Bearcats Pull Away Late with Scorching Fourth-Quarter Shooting Performance

Thursday, December 21

Cincinnati OH

7:00 PM ET

Bowling Green State University

Cincinnati

Andrea Cecil v Ferris State - Dec 18 2017 - Brad Phalin photo

Photo by: Brad Phalin, BGSU Marketing and Communications

Bearcats Pull Away Late with Scorching Fourth-Quarter Shooting Performance

December 21, 2017 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

UC tops BGSU, 75-51; Falcons end non-conference schedule with 8-3 record

By: CINCINNATI, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

The University of Cincinnati used lights-out fourth-quarter shooting to break open a close game Thursday night (Dec. 21), and the Bearcats went on to a 75-51 win over the Bowling Green State University women's basketball team. The game, the Falcons' final non-conference contest of the 2017-18 season, was held at Saint Ursula Academy.

With the win, the host Bearcats improve to 8-5 on the season. The Falcons end non-league play with a record of 8-3.

Nikira Goings led the hosts with 24 points, while Sam Rodgers added 11. Going went 6-for-7 from three-point range, including a perfect 4-of-4 in the fourth quarter.

UC led by just five points after three quarters, but the Bearcats hit 6-of-7 long-distance shots as a team in that final period.

Sophomore Andrea Cecil led the Falcons with 16 points, and she added eight rebounds and two blocked shots. Junior Carly Santoro had a double-double – her seventh in 11 games this season – with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and she also had four assists and four steals.

LINKS
BGSU-UC STATISTICS: PDF
POSTGAME AUDIO: Coach Roos
BGSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL...: Schedule | Giveaways / Promotions | Spark Page
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QUOTING COACH ROOS
"Give credit to Cincinnati. They played their best game of the season, in my opinion, tonight. They shot the ball very well. I thought Goings would be a key, but for her to knock down a handful of shots at the arc was a real difference-maker."

"It was a five-point game with nine minutes to go, and then they hit back-to-back threes and we couldn't recover. They took us out of a few things that we like to do offensively, but it was a night where we really struggled at the arc."

"We have grown together as a team this season, and we are going to write our own story. We are 8-3 after the non-conference season, but when we come back (from the holiday break), we are 0-0. The Mid-American Conference is ranked higher than it has ever been, seventh out of 31 (conferences in the RPI rankings), so every Wednesday and Saturday from January into March is going to come down to who is the most prepared and who is able to finish."

"I'm proud of what the kids have done overall this season so far. They need a break, both mentally and physically, and Christmas is always a fantastic time to get away, spend time with family and not think about basketball. We look forward to everyone coming back refreshed and ready to begin the tough conference slate ahead of us."

FIRST-QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

Junior Andrea Cecil had a putback on the Falcons' first possession of the night, and sophomore Carly Santoro grabbed a teammate's miss and laid the ball back up and in a few minutes later, giving the visitors a 6-5 lead.
Then, Cecil scored inside after Santoro's 'extra pass' along the baseline. Sophomore Jane Uecker found Santoro, who quickly got the ball to Cecil, and the bucket gave BG an 8-5 advantage.
The 'Cats battled back to forge ahead, but Santoro whipped a pass to Uecker for a quick layup that cut the hosts' lead to 11-10.
Cecil put back her own miss late in the period, but UC's Sam Rodgers knocked down a contested jumper in the final seconds to give the hosts a 16-12 lead after 10 minutes.

SECOND-QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

With the Falcons running, junior Sydney Lambert pulled up and knocked down a three-point try from the left wing, but Rodgers responded with a long-distance shot of her own, giving the home team a 21-15 lead.
Then, the Bearcats got a stop, and Nikira Goings got out ahead of the pack and took a long pass for a layup and a 23-15 lead as the Falcons used a timeout.
The hosts' lead reached 10 points before sophomore Caterrion Thompson found Cecil for a three-ball from the top of the arc. But, moments later, Shanice Johnson hit a cutting Iimar'I Thomas for a layup, giving the 'Cats a 29-18 lead.
Santoro responded with a nifty driving layup, and Lambert took a charge to give the ball back to the Falcons. On the next possession, senior Haley Puk faked a three-point try, took a dribble and hit a long-two-point jumper.
Santoro's smooth turnaround shot banked off glass and in, and Puk hit a driving layup at the buzzer, cutting BG's deficit to just five points, 31-26, at the half.

THIRD-QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

Cecil grabbed an offensive rebound in traffic and hit an 'and-one' bucket, and after the free throw, BG trailed by just two points. But, Johnson hit a layup of her own, then kicked the ball out to Goings for a three-pointer and a 36-29 lead.
After a BG miss and a UC rebound, Santoro came up with a lightning-quick steal and layup. Moments later, she drove and kicked the ball to Lambert for a triple that cut BG's deficit to five points once again.
But, Johnson responded with a jumper that began a 6-0 run for the hosts. Cecil found Santoro for a three-pointer, and Santoro then drove into traffic and kicked the ball out to freshman Madisen Parker, who knocked down a three-pointer that cut UC's lead to 45-40.
The 'Cats scored the next three points, but Santoro found Parker in the same spot, and the freshman drilled her second-straight three-point try, cutting BG's deficit to 48-43 after three periods.

FOURTH-QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS

Ana Owens began the fourth-quarter scoring with a three-pointer, and suddenly, the Bearcats could not miss. Rodgers hit a long-range shot, and Goings knocked down back-to-back triple tries, giving the hosts a 60-45 lead with 7:10 left in the game.
UC continued to connect from outside. Santoro converted a three-point play late in the period, but the 'Cats wound up shooting 64.3 percent in the period, going 9-for-14.

FINAL STATISTICS

The Bearcats shot 52.6 percent for the game, including an 11-for-17 (64.7%) effort from three-point range.
UC held a 37-31 rebounding advantage. Santoro (10) and Cecil (eight) were the game's top rebounders, while Owens and Rodgers had seven apiece to pace the Bearcats.
Both teams committed 14 turnovers. BG had 10 steals, including four by Santoro.
The Bearcats blocked nine shots, led by Angel Rizor's four. Cecil had two of BG's four blocked shots on the night.

UP NEXT

The Falcons now take a break for the holidays, before beginning the Mid-American Conference schedule on Saturday, Dec. 30, at Western Michigan. That game will begin at 2:00 p.m. at University Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich.
BGSU's next home game is on Wednesday, Jan. 3, vs. Eastern Michigan.

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