TicketsNov. 20, 2007
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Story lines
The University of Cincinnati will attempt to win three in a row when they take on the McNeese State Cowgirls on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at Fifth Third Arena in a 7 p.m. game.
Four UC players are averaging double figure scoring averages, led by freshman guard Tenishia Benson's 17 points a game. Benson is a perfect 20-of-20 from the free throw line this season and leads the conference in free throw percentage. Benson is one of two players in the nation to have connected on 20 straight free throws. Senior Kamela Gissendanner of Penn State is the only other NCAA Division I player to have landed 20 free throws on 20 attempts.
UC is led by an entirely new coaching staff, directed by J. Kelley Hall. Hall comes to Cincinnati from Louisiana-Lafayette where he won two Sun Belt Conference West Division titles and led the team to its first trip to the NCAA Tournament (2006-07). Hall's overall record as a head coach is 292-119 and he has compiled an 88-63 overall record as an NCAA Division I head coach.
The Bearcats remain at Fifth Third Arena for their final of five straight regular season home games, taking on Presbyterian College on Monday, Nov. 26, at 4 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT:
Cincinnati nailed a BIG EAST season-high 12 three pointers and five Bearcats scored in double figures as UC won its second consecutive game of the 2007-08 season, a 90-82, overtime victory over Duquesne.
Kahla Roudebush scored a team-high 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds in the game. Roudebush landed four three pointers, the second time in as many games that she has connected on four treys.
Jill Stephens recorded her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Stephens also recorded a rare technical foul in the game, but was not phased, finishing with only two fouls for the game. She was 7-of-8 from the charity stripe.
Tenishia Benson continued her stellar play, finishing with 15 points and nine rebounds. Benson has not missed from the free throw line this year, landing 9-for-9 against the Dukes. The freshman guard fouled out of the Duquesne game at the 3:02 mark of the overtime period.
Carla Jacobs was hot from downtown, landing 3-of-4 three pointers and scoring 15 points in the game. Jacobs dished out a team-high five helpers, grabbed six rebounds and had a team-high three steals. Jacobs showed her toughness after twice slamming into an uncalled screen in the backcourt, nearly falling down on both hits. She shook off both and played 41 minutes in the overtime win.
Natasha Graboski had a chance to win the game for the Bearcats, taking the last shot with three seconds left in regulation. She missed a tough, left handed hook shot but reacted with a three pointer and a jumper to start the overtime period. She finished the game with a career-high 14 points and four rebounds.
ABOUT McNEESE STATE: The Cowgirls are playing their second game in three days and their fourth road game of the season. Currently winless, McNeese State is coming off a tough, 67-47 loss at Jackson State on Monday, Nov. 19. Located in Lake Charles, La., the Cowgirls are playing the Bearcats for the first time. Members of the Southland Conference, McNeese State was picked to finish fifth in the East Division of the 2007-08 conference preseason coaches poll. First-year head coach Brooks Donald Williams guides the Cowgirls while Ne'Aisha Anderson leads the team in scoring with 8.5 points a game and Reeshimah Davis pulls down a team-high 5.0 rebounds a game.
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: Against Duquesne, Jill Stephens was tied up under the basket after the Dukes scored. Attempting to free herself, Stephens pushed harder than the referee liked and was hit with the first UC technical foul of the 2007-08 season. The last time UC received a technical foul in a game was in the WNIT opening round on March 16, 2006 against Florida International. UC's bench was tagged with a technical in the 81-75 overtime loss.
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, junior guard/forward 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 freshman guard Asia Jenkins also will not suit up for the Bearcats against McNeese State, and junior guard Angel Morgan will see limited action after an injury in the game against Michigan. Sophomore center Natasha Graboski missed the first exhibition game nursing an injury, but rejoined the team in the second exhibition and in the regular season opener. Sophomore guard Carla Jacobs, a member of the BIG EAST all-freshman team in 2007, saw limited action in the first exhibition game but has started the first three regular season games.
BENSON BRINGS IT: Freshman guard Tenishia Benson was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll for the week ending Nov. 18, as announced by the league office Monday, Nov. 19. Benson earned her first start against Valparaiso and showed no rookie jitters. She finished the game with a game-high 25 points and was perfect from the free throw line (11-11). Additionally, Benson started the second half against Michigan and finished the game with 11 points and seven rebounds. The last UC freshman to lead the team in scoring in her first collegiate start was Shelly Bellman (15 points in 74-39 victory over St. Francis on Nov. 19, 2005). Benson continued her hot start with a 15 point, nine rebound performance against Duquesne, landing 9-of-9 free throws for a total of 20-for-20 from the free throw line so far this season.
REFOCUS: Fifth-year senior forward Renee Hein, who was a member of UC's track and field team the first four years of her career, has decided to leave the women's basketball team to focus on her dream of competing in high jump at the 2008 Olympics. In UC's two exhibition games, Hein averaged 10 minutes, four points and 1.5 rebounds a game.
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).
BIG EAST BULLETS:
Nine of the 16 member schools in the BIG EAST conference are either ranked or receiving votes in the women's basketball Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Polls with UConn ranked the highest at No. 2 in both polls.
The Presidents of the BIG EAST Conference voted to include all 16 member institutions in the women's basketball championship tournaments beginning in 2009. Currently, the top 12 teams in the final regular season standings advance to participate in the women's championship. UC has participated in the tournament both of the two seasons it has been a member of the elite conference and has lost to Pittsburgh on both occasions (77-62 in 2006 and 76-71 in 2007).
ON THE DEFENSIVE: The Bearcats will focus on defense and rebounding this year and are off to a good start in both categories, allowing opponents 68.7 points a game and outrebounding opponents, 135-89.
FINE AT THE LINE: In exhibition this season, the Bearcats were 19-for-32 (59.4%) from the charity stripe and during the first three games of the season, UC is shooting 78.6 at the line. Freshman Tenishia Benson was an outstanding 11-for-11 from the line in the win over Valparaiso and followed up that performance by going 9-for-9 against Duquesne.
PROTECTING THE BALL: After averaging 20.5 turnovers a game in the first two exhibition games, UC has done a much better job protecting the ball over the last three games, committing only 16.3 turnovers a game.