TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team broke a five-game losing streak with a 71-58 win over Memphis on Wednesday night in Fifth Third Arena.
Graduate forward Arame Niang led the Bearcats on Senior Night with a new season- and career-high 19 points while adding three rebounds and two blocks. Junior point guard Akira Levy recorded 13 points and a team-leading 11 assists while sophomore guard Jillian Hayes added nine points, eight rebounds, three steals, and one block.
The Bearcats made 51 percent of their field goals while holding Memphis to only 29 percent. UC improves to 11-15 overall and 4-10 in American Athletic Conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bearcats got off to a quick 11-2 start highlighted by Levy's three-point basket and three consecutive jumpers by Niang. Memphis would add two more layups and a two free throw shots, however junior forward Jadyn Scott and Hayes added two more jumpers and freshman guard Braylyn Milton a layup for the Bearcats to lead 18-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Memphis got things started quickly in the second quarter with a layup, but Niang and Levy got UC on the board with back-to-back layups. After a Memphis three-point basket, Niang continued a dominant first half for the senior with two more jumpers to extend the Bearcats lead to 26-15. Freshman forward Clarissa Craig and freshman wing Emerita Mashaire got on the board with driving layups, but the Tigers' three-point shot right at the buzzer made the score 34-31, closing the Bearcats lead heading into the half.
Memphis closed the gap even more off a layup and two free throw shots to start the third quarter, however the Bearcats added three more points from the charity stripe to maintain a 38-35 lead. Memphis' layup put the Tigers to within one, 38-37, however Craig's layup and Milton's back-to-back baskets extended the Bearcats' lead to 44-38. Niang added two more points, junior guard Caitlyn Wilson's three-point basket and Jadyn Scott's layup extended UC's lead at the end of three, 51-44.
It was all Bearcats in the fourth quarter, with layups by Hayes and Jadyn Scott and three-point baskets by Wilson and Levy to extend the lead to 61-48. In the final three minutes, Cincinnati and Memphis would both add 10 points each for UC to break their five-game losing streak with a 71-58 win over Memphis.
NOTEABLES
NEXT UP
The Bearcats are on the road for their last regular season game as they travel to Orlando to face off against UCF on Saturday at 2 p.m.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati women's basketball, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati WBB (@GoBearcatsWBB) and Coach Michelle Clark-Heard (@Coachheard) on Twitter. You can also follow the team on Facebook and Instagram.
Graduate forward Arame Niang led the Bearcats on Senior Night with a new season- and career-high 19 points while adding three rebounds and two blocks. Junior point guard Akira Levy recorded 13 points and a team-leading 11 assists while sophomore guard Jillian Hayes added nine points, eight rebounds, three steals, and one block.
The Bearcats made 51 percent of their field goals while holding Memphis to only 29 percent. UC improves to 11-15 overall and 4-10 in American Athletic Conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bearcats got off to a quick 11-2 start highlighted by Levy's three-point basket and three consecutive jumpers by Niang. Memphis would add two more layups and a two free throw shots, however junior forward Jadyn Scott and Hayes added two more jumpers and freshman guard Braylyn Milton a layup for the Bearcats to lead 18-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Memphis got things started quickly in the second quarter with a layup, but Niang and Levy got UC on the board with back-to-back layups. After a Memphis three-point basket, Niang continued a dominant first half for the senior with two more jumpers to extend the Bearcats lead to 26-15. Freshman forward Clarissa Craig and freshman wing Emerita Mashaire got on the board with driving layups, but the Tigers' three-point shot right at the buzzer made the score 34-31, closing the Bearcats lead heading into the half.
Memphis closed the gap even more off a layup and two free throw shots to start the third quarter, however the Bearcats added three more points from the charity stripe to maintain a 38-35 lead. Memphis' layup put the Tigers to within one, 38-37, however Craig's layup and Milton's back-to-back baskets extended the Bearcats' lead to 44-38. Niang added two more points, junior guard Caitlyn Wilson's three-point basket and Jadyn Scott's layup extended UC's lead at the end of three, 51-44.
It was all Bearcats in the fourth quarter, with layups by Hayes and Jadyn Scott and three-point baskets by Wilson and Levy to extend the lead to 61-48. In the final three minutes, Cincinnati and Memphis would both add 10 points each for UC to break their five-game losing streak with a 71-58 win over Memphis.
NOTEABLES
- Three Bearcats scored in double-figures.
- Arame Niang's 19 points are a new season- and career-high for the graduate senior.
- Akira Levy's 13 points and 11 assists marks the junior's second double-double of the season.
- As a team, the Bearcats scored 19 points off the bench and 38 points in the paint.
- UC was also 14-for-18 in made layups in the game.
- Bearcats started the game 7-0 and led the entire way.
NEXT UP
The Bearcats are on the road for their last regular season game as they travel to Orlando to face off against UCF on Saturday at 2 p.m.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati women's basketball, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati WBB (@GoBearcatsWBB) and Coach Michelle Clark-Heard (@Coachheard) on Twitter. You can also follow the team on Facebook and Instagram.