TicketsLAWRENCE, Kan. – The University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team’s comeback attempt fell short in an 80-71 loss to Kansas on Saturday afternoon inside Allen Fieldhouse.
After trailing by as many as 12, the Bearcats (8-16, 3-9 Big 12) tied the game with 3:43 remaining. Cincinnati, however, went without a field goal the rest of the way as the Jayhawks closed the contest on a 10-1 run.
Senior Mya Perry led the Bearcats with her second straight 20-point performance and ninth of the season. She finished with 25 points, four three-pointers and three assists, surpassing 200 career made threes in the process.
Freshman Caliyah DeVillasee added 18 points, including a 7-of-8 effort from the free throw line.
Cincinnati shot 37% from the field and 29% from three, while Kansas shot 55% overall and connected on eight three-pointers (.471). The Jayhawks also held the edge at the free throw line, going 18-of-21 (.857), compared to 15-of-23 (.652) for the Bearcats.
The Bearcats finished with 22 offensive rebounds and outrebounded Kansas, 38-30.
Cincinnati jumped out to a 6-2 lead behind a trio of jumpers before DeVillasee took over in the opening quarter. She scored 11 of the Bearcats’ final 13 points in the period as UC led 21-17 after 10 minutes.
Kansas built its largest lead of the first half at 40-29 with three minutes remaining. Cincinnati responded with a 7-0 run to close the quarter and pull within four at the break, 40-36. Perry capped the run with her 200th career three-pointer at the buzzer.
Another Perry three-pointer early in the third quarter, followed by a pair of free throws from Torrence, cut the deficit to one at 42-41 with 7:56 on the clock. Kansas pushed the lead back to nine before a Jackson three at the media timeout. The Bearcats trailed 64-53 entering the fourth.
Cincinnati opened the final quarter with a 13-2 run to tie the game, with Perry and DeVillasee combining for nine points during the stretch. A Carden offensive rebound and putback tied the game again at 70 with 3:43 remaining, but the Bearcats were unable to convert down the stretch, falling 80-71.