TicketsNov. 15, 2009
Box Score | Photo Gallery | Jamelle Elliott
CINCINNATI - The Jamelle Elliott era opened with a bang on Sunday night, as the University of Cincinnati women's basketball season began the 2009-10 season with an 85-46 win over Furman in Fifth Third Arena.
Elliott's debut as head coach of the Bearcats (1-0) went smoothly as UC shot 48.3 percent from the floor and turned the ball over just nine times in the most lopsided win since a 39-point drubbing of McNeese State on Nov. 21, 2007.
"One of the things I talked about before the game was playing together for 40 minutes and we did that tonight," said Elliot, who spent the last 12 years as an assistant coach at Connecticut. "I'm more concerned with us being a team. We were sharing the ball and being unselfish. We had 29 made baskets and 20 were assisted. If that's not unselfish basketball, I don't know what is."
Kahla Roudebush (Noblesville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) led the Bearcats with 18 points and moved up on a pair of UC career charts. She moved into 18th on the school's scoring list and improved to fourth in career three-point field goals. She shot 6-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-7 from three-point range while adding six rebounds and five assists.
Junior college transfer Shareese Ulis (Toledo, Ohio/Trinity Valley C.C.) scored 17 points in her Division I debut, shooting 6-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc with three assists.
UC was hot from the floor from the opening tip, jumping to a 21-11 lead just over six minutes in on the strength of five threes.
The Bearcats never trailed and led by as much as 28 in the first half. UC shot 58.6 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes and knocked down seven threes, taking a 47-21 lead into the break.
After a few sloppy minutes at the start of the second half, the Bearcats continued to build the lead and led by as much as 41 in the final minutes.
Ten Bearcats scored in the game, with senior Michelle Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) and sophomore Val Schuster (Wausau, Wis./Wausau Newman Senior) reaching double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Schuster added seven rebounds and four assists and shot 4-of-6 from the field.
Freshman Daress McClung (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) scored six points, blocked four shots, and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in her collegiate debut, helping the Bearcats to a 46-33 edge on the glass.
Kali Holtfreter led Furman (0-2) with 13 points, while Kaitlin Murphey chipped in 11.
Elliott was recognized prior to the game by Director of Athletics Mike Thomas, and video welcomes were presented by UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, the UConn players, and UC's student spirit group, the Rallycats.