TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati women's basketball fell in overtime to the Old Dominion Monarchs, 76-72, on Monday night at Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats were trailing by four points with 40 seconds left in regulation, but battled back to force overtime. In the extra period, each team made four field goals, but 8-of-8 from the free-throw line by ODU was enough to put away UC.
With the loss, UC's two-game win streak to begin the season was snapped as it dropped to 2-1. Meanwhile, the Monarchs remain a perfect 3-0.
For the second-straight game, senior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) paced the UC scoring attack with 18 points to go along with six rebounds and two assists. The guard has also buried four or more 3-pointers in consecutive nights with four on Monday. Two additional Bearcats reached double-figure scoring with junior forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) adding a season-best 14 points, with a season-high six rebounds, while sophomore forward IImar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) scored 10 points and grabbed a team-best seven rebounds.
Riding the momentum of back-to-back wins to begin the year, the Red & Black started fast, taking a 20-16 lead into the second quarter. UC then used an early-second-period 7-0 run to pull ahead by a game-high nine points, 27-18, with eight minutes to go before halftime. UC went into the break with a 34-30 advantage.
Out of the locker room to begin the third quarter, the Bearcats went up 39-34 with 7:43 left in the period. The Monarchs answered with a 5-0 run to tie the game. The two teams traded baskets over the duration of the quarter with ODU taking a slim, 45-43 lead into the fourth period.
Competition was high in the fourth with the Red & Black going up by four points with 3:40 to go, only to have the visitors from Norfolk, Virginia respond to lead by four with under a minute to play in regulation. Over the final 40 seconds of the fourth, UC scored four unanswered points to force overtime.
In OT, the Bearcats jumped ahead by two, but saw the Monarchs trade blows with them down the stretch. With UC holding onto a one-point lead with a minute left, ODU nailed a back-breaking 3-pointer to pull ahead by two with 60 seconds to go. The Monarchs then made a number of clutch free throws in the final seconds to come away with the victory.
UC again got solid contribution from its bench with 23 points, and turned 11 offensive rebounds into 14 points. The Bearcats also got out in transition for 16 points and scored 24 points in the paint. In addition, the Red & Black buried seven 3-pointers and forced ODU into 19 turnovers.
// UP NEXT
UC will begin its first road swing of the season Friday, Nov. 16, when it visits Pittsburgh for a 7 p.m. tipoff inside Petersen Events Center.
// SINGLE-GAME TICKET INFO
Single-game tickets for the 2018-19 season are on sale now. General admission tickets are available at just $5, while Champions Club tickets are $7. Discounts for youth (ages 4-12) and seniors (ages 65+) include $3 general admission tickets and $5 Champions Club tickets. Tickets can be purchased by either calling 1-877-CATS-TIX, logging onto GoBEARCATS.com/Tickets, or by visiting the Fifth Third Arena ticket office on gameday.
// SEASON TICKET INFO
Catch the exciting start of the Michelle Clark-Heard era and the reopening of Fifth Third Arena by purchasing your season tickets now! The prices for standard Bearcats season tickets are $65 for adults and $50 for youth, seniors, UC faculty and staff and current or former military members. Courtside season tickets are on sale for $100. Click here for more information on season tickets. Click here to purchase today.