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COLUMBUS, Ohio - The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team dropped its second game of the season Sunday afternoon, an 80-38 setback to the No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes inside Value City Arena.
The loss is the Bearcats' (6-2) first road defeat of the season and snaps a four-game winning streak. Conversely, the Buckeyes (6-3) halt a two-game losing slide.
UC came out of the gates energized, scoring the opening four points of the contest and holding a five-point lead midway through the first quarter. The Bearcats progressed to lead 18-12 at the end of one and even advanced to pull ahead by 11 points, 28-17, with 3:11 to go before halftime.
The nationally-ranked Buckeyes collected themselves late in the second quarter with a 10-0 run heading into halftime to trail 28-27 at the break. The OSU streak continued in the second half with a 12-0 surge. UC did battle back to reduce its deficit to five, 39-34, late in the third period, but saw OSU go on a 12-3 run to end the quarter and go up 51-37 heading into the fourth. UC would then be held scoreless for more than nine minutes in the final period, netting a free throw with 42 seconds remaining.
Junior Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) notched her fifth double-double of the season with a team-high 10 points and a game-high and season-best 17 rebounds. Junior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) narrowly missed her sixth double-figure scoring game of the year with nine points. Sophomore forward Maya Benham (Douglasville, Ga./Osborne) posted a season-best performance with five points and five rebounds off of the bench.
OSU's Kelsey Mitchell scored a game-high 23 points, while Alexa Hart added a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.
// THE SHORT STORY
UC scored the first four points of the game and put the pressure early on OSU with a 13-5 lead six minutes in. After the Buckeyes cut their deficit to 13-8 with 2:38 remaining in the first quarter, UC edged the home team, 5-4, over the duration of the period to take an 18-12 advantage into the second.
After the Buckeyes drilled a three-pointer to start the second quarter, the Bearcats answered with a 10-2 run to pull ahead by a game-high 11 points, 28-17, with 3:11 remaining before halftime. OSU responded with a 10-0 streak over the duration of the period to bring the score to 28-27 in favor of the Bearcats at the halftime break.
A near 10-minute scoring drought dating back to the second quarter plagued the Bearcats as the Buckeyes began the third quarter with a 12-0 run to shift the momentum of the game. UC battled back with a 6-0 streak to trail 39-34 with 3:20 to play in the period, but the home team countered with a 12-3 surge to end the quarter to go up 51-37 heading into the final stanza.
OSU put the game out of reach in the fourth period, increasing its lead throughout and holding the Bearcats scoreless until under a minute to play.
// KEY PLAYERS
CINCINNATI
Shanice Johnson: 10 points | 17 rebounds
Ana Owens: 9 points | 2 rebounds
Maya Benham: 5 points | 5 rebounds
OHIO STATE
Kelsey Mitchell: 23 points | 4 assists | 2 steals
Alexa Hart: 10 points | 12 rebounds | 2 steals
Sierra Calhoun: 9 points | 5 rebounds | 4 assists
// UP NEXT
UC will have a week off from competition before returning to action Sunday, Dec. 11, when it welcomes crosstown rival Xavier 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.