NAPLES, Fla. | The Alabama A&M University women's basketball team fought hard but could not hold a first-half lead as the Bulldogs fell, 72-49, to Cincinnati on Friday in the Florida Gulf Classic opener at The Community School.
Alabama A&M held a slim, 22-21, lead with just under seven minutes to play in the first half but Cincinnati used a 17-6 run to take a 38-28 lead into the break.
Kalia Walker came off the bench to provide 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, while
Moses Davenport added 12 points, three boards, one assist and one steal.
Jaida Belton came off the bench to post a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, along with a pair of steals.
Mya Perry finished with 25 points, four boards, three assists, two blocks and two steals to pace Cincinnati. Caliyah DeVillasee recorded 22 points, seven boards, three assists and two steals, while Reagan Jackson added 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Cincinnati, which shot nearly 56 percent from the floor in the first half, raced out to a 14-5 advantage after a layup by DeVillasee with just under five minutes to play in the opening period, but the Bulldogs rallied with an 8-2 run over the final 4:48 to cut the deficit to 16-13 after the first quarter.
Alabama A&M (1-5) took its first lead of the day, 22-21, after a Davenport bucket with 6:48 remaining in the second period.
However, the Bearcats (3-4) took advantage of a nearly three-minute scoring drought by AAMU as Cincinnati closed the first half on a 12-2 run to take a 38-28 advantage into the break.
Cincinnati stretched its lead to 45-32 after a layup by Kylie Torrence with just under five minutes to play in the third and the Bearcats extended the margin to 57-37 at the end of period.
Alabama A&M could not recover from the huge deficit in the final quarter as the Bulldogs dropped the opener of the Florida Gulf Classic.
GAME NOTES
- Alabama A&M went 20-of-59 shooting (33.9 percent) and 6-of-13 (46.2 percent) from the free-throw line
- The Bulldogs grabbed 26 rebounds, with 10 coming on the offensive glass
- Kalia Walker came off the bench to provide 12 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals
- Moses Davenport added 12 points, three boards, one assist and one steal
- Jaida Belton came off the bench to post a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, along with a pair of steals
- Alabama A&M finished with 30 points in the paint, 24 bench points, 12 second-chance points and 12 points off 24 Cincinnati turnovers
- Cincinnati shot 46.9 percent (23-of-49) from the floor and 81.5 percent (22-of-27) from the charity stripe
- The Bearcats grabbed 43 rebounds, including 33 on the defensive end
- Mya Perry finished with 25 points, four boards, three assists, two blocks and two steals
- Caliyah DeVillasee recorded 22 points, seven boards, three assists and two steals,
- Reagan Jackson added 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals
- Cincinnati finished with 24 points in the paint, 20 points off 21 AAMU turnovers, 12 fastbreak points, nine second-chance points and two bench points
UP NEXT
Alabama A&M concludes play at the Florida Gulf Classic on Saturday as the Bulldogs take on Ball State. Tip-off against the Cardinals is set for 12:15 p.m. (central) at the Community School in Naples, Fla.
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