The Bearcats and Golden Eagle traded buckets early on to start the second half. The Golden Eagles followed this up with two quick baskets to cut the lead back to single digits at 39-30 with 5 minutes to go in the 3rd. The Bearcats would get on track though as they went on a 7-0 run in a minute span to put the lead at 16 with 3 minutes to go in the 3rd. The Golden Eagles countered the Bearcats run with a run on their own after back-to-back 3’s cut the lead back to 10. The Bearcats and Golden Eagles would go back and forth for the remainder of the third as the Bearcats took a 53-42 lead heading into the 4th.
The Bearcats held the Golden Eagles scoreless for the first 3 minutes of the 4th quarter. The Golden Eagles finally got on the board after Reghan Grimes layup. The Bearcats would continue to battle on the boards and made things very difficult for the Golden Eagles. The Bearcats led 60-46 with 4:49 to go in the game and the Golden eagles were running out of options. The Bearcats would extend the lead back to 16 after a tough basket from Malea Williams. The Bearcat’s tough defense was too much for the Golden Eagles and the Bearcats picked up win number 1 on the season by a final score of 68-57.
The Bearcats leading scorer was Jillian Hayes who finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, and three assists. Hayes was followed by Mya Jackson who had 18 points, six rebounds and three assists in the win. The Bearcats are back at home on Sunday when they welcome in Radford. The Bearcats will look to continue the momentum and put together back to back wins.
