The Bearcats hosted Tulane today at Fifth Third Arena for a 2 p.m. contest. Tulane was 6-2 entering the match, making Cincinnati the 2-6 underdog for the day.
From the beginning it was a hard-fought match. Bearcats took an early lead as Tulane struggled to make field goals. Reigning AAC Co-Player of the Week Ilmar’l Thomas struggled early and only had two points from the line to help the Bearcats in the opening quarter. Tulane’s opening minutes were plagued with missed field goals, as they shot only 25% from the field in the first quarter. They managed to stay in the game due to Bearcat fouls putting them at the free throw line. The Bearcats played hard through the first and were not able to keep their turnovers down, thirteen in the half, an area of continued struggle throughout the season. At times Tulane’s full court press gave Cincinnati trouble, but overall, they held their own with Tulane with ease in the half. Jillian Hayes and Sofia Gritzali were the main offensive contributors in the first, but scoring was well distributed across the Bearcats roster. They also out-rebounded Tulane in the first and were able to go into the half down by only two.
Tulane came out ready to attack in the second half, pressing full court right away and getting into a rhythm on offense. The Bearcats were able to meet that intensity and battle back and forth with Tulane resulting in many lead changes throughout the third. The Bearcats remained calm and were only outscored by 4 in the third despite Tulane shooting over 40% from the field and just over 90% from the free throw line. The Bearcats entered the fourth quarter down 47-41. The fourth quarter was the fall of the Bearcats. The Bearcats no longer kept up with Tulane as they were 22% from the field in the final quarter. Tulane on the other hand, was able to have their strongest run of the game so far in the fourth. They shot 50% from behind the arch and 57% from the field. Their stellar offensive performance fueled their defense and resulted in them outscoring the Bearcats 21-8 in the fourth.
The final score was 68-49 for a Tulane victory. Today’s final score reflected the fourth quarter, and Cincinnati’s inability to finish strong after contending for three hard fought quarters. Hayes had a notable performance with 16 points and eight rebounds today.
Bearcats are back in action Wednesday at Temple.
