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Bearcats Travel to No. 1/1 Connecticut

Bearcats Travel to No. 1/1 ConnecticutBearcats Travel to No. 1/1 Connecticut

Jan. 6, 2010

Game Notes | Listen Live |

THE GAME
The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team takes on No. 1/1 Connecticut on Thursday, Jan. 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Gampel Pavilion. The game marks the first meeting between UC head coach Jamelle Elliott and her former coach and boss, Geno Auriemma. Elliott played for the Huskies for four seasons, helping UConn to the program's first national championship as a junior. She then joined Auriemma's staff where she spent 12 years as an assistant, guiding the Huskies to five more national titles during her stint, including the undefeated 2009 championship run.

THE SERIES
UConn has won the first four meetings between the squads. UC nearly pulled off the upset in 2006-07, falling 70-60, in Fifth Third Arena after leading with four minutes to play. But the Huskies scored the final 11 points to post a 10-point victory.

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).

  • Jamelle Elliott is coaching against her former coach and boss, Geno Auriemma for the first time since being named UC's head coach on May 5, 2009.
  • Senior guard Kahla Roudebush is moving up on the UC career scoring and three-pointer charts. She is now 13th in scoring (1,179) and fourth in threes made (168).
  • Senior forward Michelle Jones is also approaching and passing milestones this season. She reached the 500 career rebound plateau against Valparaiso and has 885 career points.
  • The Bearcats have outrebounded opponents, 35.9-32.2 this season.
  • UC shot 24-of-27 from the free throw line against Valparaiso, the most made free throws since knocking down 24-of-35 against USF on Jan. 15, 2006.
  • 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.
  • The Bearcats were runners up at the 2009 Great Alaska Shootout, falling to host Alaska Anchorage in the final.

LAST TIME OUT

  • Kahla Roudebush scored 17 points but the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team dropped its BIG EAST Conference opener, 63-49, against Louisville on Jan. 2 in Fifth Third Arena.
  • Monique Reid scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to pace the Cardinals (9-5, 1-0), who were the 2009 national runners-up.
  • The Bearcats (7-6, 0-1 BIG EAST) had their three-game winning streak snapped and fell to the Cardinals for the 10th time in the last 11 contests.
  • Carla Jacobs scored 16 points, knocking down 9-of-10 from the free throw line, and grabbed seven rebounds for UC. Michelle Jones scored seven points and grabbed seven boards while playing the entire 40 minutes.
  • The Bearcats turned the ball over 23 times, but forced 21 Louisville turnovers.

BIG EAST HONORS

  • Senior Kahla Roudebush was named to the preseason all-BIG EAST team prior to the 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 percentage, 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 13th on the school's scoring list.
  • She has scored in double figures in 56 of her last 71 games and has 19 career 20-point 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. She averages 34.2 minutes this year.
  • Roudebush missed the bulk of the 2006-07 season after shoulder and knee injuries.

AGAINST RANKED TEAMS

  • UC is 8-60 all-time against ranked teams.
  • The Bearcats are 0-2 all-time against No. 1 teams. UC lost at No. 1/1 UConn on Jan. 19, 2008, and at home against the No. 1/1 Huskies on Jan. 24, 2009.
  • The Bearcats knocked off No. 21/23 Xavier, 65-55, on Dec. 6, 2008.
  • The Bearcats are 0-1 against ranked opponents this season, falling to No. 9/10 Xavier, 69-38, on Dec. 7.

DEFENSE A STRENGTH

  • The Bearcats are allowing opponents just 55.0 points per game, which ranks fifth in the BIG EAST and 26th in the nation.
  • UC is holding opponents to a .384 shooting clip from the floor and is +3.8 in rebounding.
  • The Bearcats have held six opponents to 50 points or less and Xavier's 69 points are the most that UC has allowed this season.

MINUTE EATERS

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.

JACOBS LADDER

  • Junior Carla Jacobs has been a consistent offensive threat for the Bearcats all season.
  • She is averaging 11.2 points per game while shooting .408 (20-of-49) from three-point range and .824 (42-of-51) from the free throw stripe.
  • Jacobs is third on the team with 30 assists and averages 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
  • She ranks in the Top 10 in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage (5th, .824), three-point percentage (9th, .408), and minutes played (8th, 33.1).
  • She is averaging 12.8 points, 6.0 rebs, 3.0 assists, 2.8 steals per game while shooting .462 (6-of-13) from three and .926 (25-of-27) from the charity stripe over the last four games.

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 passed the 500 career rebound plateau against Valparaiso and is nearing 900 career points.
  • Jones posted her fifth career double-double and her first since Jan. 17, 2007, with 17 points and 12 rebounds against Butler.
  • She is averaging 9.7 points, 7.0 rebounds per game, while shooting at a .580 clip from the floor.
  • Jones ranks fifth in UC history, shooting .507 from the floor during her career.
  • She is fifth in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage, shooting .580, and also ranks 6th in minutes played at 34.2.

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 and scored 12 points with eight rebounds at Indiana.
  • She blocked a shot in each of UC's first four games and is averaging 1.0 blocks per contest.
  • She has accumulated 13 blocks, 18 steals, and 20 assists, while shooting .431 (31-of-72) from the floor.

REBOUNDS A KEY

  • UC is 5-2 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
  • Conversely, the Bearcats are just 2-3 when being outrebounded by opponents.
  • UC is averaging 35.9 boards per game and holding opponents to just 32.2 per game, a 3.7 per game margin.
  • The Bearcats owned the glass at the Great Alaska Shootout, winning the rebounding battle by a combined 81-61 count.