TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati women's basketball closed out the nonconference portion of its schedule with a dominating, 85-51 victory over the Howard Bison on Friday night at Fifth Third Arena.
After a brief deficit early in the first quarter, the Bearcats (8-5) imposed their will on the Bison (7-5) for the duration of the contest to notch their third-straight win and their highest scoring margin and total of the season.
Sophomore forward IImar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) continued her hot streak with a new-career-best 23 points – on 10-of-11 shooting -- after posting 20 in each of her last two outings. The sophomore also grabbed a game-best 17 rebounds and recorded new career marks of six assists and three steals. The forward was aided in the win by 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists by junior guard Antoinette Miller (Detroit, Mich./Southfield-Lathrup), 11 points from senior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne), and 10 points, eight rebounds, and a career-best four assists by junior forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake).
Coming off of a commanding, Crosstown Shootout win last week, the Bearcats struggled a bit early, but quickly found their footing. After Howard took a 7-2 lead with six minutes left in the opening quarter, UC went on a 17-0 run over the duration of the period to take a 19-7 advantage at the end of one. Armed with a solid lead, the home team kept the pressure on the visitors in the second quarter, outscoring the Bison 17-10 to hold a 36-17 surplus going into halftime.
The Red & Black did not let up in the third quarter, doubling up HU, 24-12, to take complete control of the game with a 60-29 advantage heading into the final period of play. Up comfortably, the Bearcats rested their starters for much of the fourth quarter, but still managed to outscore the opposition, 25-22, as they wrapped up their eighth win of the season.
UC shot the ball at a season-high 55-percent clip from the field and continued its domination on the glass with 50 rebounds. The Bearcats also scored 56 points in the paint, got 26 points from their bench, scored 22 points in transition, and tallied 18 points off of 17 offensive boards. In addition, the Red & Black notched a season-high 24 assists on 35 made field goals.
// UP NEXT
UC will have a lengthy, holiday and new year break before returning to action on Sunday, Jan. 6, when it welcomes SMU to Fifth Third Arena to open American Athletic Conference play. Tipoff is set for noon and the game will air live on ESPN2.
// 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.