TicketsPHILADELPHIA – University of Cincinnati women's basketball led from start to finish in a 70-52 win at Temple on Wednesday afternoon at the Liacouras Center.
With the victory, the Bearcats improved to 17-10 overall and 9-5 in American Athletic Conference action. The last time UC recorded 17 wins or more in a season was in 2005-06 when it went 17-12. Meanwhile, the Owls fell to 10-17 on the year and 2-12 in the AAC.
Aiming to extend its three-game winning streak, the Bearcats were impressive early on. With senior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) leading the charge, UC built up a 21-10 advantage at the end of one quarter and led by a then-game-high 13 points with eight minutes to go before halftime. Temple responded to cut its deficit to six, 26-20, with four minutes left in the second quarter. The Red & Black then edged the Owls, 6-4, over the duration of the period to take a 32-24 lead into intermission.
The Bearcats saw their advantage reduced to five with 7:01 remaining in the third quarter. UC responded with a 9-0 run over the next four minutes to jump back into the driver's seat. After TU ended the period with a 6-0 streak, the Red & Black bounced back to go ahead by 10 early in the final period. Subsequently, the Owls answered with a 5-0 burst to pull within five points. With the home team armed with the momentum in front of a raucous, Education Day crowd, the Bearcats reeled off a 10-0 run to take control of the game midway through the final stanza. The Red & Black stayed solid down the stretch on both ends of the court, resulting in a 70-52 victory.
The play of the seniors was the story of the day with the duo of Owens and forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) combining for 48 of UC's 70 points. Owens set the tone early, scoring 16 points in the first half, totaling 24 for the game. She also recorded game highs of seven points and three assists. Playing in front of friends and family in her hometown, Johnson, too, poured in 24 for her first 20-plus point game of the season. The Philly native also posted five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. In addition, sophomore guard Sam Rodgers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East) and junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) chipped in seven and six points, respectively.
UC turned in another solid defensive performance, holding the Owls to 33-percent shooting and forcing 10 turnovers. The Bearcats shot the ball at a 40-percent clip from the floor and made 17-of-24 free throws. The Red & Black was also dominant on the glass, outrebounding the home team, 48-36. Furthermore, UC shared the wealth with 17 assists on 24 made field goals.
// UP NEXT
Wrapping up its final road swing of the 2017-18 regular season, the Bearcats will travel to Tampa, Florida on Saturday, Feb. 24 to take on the No. 18 USF Bulls at 5 p.m. inside the Sun Dome.
With the victory, the Bearcats improved to 17-10 overall and 9-5 in American Athletic Conference action. The last time UC recorded 17 wins or more in a season was in 2005-06 when it went 17-12. Meanwhile, the Owls fell to 10-17 on the year and 2-12 in the AAC.
Aiming to extend its three-game winning streak, the Bearcats were impressive early on. With senior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) leading the charge, UC built up a 21-10 advantage at the end of one quarter and led by a then-game-high 13 points with eight minutes to go before halftime. Temple responded to cut its deficit to six, 26-20, with four minutes left in the second quarter. The Red & Black then edged the Owls, 6-4, over the duration of the period to take a 32-24 lead into intermission.
The Bearcats saw their advantage reduced to five with 7:01 remaining in the third quarter. UC responded with a 9-0 run over the next four minutes to jump back into the driver's seat. After TU ended the period with a 6-0 streak, the Red & Black bounced back to go ahead by 10 early in the final period. Subsequently, the Owls answered with a 5-0 burst to pull within five points. With the home team armed with the momentum in front of a raucous, Education Day crowd, the Bearcats reeled off a 10-0 run to take control of the game midway through the final stanza. The Red & Black stayed solid down the stretch on both ends of the court, resulting in a 70-52 victory.
The play of the seniors was the story of the day with the duo of Owens and forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) combining for 48 of UC's 70 points. Owens set the tone early, scoring 16 points in the first half, totaling 24 for the game. She also recorded game highs of seven points and three assists. Playing in front of friends and family in her hometown, Johnson, too, poured in 24 for her first 20-plus point game of the season. The Philly native also posted five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. In addition, sophomore guard Sam Rodgers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East) and junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) chipped in seven and six points, respectively.
UC turned in another solid defensive performance, holding the Owls to 33-percent shooting and forcing 10 turnovers. The Bearcats shot the ball at a 40-percent clip from the floor and made 17-of-24 free throws. The Red & Black was also dominant on the glass, outrebounding the home team, 48-36. Furthermore, UC shared the wealth with 17 assists on 24 made field goals.
// UP NEXT
Wrapping up its final road swing of the 2017-18 regular season, the Bearcats will travel to Tampa, Florida on Saturday, Feb. 24 to take on the No. 18 USF Bulls at 5 p.m. inside the Sun Dome.