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Bearcats Welcome Butler to Fifth Third Arena

Bearcats Welcome Butler to Fifth Third ArenaBearcats Welcome Butler to Fifth Third Arena

Dec. 12, 2009

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THE GAME The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team looks to snap a two-game losing streak when it plays host to Butler on Sunday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m. in Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats dropped contests against Kentucky and No. 9/10 Xavier last weekend, falling to 4-4 on the season.

THE SERIES Cincinnati leads the series, 5-3. The teams have not played since Dec. 22, 2001, a 94-66 Bearcats win at Butler. The teams first squared off in 1984, with UC earning a 97-60 home win on Feb. 7. The Bearcats won the first three matchups, then dropped three straight.

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 (1,122) and fourth in threes made (156).
  • The Bearcats have outrebounded opponents, 38.0-32.4 this season and owned the glass in two games at the Great Alaska Shootout by a combined count of 81-61.
  • UC's defense has held opponents to just 55.4 points per game and .372 shooting, while causing 14.6 turnovers per contest.
  • The Bearcats allowed just 13 points in the second half against Dartmouth, the fewest an opponent has scored in a half since Savannah State tallied 13 in the first on Nov. 29, 2008.
  • UC forced 24 turnovers against Dartmouth, the most since causing 24 at Georgetown on Jan. 23, 2007.
  • UC has turned the ball over 51 times in the last two contests.
  • The Bearcats were runners up at the 2009 Great Alaska Shootout, falling to host Alaska Anchorage in the final.
  • 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.

LAST TIME OUT

  • Amber Harris scored 17 points and the ninth-ranked Musketeers extended their season-opening winning streak to a school-record seven games with a 69-38 victory over city rival Cincinnati on Dec. 6.
  • Xavier forced Cincinnati into turnovers on three consecutive possessions and four out of five and converted every mistake during an 11-0 run that gave the Musketeers a 17-10 lead midway through the first half.
  • A 12-0 run in the last 4 minutes gave Xavier a 39-16 lead before Cincinnati senior guard Kahla Roudebush scored right before the buzzer.
  • The Musketeers led by as many as 33 points in the second half.
  • The Bearcats committed a season-high 26 turnovers.

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 third 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 66 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.

DEFENSE A STRENGTH

  • The Bearcats are sixth in the BIG EAST and No. 38 nationally in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 55.4 points per game.
  • UC is holding opponents to a .372 shooting clip from the floor and is +5.6 in rebounding.
  • The Bearcats have held three opponents under 50 points and Xavier's 69 points are the most that UC has allowed this season.

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 12.4 points per game.
  • Ulis scored 17 in the season opener against Furman and followed with a game-high 20 at Indiana. vUlis is shooting .443 from the floor, .343 from behind the three-point line, and .850 from the free throw stripe.
  • She is second on the squad in assists with 22.

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 is averaging 8.8 points per game, while shooting at a .528 clip from the floor.
  • She surpassed the 500 rebound plateau against Western Carolina and has over 800 points for her career.

FRESH(MAN) CONTRIBUTIONS

  • Freshman Daress McClung earned her first career start against Kentucky on Dec. 4, scoring nine points with seven rebounds.
  • 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, eight steals, and 14 assists, while shooting .521 (25-of-48) from the floor.

REBOUNDS A KEY

  • UC is 4-2 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
  • Conversely, the Bearcats are 0-2 when being outrebounded by opponents.
  • UC is averaging 38.0 boards per game and holding opponents to just 32.4 per game, a 5.6 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.