TicketsEAST LANSING, Mich. – In the first round of the 2018 Women's National Invitation Postseason Tournament (WNIT), University of Cincinnati women's basketball dropped a hard-fought, 81-75 decision to the Michigan State Spartans on Thursday night at the Breslin Center.
With the loss, the Bearcats' season came to a close with a 19-13 overall record – their best season since going 23-8 in 2002-03. Meanwhile, the Spartans improved to 18-13 in 2017-18.
In its first postseason game since 2012, the Bearcats fell behind early, but battled back. Trailing by nine points with six minutes left in the opening quarter, senior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) scored eight-straight points to pull UC within one. The Spartans answered with an 11-2 run to end the period to take a 25-15 advantage into the second quarter.
MSU increased its lead to as many as 18, 33-15, early in the second period, but the Red & Black refused to go away. Sparked by the play off the bench from sophomore guard Genesis Parker (Bristow, Va./Stonewall Jackson/Virginia Tech), the Bearcats stayed in the game. Facing a 44-27 deficit with 2:12 remaining before halftime, UC pieced together a 7-0 streak over the duration of the period, including a banked-in 3-pointer at the buzzer by senior forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) to bring the score to 46-36, MSU, at the break.
The Red & Black played the Green & White to an almost even third quarter, but was unable to get closer than 10 points. UC was able to chip away at the deficit in the final period, getting within nine on a pair of occasions early in the quarter. Behind by 15, 81-66, with 2:40 remaining, the Bearcats made a final push down the stretch. UC ended the game on a 9-0 run, but was unable to overcome the sizable deficit, resulting in an 81-75 defeat.
Parker put on a show with a game-high 30 points, to go along with seven rebounds and two steals, in just 23 minutes of play off the bench. The performance was the most points scored by a Bearcat this season and the most since Johnson scored 32 in her UC debut at Southeast Missouri on Nov. 11, 2016. Seniors Owens and Johnson chipped in 16 and 11 points, respectively, in their final games in a UC uniform. In addition, junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) added eight points.
The Bearcats knocked down nine 3-pointers and were 20-of-23 from the free-throw line. Furthermore, the Red & Black scored 14 points off of 19 Spartans turnovers and scored 11 second-chance points off of seven offensive rebounds.
With the loss, the Bearcats' season came to a close with a 19-13 overall record – their best season since going 23-8 in 2002-03. Meanwhile, the Spartans improved to 18-13 in 2017-18.
In its first postseason game since 2012, the Bearcats fell behind early, but battled back. Trailing by nine points with six minutes left in the opening quarter, senior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) scored eight-straight points to pull UC within one. The Spartans answered with an 11-2 run to end the period to take a 25-15 advantage into the second quarter.
MSU increased its lead to as many as 18, 33-15, early in the second period, but the Red & Black refused to go away. Sparked by the play off the bench from sophomore guard Genesis Parker (Bristow, Va./Stonewall Jackson/Virginia Tech), the Bearcats stayed in the game. Facing a 44-27 deficit with 2:12 remaining before halftime, UC pieced together a 7-0 streak over the duration of the period, including a banked-in 3-pointer at the buzzer by senior forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) to bring the score to 46-36, MSU, at the break.
The Red & Black played the Green & White to an almost even third quarter, but was unable to get closer than 10 points. UC was able to chip away at the deficit in the final period, getting within nine on a pair of occasions early in the quarter. Behind by 15, 81-66, with 2:40 remaining, the Bearcats made a final push down the stretch. UC ended the game on a 9-0 run, but was unable to overcome the sizable deficit, resulting in an 81-75 defeat.
Parker put on a show with a game-high 30 points, to go along with seven rebounds and two steals, in just 23 minutes of play off the bench. The performance was the most points scored by a Bearcat this season and the most since Johnson scored 32 in her UC debut at Southeast Missouri on Nov. 11, 2016. Seniors Owens and Johnson chipped in 16 and 11 points, respectively, in their final games in a UC uniform. In addition, junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) added eight points.
The Bearcats knocked down nine 3-pointers and were 20-of-23 from the free-throw line. Furthermore, the Red & Black scored 14 points off of 19 Spartans turnovers and scored 11 second-chance points off of seven offensive rebounds.