Per GoBearcats:
The 11th-seeded University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team bowed out in the second round the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship, falling to sixth-seeded West Virginia on Friday night inside the T-Mobile Center.
The Bearcats (14-17) could not overcome a 21-point halftime deficit, suffering a 70-55 loss to the Mountaineers. West Virginia, who ranks first nationally in turnovers forced, made Cincinnati commit 23 in the loss, including 15 in the first half.
Senior Jillian Hayes scored a team-high 12 points (4-7 FG) to go along with five rebounds. It marked her 25th time in double figures this season. Graduate student Nia Clark provided valuable minutes off the bench once again. She committed just one turnover in a season-high 23 minutes.
Cincinnati jumped out to an early lead thanks to a 6-0 run (6-3). WVU hit back-to-back three-pointers to reclaim the edge with under five minutes on the clock (11-6). In total, the Mountaineers went on a 21-4 run over the final 5:32 of the first quarter (24-10). The Bearcats committed eight turnovers in the frame.
Three of the Bearcats’ starters were in foul trouble as West Virginia grew its lead to 21 at the half (42-21).
Cincinnati scored the first six points out of the break, including a pair of layups from Destiny Thomas (42-27). The Bearcats pulled within 12 after a Reagan Jackson and-1 with two minutes left in the quarter (46-34).
The deficit proved too large to overcome as the Bearcats fell to the Mountaineers, 70-55. Clarissa Craig scored eight points on 3-of-3 shooting in the fourth quarter.
