Rutgers ends Cincy’s tourney run, season

After a first-round upset against the University of South Florida in the Big East Tournament, the University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team wrapped up the 2009-10 season afterlosing in the second round to Rutgers University 70-44 Saturday, March 6, in Hartford, Conn.

The Bearcats lost to USF by 17 points in their regular season match-up, but controlled the game and earned a 63-51 victory Friday, March 5.    

It was the second consecutive year where the Cats earned a first-round victory in the Big East Tournament. UC defeated Marquette 60-54 last season.

Senior Kahla Roudebush scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds against the Bulls, while junior Shareese Ulis added 17 points.
Sophomore Shanasa Sanders was one rebound shy of a double-double as she hauled in nine rebounds and 11 points.

It was one of the Cats’ better shooting performances of the season as they shot 40 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from behind the arc.

“We were a different team,” said UC head coach Jamelle Elliott. “We were better in the Xs and Os game and we were able to settle in more.”

USF managed to have only one player score in double digits; KeNeisha Saunders scored 14 points.

The Bulls shot 44.7 percent from the field for the game, but were out rebounded 35-28 by the Cats.

UC led 36-26 at the break, but after a Bulls 5-0 run to start the second half, its lead was cut to five.

The Cats answered with an 8-3 run of their own to push the lead back to 10 points, and from that point on, the Bulls wouldn’t get closer than six points.

But the Bearcats ran into a gritty Rutgers team in the second round.

After keeping the deficit under 10 points in the first half, Rutgers shot 57 percent in the second half and blew open the lead by as many as 28 points.

“They were using their bench and going up and down on us,” Elliott said. “It’s hard to beat a team like that.”

Roudebush scored 19 points and added just one rebound in 39 minutes of playing time.
Ulis added 10 points, two assists and committed six turnovers.

The Bearcats held a 20-16 lead with 11:30 remaining in the first-half, but after a 13-2 run by the Scarlet Knights, the Cats would never get closer than five points the remainder of the contest.

“They play and pride themselves on stingy defense, but the difference was
[Rutgers] was making shots,” Elliott said.