Bearcats Return to Fifth Third Arena, Welcome Dartmouth

Nov. 29, 2009

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BEARCATS RETURN TO FIFTH THIRD ARENA, WELCOME DARTMOUTH
The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team will return to Fifth Third Arena to take on Dartmouth on Sunday, Nov. 29, at 2 p.m. UC returned to the `Lower 48' after finishing as the runners-up at the 2009 Great Alaska Shootout.

THE SERIES
Cincinnati is 1-0 all-time against Dartmouth, winning 66-60, on Dec. 17, 1994. UC is 3-1 all-time against Ivy League schools (1-0 against Cornell, Dartmouth, and Princeton. Yale is the lone Ivy League opponent to defeat UC, holding a 1-0 mark against the Bearcats).

THE COACH
Jamelle Elliott enters her first season as a head coach, taking over the Cincinnati program after 12 years as an assistant coach at Connecticut, her alma mater. She was a six-time national champion with the Huskies, including helping UConn to its first championship as a student-athlete in 1995. One of the most accomplished players in the distinguished history of the Connecticut program, Elliott finished her career ranked No. 2 among UConn's all-time rebounding leaders (1,054), No. 5 in BIG EAST career rebounding (558), and No. 11 in UConn career scoring (1,387).

• Senior guard Kahla Roudebush is moving up on the UC career scoring and three-pointer charts. She is now 17th in scoring (1,104) and fourth in threes made (155).
• The Bearcats have outrebounded opponents, 40.2-33.6 this season and owned the glass in two games at the Great Alaska Shootout by a combined count of 81-61. UC forced 20 turnovers at Indiana, the most since causing 21 against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 30, 2008.
• UC turned the ball over 19 times at Alaska Anchorage, its highest single game total this season.
• The Bearcats were runners up at the 2009 Great Alaska Shootout, falling to host Alaska Anchorage in the championship game.
• Kahla Roudebush and Carla Jacobs were named to the Great Alaska Shootout all-tournament team.
• Against Furman, UC posted 47 points in the first half, its highest scoring first half since since pouring in 51 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 14, 2006.
• All 10 Bearcats scored against Furman. Junior college transfer Shareese Ulis and freshmen Elese Daniel, Daress McClung, and Bryonna Snow each saw their first Division I collegiate action.
• UC's 39 point margin of victory against Furman was the largest since a 39 point win vs. McNeese St. on Nov. 21, 2007.
• UC's 85 points vs. Furman were the most in season opener since scoring 85 at Youngstown St. on Nov. 10, 2006.

LAST TIME OUT

• The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team dropped the championship game of the 2009 Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout, 49-48, on Nov. 25 in Sullivan Arena.
• Carla Jacobs led the Bearcats with 14 points and Kahla Roudebush scored 11 and added seven rebounds.
• The Bearcats (3-2) held the host Seawolves (4-0) nearly 50 points below their season average of 97.3 points per game.
• Roudebush had a look at the end of the game, but her three rimmed out and the Seawolves rebounded and escaped with their fourth straight Great Alaska Shootout title.
• Jacobs and Roudebush were named to the all-tournament team following the contest.

BIG EAST HONORS

• Senior Kahla Roudebush was named to the preseason all-BIG EAST team prior to the 2009-10 season.
• Following the 2008-09 season, Roudebush earned second-team all-BIG EAST honors and Shanasa Sanders was named to the league's all-Freshman team. Jill Stephens was named the BIG EAST Scholar Athlete of the Year for 2008-09.

ROUDEBUSH CRASHING RECORD BOOKS

• Senior sharpshooter Kahla Roudebush has made her mark on the UC record books during her career with her scoring and three-point shooting.
• Roudebush is second in school history in career three-point precentage, fourth in three-pointers, and fifth in three-point attempts.
• She also ranks in the Top 10 in career free throw percentage.
• Roudebush became the 23rd player in school history to score 1,000 career points and is currently 17th on the school's scoring list.
• She has scored in double figures in 52 of her last 63 games. She was held under 10 points in back-to-back games (at Indiana, vs. Detroit) for the first time in 62 games, spanning three seasons.
• Roudebush has put her name in the single season record books in each of the last two seasons. She is in the Top 10 in minutes played (1,095, 2008-09), three-point field goals (70, 2008-09; 66, 2007-08), three-point field goal attempts (177, 2008-09), three-point field goal percentage (.398, 2007-08; .395, 2008-09).
• Last season, Roudebush averaged 38.5 minutes per contest, which led the BIG EAST and ranked No. 8 in the nation.
• Roudebush missed the bulk of the 2006-07 season after shoulder and knee injuries.

A STRONG START

• UC's win against Furman was its biggest win since early in the 2007-08 season, a 39-point victory against McNeese State.
• The 85 points marked the most in a season opener since the 2006-07 season when the Bearcats topped Youngstown State 85-78.
• The Bearcats got contributions from all 10 players in uniform and recorded assists on 20 of 29 made baskets (69%).

A STRONG START, PART II

• Four newcomers saw action in the season opener, led by junior college transfer Shareese Ulis, who earned the start at point guard.
• Ulis shot 6-of-12 from the floor and knocked down 3-of-6 threes for 17 points. She also added three assists.
• True freshman Daress McClung grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench. She also blocked four shots and scored six points.

HERE'S LOOKING AT ULIS

• Junior college transfer Shareese Ulis has proven to be a big addition for the Bearcats as she leads the team in scoring at 13.2 points per game.
• Ulis scored 17 in the season opener against Furman and followed with a game-high 20 at Indiana.
• Ulis is shooting .440 from the floor, .360 from behind the three-point line, and .867 from the free throw stripe.
• She is second on the squad in assists with 15.

MICHELLE IN THE POST

• The Bearcats' lone experienced post player, Michelle Jones looks to thrive under the tutelage of Elliott, who coached seven all-Americans while an assistant at Connecticut.
• Jones scored 13 points in the season opener against Furman, shooting 5-of-7 from the floor and grabbed six rebounds, four on the offensive end.
• Jones took over the late stages of the game against Detroit and totaled 14 points and eight rebounds, her third straight double-figure scoring output.
• She has more career offensive rebounds than defensive, and surpassed the 500 rebound plateau against Western Carolina.

FRESH(MAN) CONTRIBUTIONS

• Freshman Daress McClung has provided a spark off of Jamelle Elliott's bench this season.
• She grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in the opener against Furman, scored 12 points with eight rebounds at Indiana, and tallied five points and seven boards vs. Detroit.
• She blocked a shot in each of UC's first four games.
• She has accumulated seven blocks, four steals, and nine assists, while shooting .600 (15-of-25) from the floor.

REBOUNDS A KEY

• UC is 3-1 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
• Conversely, the only game in which the Bearcats were outrebounded was at Indiana, a 64-57 loss.
• UC is averaging 40.2 boards per game and holding opponents to just 33.6 per game, a 6.6 per game margin.
• The Bearcats owned the glass at the Great Alaska Shootout, winning the rebounding battle by a combined 81-61 count.

LITTLE BIT OF OLD, LITTLE BIT OF NEW

• The Bearcats return just two starters from a season ago, but welcome back Carla Jacobs, a starter in her freshman and sophomore seasons before missing the 2008-09 campaign.
• Five newcomers join the Bearcats this season. Vanderbilt transfer Chanel Chisholm will sit out the 2009-10 season due to NCAA transfer guidelines. Junior college transfer Shareese Ulis is joined by freshmen Elese Daniel, Daress McClung, and Bryonna Snow to form Jamelle Elliott's first class.

BEARCATS PICKED 16TH IN BIG EAST

• Cincinnati was picked by the league's coaches to finish 16th in the BIG EAST in 2009-10.