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Bearcats Open Two-Game Road Stretch at Syracuse

Bearcats Open Two-Game Road Stretch at SyracuseBearcats Open Two-Game Road Stretch at Syracuse

Feb. 11, 2010

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THE GAME
The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team will embark on a two-game conference road trip, starting with a date with Syracuse on Satuday, Feb. 13. The Bearcats and Orange will tip at 2 p.m. from the Carrier Dome and will be televised by the BIG EAST Network with Beth Mowins handling play-by-play duties and Brooke Weisbrod as analyst.

THE SERIES
The Bearcats and Orange have split six games amongst each other, including four since the Bearcats joined the BIG EAST Conference during the 2005-06 season. UC is 1-1 in Syracuse, including a 59-43 win on Jan. 21, 2006, in the Carrier Dome. Last season, the Orange erased a 16-point first-half deficit and escaped Fifth Third Arena with a 71-70 win.

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 (1,340) and fourth in threes made (184).
  • Three Bearcats are averaging double figures, led by Roudebush's 13.5 per game. Shareese Ulis (11.1) and Michelle Jones (10.0) are at 10+, and Carla Jacobs (9.9) is just behind.
  • 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 36.3 and 35.3, 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 22 points shy of 1,000.
  • UC has outrebounded opponents, 34.5-33.7, this season.

LAST TIME OUT

  • Kahla Roudebush scored 17 points for the Bearcats, but the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team dropped a 66-50 decision against No. 4/3 Notre Dame on Feb. 9 in Fifth Third Arena.
  • Lindsay Schrader scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half, and Notre Dame intensified its full-court pressure, building a 20-point lead and holding on.
  • The Irish (22-1, 9-1 Big East) have won seven straight since their loss to No. 1 Connecticut on Jan. 16.
  • Shareese Ulis scored 13, and hit 2-of-2 from three-point land. She is 7-of-8 from three-point range over the last two games.
  • Becca Bruszewski added 14 points and eight rebounds for the Irish.
  • Cincinnati finished with 23 turnovers, setting up 21 Irish points.

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 and minutes played.
  • 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 1,340 points.
  • She has scored in double figures in 63 of her last 80 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 (1,195, 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 36.3 minutes this year, which is fourth in the BIG EAST.
  • She has averaged 36.9 minutes per game over the last three years. (2,989 minutes in 81 games)
  • She is averaging 16.1 points in BIG EAST play, shooting .422 from three (19-of-45), and is averaging 39.4 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 (3-7).

EVEN PRODUCTION

  • Cincinnati is getting double-digit scoring from three players this season, led by Kahla Roudebush at 13.5 points per game. Carla Jacobs is just under the double-figures plateau at 9.9 per game.
  • Shareese Ulis (11.2) and Michelle Jones (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 180 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 8-63 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 0-4 against ranked opponents this season, falling at No. 9/10 Xavier (Dec. 7), at No. 1/1 UConn (Jan. 7), and at home against No. 19/18 Georgetown (Jan. 19) and against No. 4/3 Notre Dame (Feb. 9).

BIG BEAST OF A LEAGUE

  • The Bearcats have started the conference season with a 3-7 record, but the opposition has been some of the best in the country.
  • UC lost to three Top 20 teams in No. 19/18 Georgetown, top-ranked Connecticut, and No. 4/3 Notre Dame.
  • 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 58.1 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).
  • Only two opponents have scored 70 or more against UC this season.

MINUTE EATERS

  • Kahla Roudebush (4th, 36.3) and Michelle Jones (6th, 35.3) 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 11 minutes (394 of a possible 405) and is averaging 39.4 per game.
  • Shareese Ulis averages 37.2 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 9.9 points per game while shooting .337 (28-of-83) from three-point range and .822 (60-of-73) from the free throw stripe.
  • Jacobs is third on the team with 50 assists and averages 4.4 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 11 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 currently has 978 points and 577 rebounds.
  • 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 10.0 points, 6.8 rebounds per game, while shooting at a .559 clip from the floor.
  • Jones ranks fourth in UC history, shooting .510 from the floor during her career.
  • She is fourth in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage, shooting .559, and also ranks sixth in minutes at 35.3.

REBOUNDS A KEY

  • UC is 7-2 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
  • Conversely, the Bearcats are just 3-9 when being outrebounded by opponents.
  • UC is averaging 34.5 boards per game and holding opponents to just 33.7 per game, a 0.8 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 seven games. She is out indefinitely.
  • UC has dressed eight players in each of the last seven 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 seven 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 3-7.