Wright State University
4-6
Cincinnati
7-5
Women's Basketball Drops Tough Contest at Cincinnati, 51-45
12/29/2009 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Molly Fox and LaShawna Thomas each scored 10 points and the Wright State women's basketball team shot 40 percent from the field, but host Cincinnati connected on 42 percent of their shots to down the Raiders 51-45 at Fifth Third Arena on Tuesday evening.
The Green and Gold had the lead a few time in the opening half, including the first one of the contest when Erica Richardson scored a fast break bucket to open the scoring. After Michelle Jones hit a jumper, Fox hit one-of-two free throws to put WSU back in the lead, 3-2.
The Bearcats scored nine of the next 12 points and took a five point lead with 13:22 to play in the half, 11-6. After a WSU time out, Richardson nailed a three pointer, connected on a jump shot, set a screen that freed Thomas for a jump shot and later assisted on a Thomas basket, pushing Wright State ahead, 15-11.
Richardson did just about everything during the Raiders 9-0 run to retake the lead with 10:24 to play, but Cincinnati neutralized her for the remainder of the half. UC outscored WSU 14-7 over the final ten minutes to take a 25-22 lead into the locker room at halftime.
WSU out-rebounded UC 16-9 in the opening half, but the Bearcats shot 50 percent from the floor to just 38 percent for the Raiders. Jones paced all scorers with eight points for Cincinnati in the first 20 minutes, while Richardson had seven for WSU.
WSU cut the lead to one right off the bat in the second half when Fox took a pass from Kanisha Ward and scored. After a UC basket, Richardson hit a layup, but UC would score the next eight points and extend their lead back to nine points.
Ward hit a three pointer from the wing and Ta-myra Davis added a lay-up, cutting the lead to just four, but the Bearcats would have an answer for each WSU run. Over the next seven minutes, Cincinnati would score only five points, while the Raiders got a basket from Fox and six points from Thomas to draw within one, 40-39, with 7:48 to play.
Again, Cincinnati (7-5) would close the half, and the game, with a solid showing. The Bearcats ended the game on an 11-6 run to claim the 51-45 victory.
WSU held the edge in points in the paint (22-16), outrebounding UC, 30-28, and WSU's bench scored 15 points in the contest. Thomas and Fox paced the Green and Gold with 10 points apiece, with Fox pulling down five rebounds. Davis tied for the game-high with six rebounds and Thomas handed out a game-high five assists.
Jones paced all scorers for Cincinnati with 16 points and Kahla Roudebush added 15 points for the Bearcats.
The Raiders ended their non-conference slate with a 4-6 mark and will now turn their attention to the Horizon League schedule. WSU's next contest will be on Sunday, January 3, at Detroit, with the tip scheduled for 2:00 against the Titans.
