TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team’s comeback attempt fell short in an 84-76 loss to RV/No. 25 West Virginia on Sunday inside Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats (7-12, 2-5 Big 12) trailed by as many as 26 before cutting the deficit to seven in the fourth quarter behind a 17-3 second-half run.
Mya Perry scored 16 of her 18 points in the second half. The senior knocked down four three-pointers, including three in the fourth quarter, and extended her double-figure scoring streak to 19 consecutive games.
Reagan Jackson (11), Kylie Torrence (10) and Dee Alexander (10) also finished in double figures for Cincinnati.
Cincinnati shot 48% from the field and 84% from the free throw line (16-of-19). West Virginia countered with 54% shooting and a plus-28 advantage in points in the paint (56-28).
West Virginia opened the game on an 8-2 run before back-to-back layups from Caliyah DeVillasee and Destiny Thomas. Ndiba added four points to pull the Bearcats within two, but the Mountaineers closed the first quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 23-14 lead. Cincinnati forced four steals in the opening 10 minutes, converting them into six points.
The Mountaineers outscored the Bearcats by eight in the second quarter to carry a 43-26 lead into halftime. West Virginia outrebounded Cincinnati by eight and turned those chances into 13 second-chance points.
Facing a 26-point deficit with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter, the Bearcats responded with a 17-3 run over nearly four minutes. Ramiyah Byrd fueled the rally with a trio of hustle plays as Cincinnati cut the deficit to 14 heading into the fourth quarter (66-52).
Cincinnati carried that momentum into the final period. The Bearcats rattled off 10 straight points, highlighted by consecutive three-pointers from Perry to cut the deficit to seven (69-62). Four points from Alexander kept it a seven-point game late, but West Virginia held on down the stretch to secure the 84-76 win.