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Bearcats Welcome No. 4/3 Notre Dame to Fifth Third Arena

Bearcats Welcome No. 4/3 Notre Dame to Fifth Third ArenaBearcats Welcome No. 4/3 Notre Dame to Fifth Third Arena

Feb. 8, 2010

Game Notes | |

THE GAME
The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team looks for its first win against a ranked opponent this season when it welcomes No. 4/3 Notre Dame to Fifth Third Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 9. The Bearcats, coming off a 74-68 overtime win at Louisville on Feb. 2, look for the first win against the Irish, who come into the game sporting a 21-1 overall mark.

THE SERIES
Notre Dame holds a 5-0 lead in the all-time series. Last season, the Irish posted a 66-50 win in South Bend. UC is 0-4 against the Irish since joining the BIG EAST Conference in the 2005-06 season. The Bearcats pushed the Irish to overtime before falling, 75-66, on Feb. 25, 2006 in Fifth Third Arena.

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 defeated rival Louisville, 74-68, in overtime on Feb. 2, snapping a six-game losing streak to the Cardinals and winning for the first time in Louisville since Feb. 16, 2003.
  • The Bearcats won their first road game of the season, a 64-47 victory at Seton Hall on Saturday, Jan. 23. The win snapped a 12-game road losing streak that dated back to a 61-55 win on Jan. 7, 2009 at West Virginia.
  • 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 (1,323) and fourth in threes made (184).
  • Four Bearcats are averaging double figures, led by Roudebush's 13.3 per game. Shareese Ulis (11.1), Michelle Jones (10.3), and Carla Jacobs (10.0) join her in double figures.
  • Roudebush has earned three BIG EAST Honor Roll mentions this season (Jan. 11, Jan. 25, Feb. 8).
  • Roudebush and Michelle Jones are playing heavy minutes for the Bearcats, averaging 36.2 and 35.2, respectively, both ranking in the Top 10 in the BIG EAST.
  • Senior forward Michelle Jones is approaching/passing milestones this season. She reached the 500 rebound plateau against Valparaiso and passed 900 career points at Rutgers. She is on pace to become the 24th UC player to reach 1,000 points.
  • UC has outrebounded opponents, 34.6-33.6, this season.

LAST TIME OUT

  • Shareese Ulis scored a career-high 23 points and Kahla Roudebush was one rebound shy of a triple double, leading the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team to a 74-68 overtime win at Louisville on Feb. 2 in Freedom Hall.
  • Roudebush finished with 19 points, nine rebounds, and a career-best 10 assists in 42 minutes of action.
  • Michelle Jones scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Bearcats (10-11, 3-6 BIG EAST), who snapped a six-game losing streak against the Cardinals (11-11, 3-6) and won for the first time in Louisville since a 73-66 double overtime victory in Freedom Hall on Feb. 16, 2003.
  • Monique Reid scored 19 points to lead three Louisville players in double figures.
  • The Bearcats outrebounded the Cardinals, 37-33, and forced five more turnovers.

BIG EAST HONORS

  • Senior Kahla Roudebush was named to the preseason all-BIG EAST team prior to the season.
  • Roudebush has been named to the league's weekly honor roll three times, earning the distinction on Jan. 11, Jan. 25, and Feb. 8.
  • 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.

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 1,323 points.
  • She has scored in double figures in 62 of her last 79 games and has 21 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 36.2 minutes this year, which is fourth in the BIG EAST. She has averaged 36.9 minutes per game over the last three years.
  • She is averaging 16.0 points in BIG EAST play, shooting .442 from three (19-of-43), and is averaging 39.7 minutes per game.
  • Roudebush missed the bulk of the 2006-07 season with shoulder and knee injuries.

IMPROVEMENT IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

  • Cincinnati posted a 3-13 mark in BIG EAST play in 2008-09.
  • The Bearcats have already equaled last year's wins mark with seven conference games to play (3-6).

EVEN PRODUCTION

  • Cincinnati is getting double-digit scoring from four players this season, led by Kahla Roudebush at 13.3 points per game.
  • Shareese Ulis (11.1), Michelle Jones (10.3), and Carla Jacobs (10.0) are averaging 10+ points per game as well.
  • Five different players are averaging more than four rebounds per contest and UC's three-guard lineup (Ulis, Roudebush, Jacobs) has combined for 177 assists.

SNAPPING THE STREAK

  • The Bearcats snapped a six-game losing streak against rival Louisville with a 74-68 overtime win on Feb. 2.
  • UC last defeated the Cardinals, 76-65, on Feb. 18, 2006, in Fifth Third Arena.
  • The last Bearcats win in Louisville came via a 73-66 double overtime victory on Feb. 16, 2003.

HOYA PARANOIA

  • BIG EAST foe Georgetown has brought out the best in Kahla Roudebush.
  • In her last three games against Georgetown, Roudebush has averaged 23.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and has knocked down 16 three-pointers.
  • She shot 21-of-42 (.500) from the floor, 16-of-29 (.552) from three-point range, and 13-of-15 (.867) from the free throw line in those three contests.
  • Roudebush hit a career-high seven triples at GU on Feb. 11, 2009.

AGAINST RANKED TEAMS

  • UC is 8-62 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 0-3 against ranked opponents this season, falling at No. 9/10 Xavier on Dec. 7, at No. 1/1 UConn on Jan. 7, and at home against No. 19/18 Georgetown on Jan. 19.

BIG BEAST OF A LEAGUE

  • The Bearcats have started the conference season with a 3-6 record, but the opposition has been some of the best in the country.
  • UC lost to a pair of Top 20 teams in No. 19/18 Georgetown and top-ranked Connecticut.
  • The other four losses came on the road at Rutgers, at DePaul, and at home against defending national runner-up Louisville, and defending WNIT champ USF.

DEFENSE A STRENGTH

  • The Bearcats are allowing opponents just 57.7 points per game, which ranks eighth in the BIG EAST and 52nd in the nation.
  • The Bearcats have held eight opponents to 50 points or less and No. 1/1 UConn's 83 points are the most that UC has allowed this season - 12 more than the next most (71 at DePaul).

MINUTE EATERS

  • Kahla Roudebush (4th) and Michelle Jones (6th) are each among the Top 10 in the BIG EAST in minutes played.
  • The numbers are even more staggering in BIG EAST play. Roudebush has played all but eight minutes (357 of a possible 365) and is averaging 39.7 per game.
  • Shareese Ulis averages 37.3 minutes, while Jones is at 37.1 per contest in conference action.
  • At Louisville on Feb. 2, four Bearcats saw over 40 minutes of action, including career-highs of 45 minutes each for Val Schuster and Ulis.

JACOBS LADDER

  • Junior Carla Jacobs has been a consistent offensive threat for the Bearcats all season.
  • She is averaging 10.0 points per game while shooting .338 (27-of-80) from three-point range and .822 (60-of-73) from the free throw stripe.
  • Jacobs is third on the team with 48 assists and averages 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
  • She ranks in the Top 10 in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage (6th, .822).
  • Shooting .878 (43-of-49) from the charity stripe over the last 10 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.
  • She scored a season-high 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds while shooting 9-of-11 from the floor at Seton Hall.
  • 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 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds per game, while shooting at a .571 clip from the floor.
  • Jones ranks fifth in UC history, shooting .512 from the floor during her career.
  • She is third in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage, shooting .571, and also ranks sixth in minutes at 35.2.

REBOUNDS A KEY

  • UC is 7-2 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
  • Conversely, the Bearcats are just 3-8 when being outrebounded by opponents.
  • UC is averaging 34.6 boards per game and holding opponents to just 33.6 per game, a 1.0 per game margin.
  • Cincinnati posted a 45-35 edge on the boards at Seton Hall.
  • The Bearcats owned the glass at the Great Alaska Shootout, winning the rebounding battle by a combined 81-61 count.

THE THIN RED AND BLACK BENCH

  • Jamelle Elliott has had a lean bench to work with in her first season at Cincinnati.
  • UC has 12 players on its roster, but just 10 have seen game action this season. Redshirt senior Shelly Bellman is out indefinitely with a knee injury sustained in the offseason.
  • Vanderbilt transfer Chanel Chisholm is sitting out the 2009-10 season in compliance with NCAA transfer guidelines. She will be eligible to play beginning with the 2010-11 season.
  • Freshman Bryonna Snow has not dressed since the Butler game on Dec. 13. Freshman Daress McClung is nursing an achilles injury and has missed the last six games. She is out indefinitely.
  • UC has dressed eight players in each of the last six games.

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.
  • McClung has missed the last six games with an achilles injury.

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.

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.
  • The Bearcats finished 16th last season with a 3-13 league mark.
  • UC is currently 12th in the BIG EAST at 3-6.