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Bearcats Return Home to Host Hoyas

Bearcats Return Home to Host HoyasBearcats Return Home to Host Hoyas

Jan. 19, 2010

Game Notes | |

THE GAME
The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team returns to Fifth Third Arena to take on No. 19/18 Georgetown on Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. The Bearcats, 8-8 overall and 1-3 in BIG EAST play, are looking to bounce back after a tough, 44-33, loss at Rutgers on Jan. 16.

THE SERIES
Cincinnati leads the all-time series with Georgetown, 5-1, but lost the last meeting between the teams, 69-61, last season in Washington, D.C. The Bearcats and Hoyas played twice a season for the first two years of UC's affiliation with the BIG EAST Conference, with UC going 4-0 in those matchups.

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).

  • UC won its first BIG EAST game of the season against St. John's on Jan. 10. The win snapped a 14-game BIG EAST regular-season losing streak that dated back to Jan. 17, 2009.
  • Senior guard Kahla Roudebush is moving up on the UC career scoring and three-point charts. She is now 11th in scoring (1,239) and fourth in threes made (175).
  • Senior forward Michelle Jones is also approaching and passing milestones this season. She reached the 500 rebound plateau against Valparaiso and passed 900 career points at Rutgers.
  • UC has outrebounded opponents, 34.7-32.9, this season.
  • Cincinnati scored 26 points in the first half against No. 1/1 UConn, the fifth-most allowed by the Huskies this season. UC scored just seven points in the first half against UConn last year.
  • 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.
  • 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.

LAST TIME OUT

  • The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team dropped a 44-33 decision at Rutgers on Jan. 16 in the Louis Brown Athletic Center.
  • The Bearcats (8-8, 1-3 BIG EAST) shot 25 percent for the game, hitting on just 12-of-48 from the floor. UC held Rutgers (10-7, 3-1) to just 34 percent shooting, but couldn't overcome its shooting woes.
  • Shareese Ulis was the lone Bearcat in double figures with 10 points.
  • Kahla Roudebush scored seven points and moved into 11th place on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,239 points, passing Regina Williams (1,237 points).
  • Michelle Jones' layup at the 16:30 mark of the first half gave her 900 career points. She scored eight points with a game-high nine rebounds and now has 906 career points.
  • Brittany Ray led Rutgers with a game-high 13 points, six below her season average.
  • Rashidat Junaid was the only other player in double figures with 11 points.
  • Val Schuster made her seventh start of the season and first since the Dartmouth game on Nov. 29.

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 11th on the school's scoring list with 1,239 points.
  • She has scored in double figures in 58 of her last 74 games and has 20 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 35.1 minutes this year.
  • Roudebush missed the bulk of the 2006-07 season with shoulder and knee injuries.

AGAINST RANKED TEAMS

  • UC is 8-61 all-time against ranked teams.
  • The Bearcats are 0-3 all-time against No. 1 teams. UC lost at No. 1/1 UConn on Jan. 7, 2010 and 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 0-2 against ranked opponents this season, falling to No. 9/10 Xavier, 69-38, on Dec. 7 and at No. 1/1 UConn on Jan. 7.

DEFENSE A STRENGTH

  • The Bearcats are allowing opponents just 56.4 points per game, which ranks sixth in the BIG EAST and 29th in the nation.
  • The Bearcats have held seven opponents to 50 points or less and No. 1/1 UConn's 83 points are the most that UC has allowed this season - 14 more than the next most (69 at No. 9/10 Xavier).

MINUTE EATERS

JACOBS LADDER

  • Junior Carla Jacobs has been a consistent offensive threat for the Bearcats all season.
  • She is averaging 10.3 points per game while shooting .339 (21-of-62) from three-point range and .828 (48-of-58) from the free throw stripe.
  • Jacobs is third on the team with 36 assists and averages 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.
  • She ranks in the Top 10 in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage (5th, .828).
  • Shooting .912 (31-of-34) from the charity stripe over the last seven 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 passed 900 career points at Rutgers.
  • 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 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds per game, while shooting at a .527 clip from the floor.
  • Jones ranks sixth in UC history, shooting .501 from the floor during her career.
  • She is 11th in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage, shooting .527, and also ranks seventh in minutes at 34.5.

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 0.9 blocks per contest.
  • She averages 6.3 points and 5.3 rebounds and has accumulated 14 blocks, 20 steals, and 23 assists, while shooting .439 (36-of-82) from the floor.

REBOUNDS A KEY

  • UC is 5-2 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
  • Conversely, the Bearcats are just 3-5 when being outrebounded by opponents.
  • UC is averaging 34.7 boards per game and holding opponents to just 32.9 per game, a 1.8 per game margin.
  • The Bearcats owned the glass at the Great Alaska Shootout, winning the rebounding battle by a combined 81-61 count.

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 had 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.