CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team closed out non-conference play with a 67-64 win over Marshall on Wednesday night in Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats extended their win streak to four, improving to 8-2 overall. It marks the program's best non-conference winning percentage (.800) since the 2005-06 season (.909, 10-1).
Cincinnati built a 17-point lead before fending off a second-half comeback by the Herd. With less than a minute to play and Marshall trailing by just one, Brianna Byars delivered the game-sealing moment. The sophomore forward came up with a steal on the Herd's final possession and iced the game with two clutch free throws.
The Bearcats shot 34.4% from the field and 18-of-23 from the free throw line. While Marshall connected on 44% of its shots and drained 10 three-pointers, Cincinnati dominated the glass, finishing with a +18 rebounding margin (46-28) and converting 16 second-chance points.
Senior guard Tineya Hylton led the Bearcats with 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting, while freshman Chloe Mann added 12 points on 5-of-10 from the floor. Redshirt junior Alliance Ndiba contributed nine points and eight rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double.
Cincinnati opened with a 10-5 lead, sparked by a Hylton three-pointer, and closed the first quarter up 17-12. After Marshall trimmed the deficit to two early in the second quarter (17-15), the Bearcats held the Herd without a field goal for four minutes during a 14-3 run that stretched their halftime lead to 36-22.
The third quarter saw the Bearcats extend their lead to 44-29 following consecutive baskets by A'riel Jackson and Ndiba. However, Marshall answered with back-to-back threes to cut the margin to single digits. Hylton's driving layup gave them a 55-43 advantage heading into the fourth.
Marshall mounted its comeback in the final frame, opening with a 9-2 run (57-52). Hylton responded with an and-one play to push the lead back to eight (62-54). The Herd staged one final charge, using a 7-0 run to pull within one point (65-64) in the closing seconds. Byars then delivered her defensive play, sealing the Bearcats' eighth win of the season.
Bearcats Edge Marshall to Close Non-Conference Play
The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team closed out non-conference play with a 67-64 win over Marshall on Wednesday night in Fifth Third Arena.
