TicketsORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team forced overtime and held on for a 63-59 win over UCF on Wednesday night in Orlando.
The Bearcats (7-11, 2-4 Big 12) secured their fifth straight victory over the Knights behind a clutch performance from senior Mya Perry.
Perry sent the game to overtime with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, finishing with a game-high 24 points, four triples and an 8-of-10 effort at the free throw line. The senior extended her double-figure scoring streak to 18 games.
Freshman Caliyah DeVillasee added 19 points and was nearly perfect from the stripe, going 9-of-11.
Cincinnati shot 32% from the field and made four three-pointers, while UCF finished at 33% shooting and was limited to just one made three. The teams combined for 60 free throws on 45 personal fouls, with the Bearcats converting 25-of-32, including 7-of-8 in overtime.
Cincinnati used a 6-0 run to build an eight-point edge after the opening quarter, 16-8. The Bearcats’ defense limited UCF to just 3-of-10 shooting, while Cincinnati nearly doubled the Knights’ shot attempts and went 6-of-9 from the free throw line. DeVillasee led the way early with five points and two steals.
UCF cut its deficit to three early in the second before Ndiba and DeVillasee answered with back-to-back baskets, 20-13. Crawford later converted an and-one to make it 26-20. Cincinnati held the Knights without a field goal over the final 5:13 of the quarter to maintain a two-point advantage at halftime (26-24).
UCF tied the game at 7:48 in the third quarter, but consecutive buckets from Torrence and Perry put Cincinnati back ahead, 35-30. The Knights responded with an 8-0 run, only for the Bearcats to close the period on an 8-0 spurt of their own, taking a 43-38 lead. The stretch featured a four-point play from Perry and a three-point play from DeVillasee.
UCF opened the fourth quarter with 10 straight points to reclaim the lead and force a Bearcats timeout with 4:39 remaining (48-43). Perry knocked down a three to stop the run before Jackson added a pull-up jumper. Trailing 53-50, Perry delivered again, drilling a game-tying three at the buzzer to force overtime.
Perry opened the extra period with another triple to knot the score at 57. Cincinnati then sealed the win at the free throw line, while holding UCF scoreless for three minutes of the overtime period.
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The Bearcats will return home to host West Virginia at 2 p.m. on Sunday.