battled back each time. The Bearcats faced a 14-8 deficit with 1:33 remaining in the period but ended the quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 16-14 advantage into the second.
The second quarter was evenly played with three ties and four lead changes. The largest lead by any team in the period was three points, 23-20, by UC with 6:57 remaining before halftime. A lay-in by Georgia with 27 seconds to play brought the score to 26-26 at the break.
UGA began the third quarter with an 8-0 run to give the Lady Bulldogs their largest lead of the game. The Bearcats were unable to make up much ground over the duration of the period and faced a 41-34 deficit heading into the final quarter.
UC outscored UGA, 12-6, over the opening five-and-a-half minutes of the fourth period to pull within one. The Bearcats went cold from the field over the final 4:21 with no made field goals, while the Lady Bulldogs managed just one.
// KEY PLAYERS
CINCINNATI
Shanice Johnson: 19 points | 13 rebounds | 2 steals
Ana Owens: 11 points | 3 rebounds | 3 assists
Bianca Quisenberry: 5 points | 5 rebounds | 2 assists
GEORGIA
Pachis Roberts: 14 points | 8 rebounds | 6 steals
Simone Costa: 11 points | 4 rebounds | 2 assists | 2 steals
Caliya Robinson: 10 points | 6 rebounds | 3 assists | 2 blocks | 2 steals
// UP NEXT
UC will continue its homestand Sunday, Dec. 18, when it welcomes Clarion to Fifth Third Arena for a 2 p.m. tipoff.
// EXPERIENCE UC
Again, this season, the Bearcats will be participating in the University's "Experience UC" initiative which offers complimentary, free of charge admission to home games. The initiative is geared toward inviting the community to campus to see firsthand the great things about and surrounding the University. Groups interested in attending games in 2015-16 should contact Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Branding Luke Willman (513-556-1081; luke.willman@uc.edu) for more information.
// MOBILE APP: CINCINNATI GAMEDAY
Improved for the 2016 season, the Cincinnati Gameday app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices offers fans a wide variety of information on the Bearcats -- home and away. The free app is available in the App Store and Google Play. The app offers live scores & stats, social interaction, and fan maps, among other features, to enhance the Cincinnati gameday experience.