TicketsNov. 28, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Cincinnati vs. Xavier
Date: Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Site: Cintas Center (10,250) Cincinnati, Ohio
Records: Cincinnati: 3-0; Xavier: 3-1
TV: ICRC-TV , Tape Delayed
Radio: www.goXavier.com
Live Stats: www.UCBearcats.com
Tickets: $6/$4, 513-562-4949
Series: Cincinnati leads, 20-7
Last Meeting: Dec. 11, 2004 at UC; XU 85, UC 50
SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team matches up with Xavier in the annual contest between the crosstown rivals on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. in Cintas Center. It marks the first road game of the year for the 3-0 Bearcats, who have won their three games by an average of 25 points. The Musketeers are 3-1 on the season after winning their tournament last weekend. The game will be televised locoally on a tape delay by Intercommunity Cable Regulatory Commission on Time Warner Cable.
STORYLINES:
Eleven days after the UC men won the 1,500th game in program history, the women will be out for the 500th win in their annals.
The Bearcats will be seeking their first 4-0 start since an 11-0 beginning to the 2001-02 season.
Treasure Humphries has scored a career-high 19 points in each of the last two games.
The Bearcats' roster features five freshmen and four sophomores, while XU boasts just two freshmen and one sophomore. Four XU starters are back from last year's contest while none of the players who started for UC will start this game.
Three freshmen will start for the Bearcats and three are among the top four scorers on the team.
UC has scored over 70 points in all three games, equaling the number of times that happened all last season. XU has reached 70 just once in its four games.
UC has won 20 of 27 meetings in the series and had won eight straight before last year's 85-50 XU win. UC has won both game held in the Cintas Center.
The Musketeers won their last two games over Elon and Valparaiso after a 93-68 loss at No. 10 Maryland.
NOTING THE DETROIT GAME:
The Bearcats improved to 3-0 for the first time since they started the 2001-02 season 11-0.
Treasure Humphries scored a career-high 19 points for the second consecutive game.
Jill Stephens recorded her first double-double with career highs of 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Shelly Bellman scored a career-high 16 points, while Angel Morgan set a new best with seven rebounds.
The Bearcats allowed six three -pointers after allowing that many in the previous six games combined.
LAST TIME VS. XAVIER: Xavier shot 56 percent from the field and four players scored in double figures leading the Musketeers to an 85-50 defeat of Cincinnati in the 2004-05 Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout in Fifth Third Arena. Xavier's win was the first in the last nine meetings between the rivals. XU outscored the Bearcats, 17-4, over the first 10:31 as UC missed its first nine shots from the floor. Xavier owned a 47-23 rebounding advantage. In the second half the Musketeers were perfect from behind the arc, nailing all seven three-point attempts while shooting 64 percent from the floor. UC, playing without starting center Anne Stephens, was led by Toni Slaughter and Leslie Knoch with 14 points apiece. Suntana Granderson led four Musketeers in double-figures with 17 points and Adeola Olanrewaju had 13 points and 13 rebounds.
LAST TIME IN CINTAS CENTER: Treasure Humphries scored 12 second-half points to carry Cincinnati to a 52-41 win over Xavier in the 2003 edition of the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout. It was the Bearcats' eighth-straight win in the series and 20th in 26 meetings. Humphries scored seven points in a 9-1, second half run that pushed the UC lead to 43-30 with 6:44 left. Humphries finished with 14 points and Valerie King added 12 points and four assists. Brittani Young's 10 rebounds led the Bearcats to a 36-27 edge on the boards. Tara Boothe recorded 23 points and nine rebounds for XU.
XU GAME ON ICRC-TV: Intercommunity Cable Regulatory Commission will televise UC's showdown with Xavier. The game will be broadcasted on Time Warner Cable Channels 8 and 15 on Wednesday, November 30 at midnight, Thursday, December 1 at 7:00 p.m., Friday, December 2 at 11:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 3 at 10:00 p.m. The Crosstown Shootout will be broadcasted on Time Warner Cable Channel 24 on Sunday, December 4 at 6:00 p.m.
All Time Warner Cable subscribers in the following areas will be able to view the Crosstown Shootout broadcasted on Channels 8 and 15: Amberly Village, Arlington Heights Village, Columbia Township, Crosby Township, Deerfield Township, Deer Park, Elmwood Place, Evendale, Fairfax, Glendale, Harrison Township, Indian Hill, Lincoln Heights, Lockland, Loveland, Mariemont, Mason, Milford, Mt. Healthy, North College Hill, Reading, Sharonville, Silverton, Springdale, St. Bernard, Sycamore Township, Symmes Township, Terrace Park and Woodlawn.
All Time Warner subscribers in the aforementioned areas plus subscribers in Anderson, Norwood, Forest Park, Greenhills and Springfield Township will be able to view the ICRC broadcast of the UC game on Channel 24.
APPROACHING MILESTONE: The Bearcats are approaching the 500th win in school history with a 499-438 record. The 499 wins are the seventh-most among BIG EAST schools.
OFFENSIVE BEARCATS: UC has scored over 70 points in all three games this year, equaling the number of times that happened all last season and marking the first time since Feb. 2003 that the Bearcats crossed 70 in three-straight games. The 75.7 scoring average compares to the 60.0 average after three games last year and the 57.1 points per game for the season. UC is shooting .454 from the field and .792 from the line compared to .382 and .662 last year.
GETTING TO THE LINE: Last year UC averaged just 14.7 free throw attempts per game and shot just .662 from the line. This year has gotten off to a much improved start as the Bearcats have taken 77 free throws in three games (25.7/g) and made an astounding 61 (.792). At this pace UC would dwarf the school records for free throws made (541) and free throw percentage (.746).
HIGHLY TOUTED: The Bearcat roster features five freshmen -- Shelly Bellman, Michelle Jones, Angel Morgan, Kahla Roudebush and Jill Stephens -- who make up what was ranked as the 10th best recruiting class in 2005 by the All-Star Girls Report. All five were listed among the top 125 players in the class and all are living up to the billing.
Bellman has started each game and leads the Bearcats in rebounding (8.3/g) and is second in points, assists and steals.
Jones is the only Bearcat to score in double-figures in every game, averaging 11.0, and leads the team with a .647 shooting percentage.
Morgan has started the past two games and is third on the team in rebounding (5.3/g) and assists (2.3/g).
Roudebush started the season-opener and has four steals and three assists.
Stephens has started each game and is second on the team in rebounding (5.7/g). Against Detroit she posted her first double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
CHANGE OF PACE: The Bearcats relied heavily on the three-point shot last year as 29 percent of the field goals and 26 percent of the scoring came from three-pointers. This season just 14 percent of the shots and 11 percent of the points are coming from behind the arc. Despite this UC is averaging 18.6 more points per game thanks to improved field goal (.382 to .454) and free throw (.662 to .792) shooting.
FULL SPEED AHEAD: Junior Treasure Humphries led UC in steals as a freshman and was fourth on the team in scoring. Last year she tore her ACL in the preseason and despite coming back after just four months, was not herself the rest of the year. This year she is off to a flying start, leading the team in scoring (15.3/g), assists (3.3/g) and steals (3.3/g). She set career-highs with 19 points and eight rebounds against East Tennessee State and followed that up with another 19 points in the win over Detroit.
UNQUESTIONED LEADER: Head Coach Laurie Pirtle, in her 20th year, is UC's all-time leader in coaching wins and on Feb. 21, 2002, she earned her 250th win leading the Bearcats. She is one of six BIG EAST coaches with at least 275 wins at their current school. On Feb. 20, 2004 against East Carolina Pirtle became the 54th active coach to win 350 games in a career.
EXPERIENCED CATS: The Bearcats entered last season with just 71 games of starting experience, with 49 of those coming from Anne Stephens and Micah Harvey. They entered this year boasting 154 returning starts spread among seven players. Harvey led with 44 and Stephens had 36 starts. The nine returners combined for 350 games of playing experience.
YET STILL YOUNG: Despite those 350 games played, the UC roster still boasts nine players who are freshmen or sophomores. The five true freshmen on the squad were named the 10th best recruiting class of 2005 by the All-Star Girls Report.
ROAD WEARY: Of UC's last 45 losses, 29 have occurred away from Cincinnati. UC has lost 21 of its last 26 road games and 10 of the last 11. The Bearcats averaged 10.1 fewer points scored on the road last year than at home.
CHANGE HAS NOT BEEN GOOD: The Bearcats are hoping to avoid the letdown that has occurred the other three times they began play in a new conference. In 1983-84, UC went 16-12, but won just three of 10 Metro Conference games. 1991-92 saw the Bearcats repeat that 3-7 mark in their initial year in the Great Midwest Conference while going 11-17 overall. In Conference USA's inaugural season, 1995-96, UC went 4-10 in the new league and 8-19 overall.
STRONG SCHEDULE: The Bearcats will play 13 games this year against teams that reached the postseason in 2005. Included in the strong home schedule are match-ups with Elite 8 finisher Rutgers, 2001 national champion Notre Dame and regional rivals Louisville, Pittsburgh and West Virginia. Currently four 2005-06 opponents -- No. 5 Rutgers, No. 7 Connecticut, No. 15 Notre Dame and No. 18 DePaul -- are ranked in the top 25 and four others are getting votes in at least one of the polls. Cincinnati's 2005-06 opponents compiled a 426-361 record in 2004-05 for a .541 winning percentage.
COACHES FAVOR SCARLET KNIGHTS: In the annual preseason poll of the league's coaches, Rutgers was picked to win the BIG EAST in 2005-06, narrowly edging Connecticut. Rutgers guard Cappie Pondexter was named the preseason Player of the Year. The Bearcats were picked to finish 15th, just behind Syracuse and Pittsburgh.
SISTER ACT: Sisters Anne (Sr.) and Jill (Fr.) Stephens are one of 14 sets of siblings playing together in Division I in 2005-06. At 6-4 and 6-3 in height, they are tied with the Adiar twins (George Washington) and Paris twins (Oklahoma) for the tallest sibling duo in the nation. Anne was named Conference USA Sixth Player of the Year last year, while Jill was ranked as one of the top 50 players in her class.
HOME SWEET HOME: Since Fifth Third Arena became the home of UC basketball in 1989, the Bearcats have gone 153-82 (.651) on their home court. Over the past nine years they have a home record of 106-28 (.791). UC went 15-1 at home in 2001-02, the best-ever mark. The Bearcats put together a school-record 21-game home win streak from Jan. 1, 2002 until a loss to Tulane on Feb. 2, 2003.
TOP 10 CATS: Seniors Anne Stephens and Micah Harvey and junior Karen Twehues are seeing the results of their careers in the UC record books. Stephens now has 47 career blocks to rank ninth in school history. Harvey has handed out 324 assists in her career, which is seventh all-time. Harvey's 135 assists as a sophomore was the eighth-best single-season total in UC history. Twehues has made 90 three-pointers in just 50 career games to move into fifth in UC annals.
TRADITION OF SUCCESS: Last year broke a string of seven-straight postseason appearances for the Bearcats. This era accounted for all but two of the postseason appearances in school history. Four of the seven were to the WNIT, including 2004. Cincinnati has also enjoyed 20-win seasons in five of the last eight years and winning years in seven of the last nine.
NEW FACES: Cincinnati moves to the BIG EAST Conference this year. The Bearcats have a 60-71 record (.458) vs. current members of the BIG EAST. They have never played Connecticut, Georgetown, Providence, Rutgers, St. John's, Seton Hall or Villanova.
UP NEXT: The Bearcats return home to face Eastern Illinois on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in Fifth Third Arena.