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After two quarters of toe-to-toe basketball with the UCF Knights, the Cincinnati Bearcats women’s basketball team faded late in the American Conference semifinals.
The 66-58 loss drops the Bearcats mark to 21-10 overall, their strongest mark in a decade and a half.
Following the defeat, the Bearcats await their postseason fate, unsure if they will be a part of the NCAA Tournament or the NIT. Either way, this team has a fine opportunity to make some noise in late March.
The Bearcats demonstrated their ability to play with a physical, highly athletic club like UCF last night. The difference last evening was UCF’s consistent and timely shooting. UCF shot .500 from the floor while the Bearcats hovered around 40 percent all evening.
Cincinnati played tough in the trenches. Both clubs snatched 30 rebounds. Ilmar’i Thomas led the way underneath for UC, posting team-highs of 16 points and 8 rebounds. Sam Rodgers (13 points) and Antoinette Miller (12 points) also reached double figures.
Cincinnati played like a team and went down fighting, just like they have all season. Michelle Clark-Heard’s team always finds a way to compete. They will continue to do so in either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.
Check back with Down the Drive for full coverage of the Bearcats’ postseason run.