Bearcats Welcome Pitt on Senior Day

Bearcats Welcome Pitt on Senior DayBearcats Welcome Pitt on Senior Day

Feb. 26, 2010

Game Notes | |

THE GAME
The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team looks to snap a three-game losing streak when it welcomes Pittsburgh to Fifth Third Arena for Senior Day on Saturday, Feb. 27, at 2 p.m. The Bearcats will honor four seniors prior to the game: Shelly Bellman, Michelle Jones, Kahla Roudebush, and Stephanie Stevens.

THE SERIES
Pittsburgh holds a 7-2 edge in the all-time series between the squads, including a 6-0 mark since the Bearcats joined the BIG EAST in 2005-06. The No. 19/22 Panthers topped UC, 68-53, last season in Pittsburgh. The teams have met twice in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament, with Pitt earning wins in 2006 and 2007.

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).

  • Cincinnati won two straight BIG EAST road games for only the second time since joining the conference in 2005-06. The Bearcats have never won three straight BIG EAST road contests.
  • Senior forward Michelle Jones became the 24th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau with a layup at Providence. She has 1,024 career points and 614 career rebounds. She is just the 13th player in school history to record 1,000 career points and 600 career rebounds.
  • 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 (1,384) and fourth in threes made (188).
  • Three Bearcats are averaging double figures, led by Roudebush's 13.1 per game. Shareese Ulis (11.6) and Jones (10.2) are at 10+, and Carla Jacobs (9.4) is just behind.
  • Roudebush has earned three BIG EAST Honor Roll mentions this season (Jan. 11, Jan. 25, Feb. 8). Ulis was named to the Honor Roll on Feb. 15.
  • Roudebush, Jones, and Ulis are playing heavy minutes for the Bearcats, averaging 36.2, 35.8, and 34.2, respectively, each ranking in the Top 10 in the BIG EAST.

LAST TIME OUT

  • Vanessa House made consecutive threes from the same spot during a second-half surge that rallied No. 8/7 West Virginia to a 64-43 victory over Cincinnati on Feb. 23, a game that was a struggle until the 3-point specialist found her place.
  • Liz Repella scored 20 points and steadied West Virginia through a game of very different halves. Playing with the highest ranking in its history, West Virginia (25-3, 12-2 BIG EAST) fell behind 26-25 at the start of the second half and was having trouble making shots against Cincinnati's sagging zone defense.
  • Repella made a three that put the Mountaineers ahead to stay, and House hit those back-to-back threes during a nine-point run that essentially put it out of Cincinnati's reach.
  • Korinne Campbell added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Mountaineers, who moved a win away from matching the school record. The Mountaineers remained tied for second in the Big East with No. 13 Georgetown, trailing undefeated No. 1 Connecticut.
  • Kahla Roudebush led the Bearcats (11-15, 4-10) with 15 points. Cincinnati fell to 0-5 against ranked teams this season and 8-64 all-time.

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.
  • Shareese Ulis earned UC's fourth honor roll mention on Feb. 15 after her heroics at Syracuse.
  • 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 tied for second in school history in career three-point percentage, fourth in three-pointers made, and fourth 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 1,384 points.
  • She has scored in double figures in 65 of her last 84 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 36.2 minutes this year, which is fourth in the BIG EAST.
  • She has averaged 36.8 minutes per game over the last three years. (3,132 minutes in 85 games)
  • She is averaging 14.6 points in BIG EAST play, shooting .383 from three (23-of-60), and is averaging 38.4 minutes per game.
  • Roudebush missed the bulk of the 2006-07 season with shoulder and knee injuries.

AGAINST RANKED TEAMS

  • UC is 8-64 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 0-5 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), against No. 4/3 Notre Dame (Feb. 9), and vs. No. 8/7 West Virginia (Feb. 23).

IMPROVEMENT IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

  • UC posted a 3-13 mark in BIG EAST play in 2008-09.
  • The Bearcats have already surpassed last year's wins mark with two conference games to play (4-10).

EVEN PRODUCTION

  • Cincinnati is getting double-digit scoring from three players this season, led by Kahla Roudebush at 13.1 points per game. Carla Jacobs is just under the double-figures plateau at 9.4 per game.
  • Shareese Ulis (11.6) and Michelle Jones (10.2) 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 216 assists.

ROAD WARRIORS

  • The Bearcats have shown the ability to win on the road in BIG EAST play this season, as evidenced by a 3-4 conference road record.
  • UC won at Seton Hall on Jan. 23, at Louisville on Feb. 2, and at Syracuse on Feb. 13.
  • The three road BIG EAST wins match the most since the Bearcats entered the league in the 2005-06 season.
  • UC won three conference road contests in 2005-06, winning at Syracuse, at Seton Hall, and at Georgetown.
  • UC won two straight BIG EAST road games for just the second time (at Syracuse, Jan. 21, 2006; at Seton Hall, Feb. 1, 2006).
  • The Bearcats have never won three straight BIG EAST road games.

WORKIN' OVERTIME

  • Cincinnati played two straight overtime road games (Louisville, Syracuse), making combacks and winning in both.
  • On Feb. 2 at Louisville, Cincinnati trailed by nine with 5:32 to play in regulation. The Bearcats won, 74-68 in overtime.
  • On Feb. 13 at Syracuse, UC was down five with just 37 seconds left. Cincinnati scored the last five points of regulation, including a three at the buzzer by Shareese Ulis to send it to overtime. The Bearcats prevailed, 66-62.

UNDER BRIGHT LIGHTS OF TV

  • Shareese Ulis enjoys playing on television.
  • The junior point guard scored a then-career-high 23 points in UC's overtime win at Louisville, which was broadcast on CBS College TV.
  • She then topped that with a career-best 25 points, including knocking down the game-tying three at the end of regulation in an overtime win at Syracuse, broadcast on the BIG EAST Network.
  • She tallied a team-high 19 points on 7-of-16 shooting and a career-high seven steals against top-ranked UConn on Jan. 7 in a game broadcast on Connecticut Public TV.

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.

BIG BEAST OF A LEAGUE

  • The Bearcats have started the conference season with a 4-10 record, but the opposition has been some of the best in the country.
  • UC lost to four Top 20 teams in No. 19/18 Georgetown, top-ranked Connecticut, No. 4/3 Notre Dame, and No. 8/7 West Virginia.
  • Two home losses came against defending national runner-up Louisville, and defending WNIT champ USF.

DEFENSE A STRENGTH

  • The Bearcats are allowing opponents just 58.6 points per game, which ranks seventh in the BIG EAST and 54th 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, 36.2), Michelle Jones (6th, 35.8), and Shareese Ulis (9th, 34.2) 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 33 minutes (537 of a possible 570) and is averaging 38.4 per game.
  • Ulis averages 37.8 minutes, while Jones is at 37.6 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.
  • At Syracuse on Feb. 13, Ulis and Jones each played the full 45 minutes.

JACOBS LADDER

  • Junior Carla Jacobs has been a consistent offensive threat for the Bearcats all season.
  • She is averaging 9.4 points per game while shooting .323 (30-of-93) from three-point range and .790 (64-of-81) from the free throw stripe.
  • Jacobs is third on the team with 62 assists and averages 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game.
  • She ranks in the Top 20 in the BIG EAST in free throw percentage (12th, .790).
  • Shooting .825 (47-of-57) from the charity stripe over the last 14 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 became the 24th player in school history to reach the 1,000 point plateau at Providence. She has 1,024 career points and 614 career rebounds. She became just the 13th player in school history to post 1,000 points and 600 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 had her second double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 boards in overtime win at Syracuse.
  • Jones posted her second double-double in three games against Villanova with 17 points and 10 boards. She has averaged 8.8 rebounds over the last six games.
  • She is averaging 10.2 points, 7.2 rebounds per game, while shooting at a .532 clip from the floor.
  • Jones ranks fifth in UC history, shooting .506 from the floor during her career.
  • She is ninth in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage, shooting .532, and also ranks sixth in minutes at 35.8.

FEW FOULS

  • Cincinnati ranks No. 10 in the nation in least fouls committed per game at 13.8.
  • The Bearcats have had just one player foul out this season.

REBOUNDS A KEY

  • UC is 7-3 this season when outrebounding its opponent.
  • Conversely, the Bearcats are just 4-11 when being outrebounded by opponents.
  • 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 missed eight straight games. She returned to action against Providence.

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 0.8 blocks per contest.
  • She averages 5.4 points and 4.6 rebounds and has accumulated 15 blocks, 21 steals, and 23 assists.
  • McClung missed eight games with an achilles injury. She returned to action at Providence.

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.

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 tied for 13th in the BIG EAST at 4-10.