TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team fell to No. 11-ranked TCU, 83-70, on Wednesday night in its home finale at Fifth Third Arena.
Cincinnati led by six at halftime, but a decisive third quarter by TCU proved to be the difference. The Bearcats moved to 11-18 overall and 6-11 in Big 12 Conference play, while the Horned Frogs improved to 26-4 overall and 14-3 in league action.
Senior Mya Perry paced the Bearcats with 27 points, her 11th 20-point performance of the season and the 20th of her career. She went 10-of-14 from the free throw line and knocked down three 3-pointers. Freshman Caliyah DeVillasee recorded her sixth 20-point game of the season, while junior Reagan Jackson added 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
The Bearcats shot 35% from the field and 37% from 3-point range but went 19-of-28 from the free throw line (67.9%). TCU shot 46% from the floor and made 11 3-pointers.
Perry was dialed in early for the Bearcats, scoring seven points by the first quarter media timeout as Cincinnati led 11-8. The Bearcats then held the Horned Frogs scoreless for more than four minutes to take a 15-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Perry and DeVillasee knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to open the second and extend the lead to 21-13. TCU answered with a pair of threes of its own to cut the deficit to four at the media timeout, 27-23. Neither team scored over the final 3:30 of the quarter, and Cincinnati carried a 29-23 advantage into halftime. Perry and DeVillasee combined for 21 of the Bearcats’ 29 first-half points.
Defensively, Cincinnati held the Horned Frogs to 29% shooting from the field and just 2-of-14 from three-point range (.143). The Bearcats also held the Horned Frogs to their second-lowest first-half scoring total of the season with 23 points.
TCU opened the third quarter on a 13-0 run to take control. Perry knocked down her third 3-pointer, and Alexander converted through contact to trim the deficit to six at 44-38 with under three minutes remaining in the period. The Horned Frogs extended their lead to 56-42 by the end of the quarter, outscoring Cincinnati 35-14 in the frame.
Cincinnati cut the margin to 11 at 64-53 with six minutes remaining but would get no closer the rest of the way.