TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati women's basketball was defeated, 77-73, by the Saint Francis Red Flash on Monday night at Cincinnati State.
With the loss, the Bearcats dropped to 4-3 on the season and 4-2 at home. Meanwhile, the Red Flash improved to 3-2 overall and 2-2 on the road.
The two teams played an up-and-down first half in which the visitors took a 38-35 advantage into the halftime break. Facing a deficit, UC came out of the locker room energized in the third quarter and outscored SFU 28-16 in the period to hold a 63-54 advantage going into the final stanza. The Bearcats upped their lead to as many as 14 points, 68-54, with seven minutes to go in the game, but saw the Red Flash respond with an 18-4 run to tie the game at 72 with two minutes left to play. Back-to-back unanswered buckets from SFU put the visitors ahead, 76-72, with 25 seconds to go. Down three with eight seconds remaining, a 3-point attempt from junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) went errant as the Red Flash corralled the rebound and iced the game away from the free-throw line, 77-73.
Senior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) scored a season-best and team-high 19 points, along with four assists and four steals. Sophomore forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) added a career-high 16 points as well as six rebounds. Senior forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) stuffed the stat sheet as she does with 15 points, six rebounds, six assists, and six steals. SFU's Jessica Kovatch scored a game-high 33 points, while Ace Harrison posted 24 points and 10 rebounds.
Both teams shot the ball from the field at a 41-percent clip and knocked down more than 70 percent of their free throws, but the Red Flash's 9-4 edge in 3-point makes was a difference maker. UC scored 36 points in the paint and scored 21 points off of 18 offensive rebounds. The Bearcats were on the short end in points off turnovers, 28-18, but did get 11 points from their bench.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will cap its seven-game homestand Thursday when they welcome Southeast Missouri State to Saint Ursula Academy Gymnasium & Convocation Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff. Admission to the game will be free as part of the Experience UC initiative.
With the loss, the Bearcats dropped to 4-3 on the season and 4-2 at home. Meanwhile, the Red Flash improved to 3-2 overall and 2-2 on the road.
The two teams played an up-and-down first half in which the visitors took a 38-35 advantage into the halftime break. Facing a deficit, UC came out of the locker room energized in the third quarter and outscored SFU 28-16 in the period to hold a 63-54 advantage going into the final stanza. The Bearcats upped their lead to as many as 14 points, 68-54, with seven minutes to go in the game, but saw the Red Flash respond with an 18-4 run to tie the game at 72 with two minutes left to play. Back-to-back unanswered buckets from SFU put the visitors ahead, 76-72, with 25 seconds to go. Down three with eight seconds remaining, a 3-point attempt from junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) went errant as the Red Flash corralled the rebound and iced the game away from the free-throw line, 77-73.
Senior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) scored a season-best and team-high 19 points, along with four assists and four steals. Sophomore forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) added a career-high 16 points as well as six rebounds. Senior forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) stuffed the stat sheet as she does with 15 points, six rebounds, six assists, and six steals. SFU's Jessica Kovatch scored a game-high 33 points, while Ace Harrison posted 24 points and 10 rebounds.
Both teams shot the ball from the field at a 41-percent clip and knocked down more than 70 percent of their free throws, but the Red Flash's 9-4 edge in 3-point makes was a difference maker. UC scored 36 points in the paint and scored 21 points off of 18 offensive rebounds. The Bearcats were on the short end in points off turnovers, 28-18, but did get 11 points from their bench.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will cap its seven-game homestand Thursday when they welcome Southeast Missouri State to Saint Ursula Academy Gymnasium & Convocation Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff. Admission to the game will be free as part of the Experience UC initiative.