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CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team recovered from a one-point, halftime deficit with a dominant second half to defeat the Houston Cougars, 85-64, on Saturday afternoon at Fifth Third Arena.
With the win UC moves to 11-5 on the season and 2-1 in American Athletic Conference play. Meanwhile, Houston drops to 8-5 overall and evens up at 1-1 in league action.
The Bearcats' big three of junior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North), senior guard Bianca Quisenberry (Springfield, Ohio/Tecumseh), and junior forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe Community CC) accounted for 76 percent of UC's scoring on the day. Owens led the way with her first double-double of the season, the fourth of her career and her first involving assists with 22 points and a career-high and game-best 12 dimes. Quisenberry also added 22 points and swiped a game-high-tying three steals. Johnson recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 21 points and a game-best 12 rebounds. Kierra Graves paced UH with 20 points.
For the second-consecutive game, the Bearcats came out of halftime energized following an evenly-played first half. Facing a 39-38 deficit at the break, UC reeled off the first 10 points of the third quarter. The momentum continued throughout the period as the Bearcats outscored the Cougars 28-11 to take control of the game. UC did not let up in the fourth quarter, owning no less than a 13-point lead. A 6-2 surge over the final 1:44 gave UC its largest lead of the game as it sent UH back to the Lonestar State with an 85-64 defeat.
// QUARTER-BY-QUARTER BREAKDOWN
UH scored the opening six points of the game, but the Bearcats answered back by outscoring the Cougars, 10-6, going into the first media timeout at the 4:30 mark of the first quarter. A Quisenberry three-pointer with 3:51 go in the period gave UC its first lead of the game. A late UH triple tied the game up at 19 heading into the second quarter.
The Bearcats responded to a four-point, 25-21, deficit with 8:30 remaining in the second with four-straight points to tie the game. After the two teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, UC manufactured an 11-6 surge to take a 36-31 advantage with 4:23 to go before halftime. Following the Bearcats taking a 38-35 lead with 1:32 to play in the period, the Cougars ended the half with a 4-0 streak to hold a 39-38 advantage at the break.
UC opened the third quarter on a 10-0 run and continued on to lead by as many as 13 with 5:23 remaining in the period. The second half of the quarter was much like the first as the Bearcats pulled ahead by a then-game-high 20 points, 66-46, with 1:56 remaining in the period. In total, UC put together its most impressive quarter of the season as it outscored the Cougars 28-11 to take control of the game.
The Cougars did not go down without a fight as they cut their deficit to 13 points, 70-57, with 5:37 remaining in the game. The Bearcats answered with a 7-1 surge over the next three minutes to pull ahead by 19. UC outscored UH 6-4 over the final two minutes of the contest.
// KEY PLAYERS
CINCINNATI
Ana Owens: 22 points | 12 assists | 6 rebounds
Bianca Quisenberry: 22 points | 3 rebounds | 3 steals
Shanice Johnson: 21 points | 12 rebounds | 5 assists | 3 steals | 2 blocks
HOUSTON
Kierra Graves: 20 points | 3 rebounds | 3 assists
Chyanne Butler: 14 points | 4 assists
Jasmyne Harris: 10 points | 6 rebounds | 3 blocks
// UP NEXT
UC will have a week off from competition before returning to action on Saturday, Jan. 14, when it travels to Memphis, Tennessee to take on the Memphis Tigers at 2 p.m. ET inside Elma Roane Fieldhouse.
// 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.