TicketsFeb. 20, 2007
Game Notes
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UC vs. Villanova
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2007
Time: 7 p.m. EST
Site: Fifth Third Arena (13,176),
Tickets: GoBEARCATS.com
Live Stats: GoBEARCATS.com
TV: None.
Radio: CATSVision (Tommy Gelehrter).
Series: Villanova leads, 1-0.
Last Meeting: Villanova 64, UC 40 on Feb. 11, 2006.
SETTING THE SCENE: The hopes to improve its BIG EAST standing with a win vs. Villanova on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The 7 p.m. tipoff at Fifth Third Arena is a must-win situation for the Bearcats who are currently 12th in the conference standings with two teams (Providence and Syracuse at 3-10) nipping at their heels. UC hopes to snap a two-game losing streak and add No. 12 to the Wildcats' streak of losses.
STORY LINES:
w The game will mark the first time that the Wildcats have played at Fifth Third Arena.
w With three games to play, the Bearcats are currently in 12th place in the BIG EAST standings. Only the top 12 teams in the conference advance to the BIG EAST Championship. Villanova is last in the BIG EAST and will be mathematically eliminated with a loss against UC.
w Villanova has lost its last 11 games. The Wildcats started the BIG EAST season at 1-1, but have since saw their record drop to 1-12. VU has not won a conference game on the road this season. The Bearcats are 3-3 at home in BIG EAST play.
w The Wildcats are second in the conference and seventh in the country in 3-point field goals made. Meanwhile, the Bearcats are 14th in the BIG EAST in 3-point field goal percentage defense.
w The Bearcats are third in the BIG EAST and 14th in the country in rebounding margin (+8.2) and hope to use that to their advantage as Villanova is 14th in the BIG EAST with a -4.0 margin.
w Michelle Jones leads UC in starts this season with 24. She is the only Bearcat to start every BIG EAST game this season. Jackie Adamshick and Tia Grant have started every conference game for `Nova and Adamshick has started every game this season for the Wildcats.
w The game will feature one a great battle of the boards. It will feature one of the BIG EAST's best offensive rebounders: UC's Michelle Jones who is eighth with 3.08 per game, and one of the best defensive boarders: VU's Jackie Adamshick who is second in the BIG EAST in defensive rebounding with 6.23 a game.
w Carla Jacobs (4.3), Treasure Humphries (4.0), Shelly Bellman (3.0) and Angel Morgan (2.7) combine for 14.0 assists per game, more than the entire Villanova squad combined (12.8).
w Treasure Humphries will play in her 100th career game as a Bearcat.
w The game features two of the BIG EAST's longest tenured coaches: Villanova's Harry Perretta (in his 29th season) and UC's Laurie Pirtle (in her 25th season) -- 54 seasons combined.
NOTES FROM THE 'S GAME:
w leads the series, 2-0. UC played at Carnesseca Arena for the first time.
w UC took 23 more shots than the Red Storm, 73-50, but shot just 32 percent, its second worst effort this season. The Bearcats also took a season-high 31 3-point field goals.
w The Bearcats outrebounded SJU, 50-42, marking the 21st time in 25 games UC has out battled its opponent on the boards. The 50 rebounds is the third best performance by the Bearcats this year.
w Karen Twehues played in her 100th career game as a Bearcat.
w Treasure Humphries scored six points and is just 27 points away from becoming the 21st female at UC to join the 1,000-point club.
w For only the second game this season Carla Jacobs had more turnovers (4) than assists (3). She had three turnovers and two assists vs. (1/27/07).
w Angel Morgan had six rebounds and one assist, extending her streak to 30 games with at least one rebound and her streak of 27 games with at least one assist.
BEARCATS DATA
PLAYERS HONORED:
w Carla Jacobs earned UC's first BIG EAST Weekly honor this season, when she was named Freshman of the Week on Jan. 29. Jacobs, a native of , had a career week as she averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds, while shooting 6-of-6 from the foul line. The guard tied her career high with 15 points and dished out a career-high 10 assists in the team's 80-62 win over Georgetown (1/23/07), nabbing her first career double-double. She bettered her offensive production with a new career-high 17 points in UC's loss to No. 18/17 (1/27/07). Jacobs shot 6-of-15 from the field, including a 3-of-6 effort from 3-point range.
SMARTY CATS:
w Nine of UC's players earned academic honors for the fall quarter. Jill Stephens was named the department of athletics top female scholar-athlete of the fall quarter after earning a 4.0 grade point average, plus was named to the Topcat Honor Roll. Shelly Bellman and Karen Twehues were also Topcats (3.5-4.0 GPA). Kristi Brogan, Treasure Humphries, Carla Jacobs, Michelle Jones, Emy Ogide and Stephanie Stevens were all named to the Bearcat Honor Roll (3.00-3.49 GPA).
TOP CATS:
w Treasure Humphries is UC's leading scorer (12.0), Shelly Bellman is the Bearcats' leading rebounder (6.3) and Carla Jacobs is the assists leader (4.25). Both Bellman and Humphries have been named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll this season and Jacobs was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week.
SCORING DROUGHT ENDED
w After scoring in the first 48 games of her college career, Shelly Bellman was held scoreless vs. No. 17/18 (1/27/07) and No. 5/6 UConn (1/30/07). Bellman broke the slump with five points vs. No. 25/23 Rutgers (2/3/07) and led UC in scoring vs. (2/17/07) with 16 points.
MOST IMPROVED:
w Junior Emy Ogide is averaging 6.4 points a game this season, almost tripling her career average coming into the season of 2.2 points. Ogide has led UC in scoring in three of the Bearcats' last five games. She had a team-best 12 points vs. Pitt (2/13/07). She put up 14 points vs. No. 25/23 (2/3/07) and the game before, scored a team-high 12 points, on 5-of-6 six shooting from the field vs. No. 5/6 UConn (1/30/07). She had a career game in UC's 65-60 win over (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 on Feb. 21, 2006.
BEARCATS ATTACK THE BOARDS:
w The Bearcats have won the battle of the boards in 21 of their 25 games this season. Only and Top 25-ranked teams Rutgers (2/3/07), (12/14/06) and (12/28/06) have beaten UC in that category. owns a +8.2 rebounding margin this season, third in the BIG EAST and 14th in the country. The UC single-season record is a +6.7 margin.
BOARD BUDDIES:
w The sophomore trio of Shelly Bellman, Michelle Jones and Angel Morgan are wrecking balls on the boards for UC. Jones is an expert on offensive rebounding, while Bellman and Morgan make their marks on the defensive end. Bellman leads the team with 6.3, Jones adds 5.8 and Morgan is third with 5.5. Jones has 298 career rebounds and more than half have been offensive (154). Of her 145 rebounds this season, 77 have been offensive. She averages 3.08 per game, eighth in the BIG EAST. Bellman has 331 career rebounds and 245 have been defensive. She has 106 defensive rebounds of her 151 total this season. Morgan has 137 rebounds this season and 106 have been defensive. She has 188 in her career, with 135 of those being defensive.
"A" FOR ACCURACY:
w Sophomore Michelle Jones is shooting a team-high 51 percent from the field, 11th in the BIG EAST. She has converted 110 of 216 attempts. She had career highs of 10 field goals made (10-of-13) and 24 points against Tennessee Tech (12/21/06). She was also a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Emy Ogide is not far behind Jones. The junior is shooting 50 percent (66 of 130) and is coming off a five-of-five performance vs. Pitt (2/13/07).
SPREADING THE WEALTH:
w is seventh in the BIG EAST in scoring (69.6), but the Bearcats don't have a player who averages more than 15.0 points. Three players average double figures: Treasure Humphries (12.0), Shelly Bellman (11.1) and Michelle Jones (11.0).
HOLD EM':
w UC has held 12 of its 25 opponents to 65 points or less and held No. 24 DePaul (1/14/07) to 44 points, a season low. When the Bearcats are held to 60 points or less they are 0-5.
3-POINT THREAT:
w Senior Karen Twehues is third all-time at UC in career 3-point field goals made with181. She leads the Bearcats in 3-point field goal percentage at 36 percent, sixth in the BIG EAST.
STEALS AND DEALS:
w Senior Treasure Humphries and freshman Carla Jacobs are the masters of creating shots for their teammates, helping UC to 16.08 assists a game, fourth in the BIG EAST. The duo are also creating havoc on the defensive end, going one-two in steals.
w Humphries, who led the team in steals both her freshman and junior seasons, is pacing the team in thefts with 55 and is fifth in the BIG EAST with 2.20 a game. She has had multiple steals in 20 of 25 games this season. She tied a career-high with seven take aways vs. No. 23 Arkansas (12/28/06). Jacobs is second on the team in steals with 41. She has had at least one steal in 20 of 24 games this season.
w Jacobs is UC's assist leader with 102 in 24 games, a 4.25 average that ranks fifth in the BIG EAST. She had a career-high 10 assists against (1/23/07). She knows how to take care of the ball too. She is third in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.92) and the top freshman in that category. Treasure Humphries is second on the team in assists (100). She has had three or more assists in 20 of the Bearcats' 25 games. She is ninth in the BIG EAST with 4.00 per game.
DOUBLING DOWN:
w Carla Jacobs got UC's 12th double-double of the 2006-07 season with a career performance against (1/23/07). She had15 points and set a new career high with 10 assists.
w Karen Twehues and Michelle Jones both registered double-doubles vs. Xavier (1/17/07). Jones, accomplishing the feat for the second time in as many games, had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Twehues, notching the third of this season and in her career, had 12 points and 10 rebounds. The last time two Bearcat players had a twin double in the same game was Dec. 21, 2004 vs. Loyola Marymount when Anne Stephens scored 11 points and grabbed 11 boards, and Toni Slaughter had 16 points and 12 rebounds.
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. She added her second career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 12 rebounds against USF (1/6/07).
w Michelle Jones recorded a double-double in the season-opener against (11/10/06). She scored 11 points and nabbed 10 rebounds for her second career double-double. Jones tacked on her second double-double of the season with a game-high 19 points and a career-high 13 rebounds vs. No. 24 DePaul (1/14/07).
w Shelly Bellman has six career double-doubles, including five this season, most recently vs. Seton Hall (1/20/07) when she had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Against Notre Dame (1/10/07) she had 13 points, 10 rebounds and added seven assists. She had 14 points and 11 rebounds against St. Francis (11/22/06); 13 points and 13 rebounds against (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.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING:
w Michelle Jones has scored in double figures in a team-high 17 games this season and 34 in her career. Shelly Bellman has scored in double figures in all but eight games she has played this season and in 31 of 52 career contests.
w The Bearcats have had at least three players score in double figures in every game except for five this season (only two vs. USF on 1/6/07, vs. on 1/27/07 and vs. on 2/17/07 and only one vs. on 2/3/07 and Pitt on 2/13/07). The Bearcats have had five players score in double figures in five 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), a 94-82 loss to No. 23 Arkansas, UC's BIG EAST home opening win over Georgetown, 77-55 (1/3/07), and the Bearcats' 74-61 win over Providence (2/6/07).
GETTING FLOOR TIME:
w Freshman Carla Jacobs leads UC in minutes played at 29.5 per game. Jacobs played a career-high 39 minutes vs. (2/6/07). Angel Morgan is third on the team in average minutes played with 28.9. Morgan played the entire 40 minutes and scored a career-high 18 points, vaulting UC to a 74-57 win over (11/28/06). The win gave head coach Laurie Pirtle her 300th at .
RECORD SHATTERED:
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. The Bearcats bested the old mark of 12 set vs. on March 5, 2004. The Bearcats extended their home-opener winning streak to 11 with an 89-65 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11/14/06).
NORTHWESTERN TOURNEY HONORS:
w Shelly Bellman averaged 19.5 points and 5.5 rebounds and was named to the all-tournament team of the Mildred and Roger L. White Invitational (12/1-2/06), hosted by Northwestern.
DAGOSTINO DEPARTS UC STAFF:
w First-year assistant coach Dave Dagostino has left the UC coaching staff, citing personal reasons. The resignation was effective on January 26. Prior to joining the UC staff last spring, Dagostino had been the head coach at , where he also resigned from his post following a six-year tenure at the school, including three as the Gamecock's head coach.
STARTING FRESH:
w The Bearcats had their earliest season opener in school history, playing at on Nov. 10. 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.
LOOKING AHEAD:
PROMOTIONS: *C-of Red night! The first 500 fans through Fifth Third Arena doors receive a free RED Bearcats T-shirt! Show your Bearcats Spirit and WEAR RED!
*TAKE A KID TO THE GAME NIGHT! All adults that purchase a regular adult ticket receive a FREE Youth (12 & under) Ticket! Prizes such as Silicon bracelets, free shirts and backpacks will be given away to kids during in-game activities!
*STUDENTS: WIN A 52 inch Flat Screen TV! Every UC Student has a chance to WIN a 52 Inch FLAT SCREEN TV!
Each UC Student will receive a raffle ticket at the Student Entrance of Fifth Third Arena. During the first half, four lucky raffle tickets will be drawn and those four contestants (in the order they were chosen) have a chance to win the TV in a halftime Half-court Shooting contest! The first raffle winner has one chance--if the student makes the basket---> he/she WINS THE TV and contest is over! If not, lucky raffle ticket #2 gets one chance and so on.