Syracuse University
University of Cincinnati
Michael Inches Closer to All-Time Record Against Bearcats
2/13/2010 4:47:34 PM | Women's Basketball
Box Score | Coach Hillsman Quotes | Player Quotes
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Senior forward Nicole Michael led the Orange with 19 points and a game-high 11 rebounds as the Syracuse University women's basketball team was defeated by Cincinnati, 66-62, in overtime on Saturday afternoon at the Carrier Dome. It was the fourth consecutive game Michael has led the team in scoring. It was also her 29th career double-double. Michael is just one rebound shy of tying the SU career rebounding record. She was backed by freshman center Kayla Alexander, who was the only other player to score in double-figures for Syracuse with 12 points.
Junior guard Tasha Harris opened up the Orange scoring with a bucket, but the Bearcats went on a 9-0 run to hold the advantage more than five minutes into the game. SU and Cincinnati exchanged baskets to make the score 13-6 with 11:24 remaining, but the Orange was held scoreless for four minutes until Alexander stopped the drought with a bucket at 8:17. Alexander added another bucket one minute later to narrowed the SU deficit, 17-12.
The Orange found its stride following a Michael free throw, which sparked a 7-0 run to tie it at 19-19 with five minutes remaining in the half. Alexander tied it up one more time, 21-21, with 2:47 remaining before the Bearcats went on a 7-0 run to close out the half with a 28-21 lead.
The Bearcats stretched its lead to 10, 31-21, with a 3-pointer by Shareese Ulis to open up the scoring in the second half. The Orange cut into the lead with back-to-back layups to make the score, 33-26, but UC increased the separation back to nine, 37-28, with 16:39 left in the game. Cincinnati continued to hold at least a seven-point advantage until senior forward Juanita Ward hit a jumper with 8:55 remaining to begin a 10-0 run, which did not allow a UC bucket for nearly four minutes, to cut into the Bearcats lead. Junior guard Erica Morrow contributed two 3-pointers in the run, while Michael added a jumper to make it a one-point game, 47-46, with 5:42 left. Michael continued to direct to offense when she knotted it up at 49-49 with 3:19 remaining, while Alexander made a bucket with 2:01 to go to give the Orange its first lead since it held the 2-0 advantage to open the game.
The Bearcats faced its largest deficit of the game, 57-52, with 37 seconds left in the game after Morrow made a layup. UC's Michelle Jones failed to turn a layup into a 3-point play, while Morrow missed her own freebie with 13 seconds left to keep it a three-point game, 57-54. After Syracuse fouled the Bearcats on UC's ensuing drive, Cincinnati's Shareese Ulis received the ball after the inbound and fired a 3-pointer just as time expired to send the game to overtime.
Michael made a jumper to take the first lead of overtime, but a 3-pointer by Jones gave a 62-61 advantage to the Bearcats. The Orange tied it up on a Morrow free throw, but Jones connected on two shots from the line to give the Bearcats a 64-62 lead. UC's Val Schuster iced two additional free throws to settle the final 66-62 score.
The Syracuse women's basketball team sported new pink uniforms at the game to raise breast cancer awareness. The sharp designs for the new uniforms were created by head coach Quentin Hillsman and assistant equipment manager Dan Shworles.
Syracuse will take a week off before traveling to Rutgers on Sunday, February 21 for a 1 p.m. tipoff.
