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CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team defeated the Memphis Tigers, 68-57, on Saturday afternoon inside Fifth Third Arena.
Sweeping the regular season series, UC improved to 16-10 overall and 7-6 in American Athletic Conference action. The Bearcats' 16 wins is their most since going 16-16 in 2011-12 and their seven conference victories is the highest since tallying seven during the 2005-06 season. Meanwhile, UM's three-game win streak was snapped as it fell to 13-13 on the year and 6-7 in the league.
The Bearcats were led by a trio of double-digit scorers including 19 points by junior forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) who recorded her 11th double-double of the season with 13 rebounds. Johnson also swiped a game-high four steals and dished out three assists. Junior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) followed with 15 points and a game-best six assists to go along with three steals. Freshman forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) contributed to UC's 20 bench points with a season-high 12 as well as four rebounds. The Tigers were paced by Cheyenne Creighton's double-double of a game-high 21 points as well as 11 rebounds.
Leading by five points at halftime and edging the visitors 18-15 in the third quarter, the Bearcats looked poised to take control of the game in the fourth. An 11-point advantage was reduced to three with five minutes to play and a five point lead with a minute to play stayed true as UC notched its 11th home triumph of the season. Following the game, more than 100 YMCA Junior Bearcats took part in an autograph session, on-court shootaround, and basketball clinic to help celebrate the victory.
Following an even opening quarter which featured seven lead changes, an Owens three-pointer at the five minute mark of the second quarter gave UC the then-largest lead of the game of six points, 26-20. Over the final five minutes of the second period, the Bearcats were outscored 9-8 but took a 34-29 advantage into the halftime break.
UC increased its lead to as many as nine points three minutes into the second half but the Tigers pulled within five. The Bearcats again surged to go ahead by nine with four minutes to go in the third quarter. A late basket by senior guard Bianca Quisenberry (Springfield, Ohio/Tecumseh) gave UC a 52-44 advantage going into the final period. The Red & Black pulled ahead by 10 early in the fourth before the Tigers went on a 7-0 run to get within three points, 57-54, midway through the period. Leading by only five with 1:15 remaining, UC made plays down the stretch to stave off any UM comeback and earned a 68-57 victory.
// UP NEXT
UC will begin its final regular season road swing on Wednesday, Feb. 22 when it travels to Greenville, North Carolina to take on the East Carolina Pirates at 7 p.m. inside Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.
// 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.