First Quarter
BYU opened the first half with an energetic start, going on a 5-0 run to begin play, including a lay-in from Lara Rohkohl and a corner three from Cannon. Cincinnati answered the Cougars’ start with an 8-0 run of their own, which was halted by another Rohkohl bucket from the interior.
Cannon would respond to another Bearcats three with another three of her own, before Cincinnati put together a 12-3 run, moving the score to 23-13 and forcing a BYU timeout with a little over four minutes left in the quarter.
Hamlin came out of the timeout with a jumper to get the Cougars back on the board, which Cincinnati answered with a three. Following the Bearcats bucket, BYU clawed back into the game, scoring eight unanswered points off of Cincinnati turnovers and three fast-break layups from Hamlin. The teams traded buckets before the first quarter ended, with the Cougars trailing 29-25.
Second Quarter
The Cougars got on the board first in the second quarter, with Benally finding Gibb for a corner three on a cross-court pass. Following a Bearcat bucket, the two teams endured a two-and-a-half-minute scoring drought before trading layups. Benally and Cannon then hit back-to-back threes, moving BYU ahead 36-35 and giving the Cougars their first lead since the opening minutes of play.
The two three-pointers would be the final buckets of the half for the Cougars, with the team scoring no points in the final 5:14 of the half. Five points from the Bearcats amidst the Cougars’ scoreless streak moved Cincinnati ahead 40-36 heading into halftime.
The Cougars ended the half shooting 48% from the field and 60% from beyond the 3-point line. Cannon and Hamlin led BYU in scoring with 11 points each, and Benally led in assists with four.
Third Quarter
Cincinnati claimed the first bucket of the half with a pull-up jump shot from the paint. BYU responded with a 7-0 run, three of which came from a corner shot from Marya Hudgins off an inbound pass. Two free throws from the Bearcats ended the Cougar run and moved the score to 44-43 in favor of Cincinnati before a timeout with just under five minutes left in the quarter.
The two teams then traded free throws, with all 10 of the Cougars’ final points in the quarter coming from the charity stripe, leaving things tied 51-51 moving into the fourth quarter. BYU’s last field goal of the third came with 7:45 left in the quarter.
Fourth Quarter
The Bearcats began the quarter with a 5-0 start before Gibb ended the run with a three after missing a drive-in layup but stealing the ball back off the Cincinnati rebound. Hamlin then put in another three, her first score of the half, and a Gibb drive and layup put the Cougars ahead 61-60 with just over six minutes left in the game.
Gibb connected on another three, putting BYU ahead 65-62 with 4:07 left. Cincinnati then answered with a three of their own, kickstarting an 8-0 run for the Bearcats before Hamlin ended it with a driving layup, moving the score to 70-67 in favor of the visitors. Another three from Cincinnati following the BYU score put the Bearcats ahead 73-67.
A 14-2 Cincinnati run, missed shots from the Cougars and Cincinnati free throws put the visiting Bearcats on top 76-67 as the final buzzer sounded.
Up Next
BYU heads to Salt Lake City to take on Utah for the second time this season, with tipoff set for 2 p.m. MT on Friday, Feb. 21. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast live on BYU Radio 107.9 FM, byuradio.org and the BYU Radio App with Jason Shepherd on the call.
