Per GoBearcats:
The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team put up a valiant effort against 11th-ranked TCU on Saturday night in Fort Worth.
Cincinnati (9-4, 1-2) battled back from a 19-point deficit and pulled within seven with under five minutes to play, but the comeback bid fell short against a sharp-shooting Horned Frogs squad.
Jillian Hayes delivered another standout performance, recording her fifth 20-point game of the season and the 15th of her career. The fifth year forward shot 8-of-13 from the floor while grabbing eight rebounds. She also surpassed 1,500 career points, becoming just the 10th player in program history to do so.
Texas natives Reagan Jackson and Chloe Mann combined for 18 points in their homecoming.
Cincinnati shot a solid 46.3% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc but didn't attempt a free throw until the third quarter.
TCU countered with an efficient 53.5% shooting performance, knocking down nine three-pointers at a 50% clip.
The Horned Frogs also capitalized in the paint, outscoring the Bearcats 36-22 inside.
The opening quarter saw a back-and-forth battle with four ties and five lead changes. Hayes and Ndiba set the tone early, combining for 14 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting. A late 5-0 TCU run gave the Horned Frogs a 22-18 edge after one.
Mann knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the second quarter, helping Cincinnati pull within one at 29-28 with 4:38 remaining. TCU responded with a quick spurt, but Reagan Jackson's three with 2:30 left kept the Bearcats within three (34-31). Cincinnati trailed 41-36 at halftime, with Mann scoring eight in the frame.
TCU opened the second half with back-to-back threes to extend its lead to double digits for the first time. Reagan Jackson answered with a three of her own, but the Horned Frogs countered with a 6-0 run, outscoring the Bearcats 23-12 in the third quarter.
In the fourth, Abby Holtman provided a spark with a pair of three-pointers to cut the deficit to 15. A 7-0 Cincinnati run trimmed the margin to seven with four minutes to play, but that was as close as the Bearcats would get.
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati returns home to face Oklahoma State on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. inside Fifth Third Arena.
