On Saturday night, the Cincinnati Bearcats women's basketball team made an amazing comeback that overcame a 16-point deficit to win 66-64 over the Arizona State Sun Devils at home in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Fast Start by Arizona State
The early momentum was established by Arizona State, and they gave a performance that dominated the first quarter. The Sun Devils started on the offensive with efficient offense and good ball movement, leading to Cincinnati being put on the back foot early, with a 26-10 lead.
Gabby Elliott was the tone setter at Arizona State, and she contributed regularly besides assisting her teammates.
Cincinnati Prepares Before the Break
The second quarter saw the decisive answer of the city of Cleveland in the form of a 19-5 run, radically reducing the gap and changing the momentum of the game. The defensive intensity of the Bearcats disturbed the rhythm of Arizona State and enabled Cincinnati to go to halftime within shooting range.
At that point, the game became tense, with both teams unable to withdraw in the second half.
The theatrical denouement closes the victory
The rivalry was close right up until the finish, and the game was tied 64-64 in the late fourth quarter. Jaya Crawford brought the decisive action with a few seconds left: she made a steal and had a game-winning layup to make the Bearcats a winner.
With Cincinnati, Joya Crawford came to the rescue with a clutch finish, whereas Mya Perry played a crucial role in the entire game due to her consistency in scoring and leading the team.
Arizona State was guided by Gabby Elliott, who scored 19 and six assists, a high number in his career. Another strong performance was that of McKinna Brackens, who also contributed 18 points in the close defeat.
Resilience and end-of-game performance by the Bearcats turned out to be the factor as they overcame the Sun Devils in a comeback win that took a lot of effort.