TicketsORLANDO – The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team battled back from 18 points down to force overtime before falling 64-54 inside Addition Financial Arena at UCF on Saturday.
Cincinnati is now 9-19 overall, 2-13 in the AAC on the season.
Junior forward/center Malea Williams turned in a career-high 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a career-high 34 minutes. Junior guard Jillian Hayes added 16 points on 7-14 from the field, three rebounds and three assists.
Each team scored on their initial possession before UCF used 10-0 run over the next six minutes of action to open a 12-2 lead. The Bearcats closed out the frame on a 5-2 spurt, behind five straight points from senior guard Dais'Ja Trotter, to trim the deficit to 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Hayes added the Bearcats' first six points out of the first quarter break to make it 19-13 at the 7:24-minute mark of the second period. Cincinnati went on a 6-0 run off points from three different players to cut the deficit to 31-19 with a minute left in the frame, but UCF quickly added four more to command a 35-19 lead at the end of the first half.
Back-to-back threes from senior guard Caitlyn Wilson capped off a 10-0 run over a 1:46-minute span that trimmed the margin back to six point and forced a Knights' timeout midway through the third quarter. A basket off a slip screen from Williams made it 46-36 entering the final quarter.
Williams turned in a 7-0 run on her own, the last basket on a pick-and-roll finish from senior guard Mya Jackson to cut the margin to 47-43 at the fourth quarter media timeout. Hayes backed down her defender into deep position and finished the basket to make it a one-possession game with 3:50 left in regulation.
Sophomore guard Braylyn Milton knocked down a driving layup in traffic to tie the game at 49 and Knights' Destiny Thomas missed a pair of free throws on the other end to give the Bearcats the final possession with seven seconds left. The Knights' defense stripped Williams' attempt at the buzzer to force overtime.
UCF scored the first 10 points in overtime before Williams added connected on a jump shot. UCF continued to maintain the momentum for the eventual final. Williams scored all five of the Bearcats' overtime points.
The Bearcats forced 20 Knights' turnovers, their ninth game with 20-plus turnovers forced this season.
Cincinnati celebrates Senior Day when the Bearcats host South Florida in their regular-season finale inside Fifth Third Arena on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.
Cincinnati is now 9-19 overall, 2-13 in the AAC on the season.
Junior forward/center Malea Williams turned in a career-high 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a career-high 34 minutes. Junior guard Jillian Hayes added 16 points on 7-14 from the field, three rebounds and three assists.
Each team scored on their initial possession before UCF used 10-0 run over the next six minutes of action to open a 12-2 lead. The Bearcats closed out the frame on a 5-2 spurt, behind five straight points from senior guard Dais'Ja Trotter, to trim the deficit to 14-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Hayes added the Bearcats' first six points out of the first quarter break to make it 19-13 at the 7:24-minute mark of the second period. Cincinnati went on a 6-0 run off points from three different players to cut the deficit to 31-19 with a minute left in the frame, but UCF quickly added four more to command a 35-19 lead at the end of the first half.
Back-to-back threes from senior guard Caitlyn Wilson capped off a 10-0 run over a 1:46-minute span that trimmed the margin back to six point and forced a Knights' timeout midway through the third quarter. A basket off a slip screen from Williams made it 46-36 entering the final quarter.
Williams turned in a 7-0 run on her own, the last basket on a pick-and-roll finish from senior guard Mya Jackson to cut the margin to 47-43 at the fourth quarter media timeout. Hayes backed down her defender into deep position and finished the basket to make it a one-possession game with 3:50 left in regulation.
Sophomore guard Braylyn Milton knocked down a driving layup in traffic to tie the game at 49 and Knights' Destiny Thomas missed a pair of free throws on the other end to give the Bearcats the final possession with seven seconds left. The Knights' defense stripped Williams' attempt at the buzzer to force overtime.
UCF scored the first 10 points in overtime before Williams added connected on a jump shot. UCF continued to maintain the momentum for the eventual final. Williams scored all five of the Bearcats' overtime points.
The Bearcats forced 20 Knights' turnovers, their ninth game with 20-plus turnovers forced this season.
Cincinnati celebrates Senior Day when the Bearcats host South Florida in their regular-season finale inside Fifth Third Arena on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.