The women’s basketball team committed 10 turnovers in the first half and gave up several offensive rebounds in their American Athletic Conference opener at home against Cincinnati. 

In the second half, the dynamic changed and the Shockers beat the Bearcats 61-49. 

Head coach Keitha Adams said Cincinnati hit shots early in the Shockers 2-3 zone defense so they switched to man. However, in the second half they went back to the 2-3 zone and stayed there. 

“Our defense was great,” Adams said. “We mixed it up and held them to 49 points. To me that was the difference maker.”

The Shockers scored 34 points in the paint and went to the free throw line 26 times. Senior forward Trajata Colbert was a key player in the Shockers inside game against Cincinnati. Colbert scored 24 points and was 6-9 from the free throw line. 

“I feel like the last few games I was having trouble scoring under the basket and she (Adams) told me to just get back to my routine and work on it and it showed tonight,” Colbert said. 

The Shockers limited starting post player Clarissa Craig from Cincinnati to zero points and only two offensive rebounds. In total, Cincinnati’s post players combined for 13 points. 

“They had some really good scores on the post but this week coaches talked about playing in behind the post and not letting them get too deep to where they can just score,” Colbert said. 

The Shockers are now 11-3 and 1-0 in the AAC. The women’s team is three wins away from topping their total win record from last season. 

Up next, they’ll play at Tulsa on Jan. 4 at 6:30 p.m.