Women's basketball snaps 3-game skid

Hunter Tickel |The News Record

Published: Dec. 19, 2009

For the first time in four games the University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team won a game.

“It’s been a long time since I have been in this room with a win,” said head coach Jamelle Elliott. “It feels good to be able to come in to the post game press conference and be able to talk about how my team is growing and improving, but to be able to do that after a victory.”

The Bearcats defeated Eastern Kentucky University 62-49 Friday, Dec. 18, at Fifth Third Arena. Junior guard Shareese Ulis led the team with 13 points, while three others finished in double figures. Junior guard Talisha Davis from EKU led all scores with 16 points.

“Tonight we played more together and focused more on maintaining our intensity.
We know that if we play calm and poised that we can be good,” Ulis said.

UC finished with 15 steals, shot 41 percent from three and made 12 more free throws than EKU.

The Bearcats were outrebounded by two, making it the first game this season they won in which they did not outrebound the opponent.

UC turned the ball over on its first possession of the game, and it appeared it was going to be a long night. However, it turned out it was only one of 13 turnovers on the night.

“I think tonight we played at a good pace,” said sophomore guard Shanasa Sanders, who finished with 11 points.

The first half was a low-scoring, competitive contest. Early in the first half there were four ties and four lead changes. The last tie of the game was with 3:37 remaining in the first half with the score knotted at 19.

The Bearcats went into halftime ahead 26-21. They shot a poor 32 percent from the field in the first half, and EKU shot 31 percent. UC’s biggest lead was six points.

UC’s second-half performance barely resembled the first.

The Bearcats came out energized and aggressive, taking a 34-23 lead with 16:25 remaining. Ulis, who was held to two first-half points, scored eight points in that spurt.

“In the first half we turned the ball over, and took quick shots without getting the ball inside,” Elliott said. “In the second half we looked inside and made better decisions with the ball. We capitalized on their turnovers.”

UC’s three-quarter swarming press created a lot of turnovers and easy baskets. The Bearcats’ shots also started dropping. The early Bearcats’ run meant game over for EKU, who never brought the game closer than 12 points.

“We were not as successful as I would have hoped to be, but it allowed us to score 22 points off their turnovers, which helped us out and was probably the difference in the game tonight,” Elliott said.

UC’s lead stretched to as many as 20 points, 53-33. with six minutes remaining.

“The game of basketball is just as much physical as it is mental,” Elliott said. “I don’t think there was anything they were doing in the first half physically that allowed us not to score points or make good decisions with the ball.”