Cincinnati Women’s Basketball Falls Short in Gritty Comeback Effort at Kansas
LAWRENCE, Kan. - The Cincinnati Bearcats gave Kansas all it could handle inside the historic walls of Allen Fieldhouse, but a late scoring drought proved costly in an 80-71 loss Saturday afternoon.
Trailing by as many as 12 in the second half, Cincinnati clawed its way back to tie the game with just under four minutes to play. But when it mattered most, the shots stopped falling. The Bearcats didn’t hit a field goal the rest of the way, and Kansas capitalized, closing the game on a 10-1 run to seal the win.
Still, there was no shortage of fight from this Cincinnati squad, led once again by senior guard Mya Perry. She poured in 25 points - her second straight 20-point performance and ninth of the season - and knocked down four threes, including a milestone moment: her 200th career triple. Perry also added three assists, continuing to be the engine that drives this Bearcats offense.
Freshman Caliyah DeVillasee showed poise beyond her years, chipping in 18 points and hitting 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. Her aggressiveness and ability to get to the stripe kept Cincinnati within striking distance during key stretches.
Statistically, the Bearcats didn’t have their sharpest shooting night - hitting just 37% from the field and 29% from deep - but they made up for it with hustle. Cincinnati dominated the glass, pulling down 22 offensive rebounds and outrebounding Kansas 38-30 overall. That kind of effort on the boards is usually a recipe for success, but it wasn’t quite enough to overcome Kansas’ efficiency.
The Jayhawks shot a scorching 55% from the floor and knocked down eight threes at a 47% clip. They were nearly automatic at the free-throw line as well, converting 18 of 21 attempts. That edge in shooting and free-throw accuracy ultimately proved to be the difference.
Cincinnati came out strong, jumping to a 6-2 lead thanks to some early mid-range success. Then DeVillasee caught fire. She scored 11 of the Bearcats’ final 13 points in the first quarter, helping UC take a 21-17 lead after 10 minutes.
Kansas responded with a strong second quarter, stretching the lead to 40-29 before Cincinnati countered with a 7-0 run to close the half. Perry punctuated that surge with a buzzer-beating three - her 200th - trimming the deficit to 40-36 at the break.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair. Perry hit another three early, and a pair of free throws from Malea Torrence brought the Bearcats within one at 42-41. Kansas answered with a run of its own, pushing the lead back to nine before a timely three from Taylor Jackson gave Cincinnati a spark heading into the final quarter, down 64-53.
That’s when the Bearcats made their move.
Cincinnati opened the fourth with a 13-2 run, fueled by the Perry-DeVillasee duo. They combined for nine points during that stretch, and when Madison Carden fought for an offensive rebound and putback, the game was tied at 70 with 3:43 left.
But that would be the last field goal the Bearcats would make.
From there, Kansas locked in defensively, and Cincinnati couldn’t find the bottom of the net. The Jayhawks closed strong, and the Bearcats were left to wonder what could’ve been.
Despite the loss, there’s plenty to take away from this one - the resilience, the rebounding battle, the continued emergence of DeVillasee, and the leadership of Perry. Cincinnati may have come up short on the scoreboard, but the fight they showed in one of college basketball’s toughest environments says a lot about where this team is heading.