TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati women's basketball picked up its fifth win in a row Saturday with a 69-53 decision against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Fifth Third Arena.
Armed with a 50-42 lead heading into the fourth quarter, the Bearcats (8-4) put together an efficient final period, outscoring Pitt (3-8) 19-11 on 9-of-12 shooting from the field to come away victorious. The victory vs. the Panthers represents UC's first win over Pitt since 2013 and the first against an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team since 2011.
Junior forward IImar'I Thomas' (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) scored a game-high 17 points to go along with five rebounds and two assists. Senior guard Sam Rodgers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East) tallied 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while freshman guard Jada Scott (Townsend, Ga./Frederica Academy) added season highs of eight points, two assists, and a steal. In addition, senior forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) contributed eight points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
In the Red & Black's second of a three-game homestand to end 2019, the two teams went back and forth in the first quarter with the home team taking a 14-10 advantage into the second. In the next stanza, the Bearcats kept the pressure on the Panthers, outscoring them 19-15 to lead 33-24 at the halftime break.
Out of the locker room, competition was tight in the third period with Pitt using a 13-6 run over the final four minutes to bring the score to 50-42, UC, with 10 minutes left to play. A quick 4-0 burst by the Bearcats early in the final quarter set the stage for their strong finish down the stretch.
UC shot 46% (29-of-63) from the field and turned 17 Panthers turnovers into 22 points. The Red & Black also scored 26 points in the paint and outrebounded the opposition, 40-36. In addition, the Bearcats dished out 23 assists on 29 made field goals and got 19 points from their bench.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will have a break from competition over the Christmas holiday before returning to action on Monday, Dec. 30 when they welcome Coppin State to Fifth Third Arena to close non-conference play. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET. Buy tickets to the game here.
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