TicketsJan. 2, 2007
Game Notes
Download Free Acrobat Reader
SETTING THE SCENE: The Bearcats reopen BIG EAST play to start off the New Year when they take on Georgetown on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at Fifth Third Arena in their conference home opener. The 7 p.m. tipoff marks the second BIG EAST game of the season for both teams. Cincinnati must rebound from a 94-82 loss at No. 23 Arkansas on Dec. 28. The Hoyas are on the road for the first time in five games and have won their last two contests, most recently a 60-57 victory over Utah on Dec. 30, 2006.
STORY LINES:
w The Bearcats have three players averaging double figures--Shelly Bellman (15.0), Treasure Humphries (12.7) and Michelle Jones (10.8) -- and Karen Twehues is knocking on the door with 9.8 points.
w Both Cincinnati and Georgetown are 0-1 in the BIG EAST entering this contest. Both teams suffered losses at the hands of nationally ranked teams. The Bearcats dropped a 67-62 decision to then-ranked No. 16 Louisville on Dec. 14. The Hoyas got knocked off, 84-26, to then-ranked No. 7 Connecticut on Dec. 7.
w The Bearcats have not competed against a player taller than 6'5" this season. Georgetown's Aminata Diop stands at 6'5".
w UC is 2-0 against the Hoyas with both wins coming last season in BIG EAST play.
w Cincinnati is 7-0 in home games during the 2006-07 season. Georgetown is 5-1 on the road this year.
w The Bearcats have not lost back-to-back games this season.
UC LAST TIME OUT: UC produced its worst first half of the season, and ultimately suffered a 94-82 loss to No. 23 Arkansas on Saturday, Dec. 28. The Bearcats made a strong case in the second half, but the Lady Razorbacks staved off the comeback.UC (9-3) fell behind by 14 points after the first half, 42-28, and never fully recovered. The Lady Razorbacks (14-1), who are off to their best start in school history, drilled their first six 3-point field goals.
w Treasure Humphries tied career highs in points scored (25) and steals (7). She had four assists, extending her streak of at least one assist to the 56th consecutive game of her career. She has had multiple assists in every game this season.
w Arkansas finished the game shooting 69 percent from 3-point range, the highest 3-point percentage UC has allowed all season.
w The Bearcats, who averaged 16.7 turnovers a game coming into this contest, had 18 give aways in the first half alone. They finished the game with 23.
w The Bearcats' 28 points was a season-low for first-half production.
w The Bearcats trailed by double digits for only the third time this season and it's the only time UC has lost by double digits this year.
w For the 12th consecutive game, at least three Bearcats scored in double figures - and for the second consecutive game, UC had five players score in double digits: Humphries scored a game-high 25 points. Karen Twehues scored a season-high 18 points. Shelly Bellman, Carla Jacobs and Michelle Jones each tacked on 10 points.
w With the loss UC fell to 0-3 all-time vs. the Lady Razorbacks.
BEARCATS DATA
w Karen Twehues scored her first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds against Alabama A&M (12/18/06). She blocked two shots, a career-high. The Bearcats blocked three shots, a season-high for the team.
w The Bearcats have won the battle of the boards in 10 of their 12 games this season. Only nationally ranked Louisville and Arkansas has beaten UC in that category. Cincinnati owns a +10.7 rebounding margin this season, third in the BIG EAST. The UC single-season record is a +6.7 margin.
w Senior Treasure Humphries has had three or more assists in 11 of the Bearcats' 12 games. She leads UC with 4.9 per game. The Bearcats are averaging 18.5 assists per game, second in the BIG EAST.
w Humphries, who led the team in steals both her freshman and junior seasons, is pacing the team in thefts with 30. She has had multiple steals in 11 of 12 games this season.
w Shelly Bellman is the team's leading scorer (15.0) and rebounder (7.3). She has grabbed at least five rebounds in every game this season. She averaged 19.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg and was named to the all-tournament team of the Mildred and Roger L. White Invitational (12/1-2/06), hosted by Northwestern.
w Bellman has scored in double figures in all but one game this season and in 25 of 40 career contests. Bellman has four career double-doubles, including three this season: 14 points and 11 rebounds against St. Francis (11/22/06); 13 points and 13 rebounds against Murray State (11/28/06); and 17 points and 11 rebounds against Tennessee Tech (12/21/06). She also had seven assists, on the verge of getting UC's first triple-double since Jane Anne Preston in 1992.
w Sophomore Michelle Jones is shooting a team-high 54 percent from the field. She has converted on 53 of 99 attempts. She had career highs of 10 field goals made (out of 13)and 24 points against Tennessee Tech. She was also a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
w Sophomore Angel Morgan is second on the team in average minutes played with 29.6. She played the entire 40 minutes and scored a career-high 18 points, vaulting UC to a 74-57 win over Murray State (11/28/06). The win gave head coach Laurie Pirtle her 300th at Cincinnati.
w Senior Karen Twehues is third all-time at UC in career 3-point field goals with161. She leads the Bearcats in 3-point field goal percentage at 41 percent.
w Sophomore Kahla Roudebush will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
w The Bearcats have had at least three players score in double figures in every game this season. A season-high five players have scored in double figures in three games this season; Cincinnati's 83-51 win over St. Francis (Pa.) (11/22/06), UC's 86-70 win over Tennessee Tech (12/21/06), and a 94-82 loss to No. 23 Arkansas.
w Junior Emy Ogide is averaging 6.6 points a game this season, well above her career average coming into the season of 2.2 points. She had a career game in UC's 65-60 win over Dayton (11/16/06). The 6-2 junior forward came off the bench to score a game- and career-high 18 points, doubling her previous best of nine points set last year against Georgetown on Feb. 21, 2006.
w UC broke a team record for 3-point field goals in a game in an 89-65 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 14. UC finished with 13 treys, including 10 in the first half.
w The Bearcats extended their home-opener winning streak to 11 with the win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
w Cincinnati has held six of its 11 opponents to 65 points or less and is averaging 63.0 points allowed this season. The Bearcats held St. Francis (Pa.) to 51 points, a season low.
w The Bearcats had their earliest season opener in school history, playing at Youngstown State on Nov. 10.
w With the start against YSU, Carla Jacobs became one of nine true freshmen Division I point guards in the nation who started in their teams' women's basketball season openers. Jacobs is second on the team in steals (20) and assists (48).
LOOKING AHEAD: UC heads down south to Tampa, Fla. where they will take on USF for a 7 p.m. tipoff on Saturday, Dec. 6 at the Sun Dome.