TicketsOct. 31, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format
Story lines
The University of Cincinnati begins its 37th season of women's basketball by hosting the Northern Kentucky Norse in a preseason exhibition at Fifth Third Arena.
UC tips off the season with an entirely new coaching staff, led by J. Kelley Hall. Hall comes to Cincinnati from Louisiana-Lafayette where he compiled an 86-62 overall record in five seasons. In his short time with the Ragin' Cajuns, Hall won two Sun Belt Conference West Division titles and led the team to its first trip to the NCAA Tournament (2006-07).
Tonight's exhibition game vs. NKU is the first of two home preseason contests for the Bearcats. Cincinnati will take on Ohio Girls Basketball Report All-Stars on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m. UC opens the regular season against Michigan on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 7:00 p.m. It is the first time the Wolverines have played at Fifth Third Arena since the 1998 season.
The Norse lead the regular season games series 8-7. The last time the two teams met was 1986, a 64-63 loss for the Bearcats. NKU was picked to finish second this year in the East Division of the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
THE OPENING TIP: The University of Cincinnati gets its preseason portion of its 2007-08 season underway Thursday, Nov. 1 at Fifth Third Arena with a 7:00 p.m. tip vs. area Division-II power Northern Kentucky University. The Bearcats, under first-year head coach J. Kelley Hall, will look to improve on last year's 15-14 mark with a young squad. The Norse finished last year with a 21-8 overall record and return three starters.
EXHIBIT NO. 1 of 2: Thursday's contest is the first of two preseason exhibitions that the Bearcats will host. Cincinnati will face Ohio Girls Basketball Report All-Stars on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m.
MEET THE TEAM: On Wednesday, Nov. 7 following the second exhibition game of 2007-08 season, UC will offer all Cincinnati Kid's Club members and families, UCATS members, season ticket holders, families, and fans the opportunity to meet the team after the game. Coaches and players will be available to mingle with the crowd, sign autographs, and discuss the upcoming season.
J. Kelley Hall: J. Kelley Hall was named the head coach of the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team on April 4, 2007. Hall's career coaching highlights include guiding his teams to six NCAA Tournaments and coaching six all-Americans, 10 all-Southeastern Conference student-athletes and one NCAA scoring champion. He has a 290-118 overall record as a head coach with a winning percentage of .711. As the head coach at Louisiana-Lafayette, Hall compiled an 86-62 overall record and led the Ragin' Cajuns to their first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2007.
ABOUT NKU: The Norse are an NCAA Division II school and members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Led by head coach Nancy Winstel, NKU has advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four four times and has made 17 NCAA Tournament appearances. NKU was picked to finish second in the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division in the league's preseason poll. The Norse lost five seniors from a 2006-07 squad that advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but returns three starters, two of which earned All-GLVC honors last season. Senior center Angela Healy is considered one of the top post players in the GLVC, averaging 11.3 points a game and a team leading 6.9 rebounds a game last season.
37TH CAMPAIGN: The 2007-08 season will be the 37th year of women's basketball at the University of Cincinnati. The school has compiled a 528-464 record for a .532 percentage.
BEARCATS BITS: The 2007-08 Bearcats return nine letterwinners and three starters from last season's squad that finished 15-14 overall and 6-10 in the BIG EAST Conference. Of the letterwinners returning for the Bearcats, four are injured or unlikely to play in tonight's exhibition game. Junior guard/forwad Shelly Bellman, one of UC's top returning players with a 10.4 points per game average last year, is out for the 2007-08 season with a leg injury. Senior forward Emy Ogide and sophomore center Natasha Graboski will miss tonight's game and sophomore guard Carla Jacobs, a BIG EAST all-freshman team member, will see limited action tonight -- all due to various medical issues. UC welcomes the return of redshirt sophomore guard Kahla Roudebush, a sharp-shooter who missed last season with an injury, and will turn to sophomore guard Stephanie Stevens to run the point. Junior forward Jill Stephens averaged 4.2 points and 3.3 rebounds a game last season and will be relied on in the paint for the Bearcats. She will be joined by fifth-year senior Renee Hein, who spent the first four years of her UC career as a high jumper on the track and field team. Junior guard Angel Morgan (5.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg) will provide experience on the court while senior guard Kristi Brogan (0.6 ppg, 0.6 rpg) and freshman guard Tenishia Benson (Akron, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban) are expected to see playing time off the bench.
NUMBER 45: After two seasons wearing jersey number 40, junior forward Jill Stephens has switched to number 45 for the 2007-08 season. Stephens is now wearing the same jersey number that her sister Anne wore during her career as a Bearcat (2003-06).
LOOKING AHEAD: The Bearcats will open the 2007-08 regular season hosting the Michigan Wolverines on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 7:00 p.m. and will host Valparaiso on Friday, Nov. 16 in a 4:00 p.m. contest that will be televised on Fox 19 WXIX.