Per GoBearcats:
The University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team fell to USF, 54-45, on the road on Wednesday night.
Junior point guard Akira Levy led the Bearcats with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes of play. Junior guard Caitlyn Wilson and sophomore guard Jillian Hayes both added eight points.
The Bearcats outshot the Bulls from the three-point line, shooting 43% to their 29%.
Cincinnati falls to 10-14 on the season and 3-9 in conference play while South Florida improves to 18-7 overall and 8-3 in AAC play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game started off with a 25-minute delay due to shot clock issues above the Bull’s basket. USF was issued a technical foul because of the delay and Levy made one free throw before the game even tipped off.
The Bulls made the first basket of the first quarter but the Bearcats would go on a 8-0 run highlighted by Wilson’s three point basket and layups by junior guard Jada Scott and Hayes. The Bearcats and the Bulls went on to trade baskets back-and-forth with UC leading at the end of the first, 15-11.
The second quarter started with USF making a three-point shot, but the Bearcats answered back with a jumper by Levy and a three-point basket by sophomore forward Malea Williams. For six minutes UC would remain scoreless while USF added five points to bring the game within one point, 21-19. Levy scored on a driving layup, butUSF would score two more times to tie the game up at halftime, 23-23.
Wilson started off the third quarter with a quick three-point basket. The Bearcats and the Bulls traded layups back-and-forth before Maria Alvarez’s three-point basket gave USF its first lead of the game, 31-30. The final five minutes of the third frame featured four more layups from the Bearcats from junior forward Jadyn Scott, senior forward Arame Niang, and Levy. The Bulls’ five free throws and a step-back jumper ended the third quarter with a tie, 38-38.
Freshman wing Emerita Mashaire got two early points from the free throw line to start the fourth quarter to give UC back the lead, 40-38. The Bulls would run away with the game in the final six minutes, however, going on an 13-4 run and earning the 54-45 win.
NEXT UP – 50 YEARS CELEBRATION
The Bearcats will celebrate 50 years of Cincinnati women’s basketball on Saturday, February 19, the athletics department will host a celebration event tied in with the Bearcats’ women’s basketball game against the ECU Pirates at 2 p.m. Former players, coaches, and staff will join us in Cincinnati to remember and honor the successes of the past and present and look ahead to the future.
