TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati women's basketball will welcome the Eastern Kentucky Colonels to Saint Ursula Academy Gymnasium & Convocation Center on Saturday for a 2 p.m. tipoff. Admission to the game will be free of charge as part of the Experience UC initiative.
// EXPERIENCE UC
The Bearcats' 2017-18 campaign will, again, be part of the Experience UC initiative which offers free admission to home games. Groups interested in attending can contact Assistant Director of Marketing & Branding Deborah Dixon at dixond9@ucmail.uc.edu for more information.
// TEMPORARY HOME(S)
Due to the current, $87-million renovation of Fifth Third Arena, the Bearcats will play all home contests off campus this year. In the regular season, UC will play two games at Cincinnati State – the Nov. 13 home opener against Slippery Rock and the Nov. 27 meeting with St. Francis (Pa.) – with the remaining games played at Saint Ursula Academy Gymnasium & Convocation Center (SUA).
// STUDENT SHUTTLE
UC students are invited to enjoy a free bus ride to the game as well as free pizza. The bus will depart from the Bearcat statue on campus at 1 p.m. Free student shuttles to home UC women's basketball games will continue throughout the season.
// GAME PROMOTIONS
The Milford dance team will perform at halftime, while fans will have the opportunity to get autographs from the Bearcats following the game as part of Signature Saturday.
// GOING LIVE
Aside from the Dec. 17 game against Ohio State on ESPN2 and the Feb. 17 game versus Tulsa on the American Digital Network, all home games in 2017-18 will be streamed live on BearcatsTV free of charge. The link to the live stream can be found on the women's basketball schedule page. On the same page, links to live statistics can also be found.
// THE SERIES
Saturday's matchup will be the 19th all-time meeting between the two teams with UC holding a 10-8 series advantage. The Bearcats have come away victorious in the last five matchups including, most recently, a 59-48 home win on Dec. 9, 2012. In Cincinnati, the Red & Black is 6-3 against the Colonels with its last loss on Jan. 23, 1991.
// LAST TIME OUT
UC (3-2) fell 66-46 to the Pittsburgh Panthers on Tuesday night at Saint Ursula Academy Gymnasium & Convocation Center.
After an even first quarter and trailing by just one point, 14-13, early in the second, UC fell victim to a 22-4 Pitt run over the duration of the period to face a 36-17 deficit at halftime. The Red & Black came out of the break energized with a 7-0 run to pull within 13 points, 38-25, with 7:29 to go in the third quarter. The Panthers then answered with a 16-4 burst through the remainder of the period to take command heading into the final quarter. Trailing by as many as 30 points with three minutes to play, the Red & Black ended the game on a strong note with a 10-0 streak to bring the final score to 66-46, Pitt.
Junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) led the Bearcats' offensive attack with nine points. Sophomore forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) nearly notched her first-career double-double with nine rebounds and eight points, as well as two assists. Her rebound and assist totals were both career highs. Freshman center Andeija Puckett (Griffin, Ga./Griffin) provided a late spark with eight points and two steals in just six minutes of play.
// SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Thomas was named American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday. She earned the distinction after averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds last week as the Bearcats went a perfect 3-0. Entering just her third week of collegiate basketball, the 17-year-old is leading UC with 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per in only 22.2 minutes a contest. Her scoring average ranks 13th in The American while her 7.0 boards per game is 10th in the conference.
After becoming the 26th member of UC women's basketball's 1,000-point club last season, senior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) continues her climb up the all-time scoring list. After scoring 14 last Saturday, her 1,165 total career points moved her past K.B. Sharp (1999-03) into 17th place. She is on pace to break into the top 10 before the season's end.
Following just missing recording her 14th career double-double on against Slippery Rock with nine points and nine rebounds, senior forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) is poised for a big senior season. Her 13 double-doubles last season ranked among the top 25 in the nation. The forward began last year with double-doubles in four of the first five games of the season.
As a team, UC is first in the conference in field goal percentage at 47.1 percent. The Bearcats are limiting their opponents to 35.4 percent shooting which is second best in the AAC and are totaling a +8.4 rebound margin which ranks second as well. The Red & Black is dishing out 15.4 assists per game which is fourth in the league. Individually, Johnson's 19 steals on the year is sixth nationally and first in the AAC, while freshman forward Iimar'I Thomas' (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) 68.4 percent field goal percentage a contest ranks 14th-best in the country and tops in the league. Junior guard Nikira Goings' (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) 14 made three-pointers in 2017 ranks 41st in the nation and second-best in the conference.
// SCOUTING THE COLONELS
EKU (2-2) had its two-game winning streak snapped Wednesday when it was upended, 62-45, at Akron. Reigning Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week A'Queen Hayes led the way for the Colonels, pouring in a game-high 16 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Shay Solomon also added a career-high 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting.
For the season, Hayes leads EKU with 16.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. Hayes is joined in double-figure scoring a contest by Abby Wright with 13.8 and Madison Wood with 12.0.
In the preseason, the Colonels were picked to finish 10th in the 12-team Ohio Valley Conference after going 12-20 in 2016-17.
// EXPERIENCE UC
The Bearcats' 2017-18 campaign will, again, be part of the Experience UC initiative which offers free admission to home games. Groups interested in attending can contact Assistant Director of Marketing & Branding Deborah Dixon at dixond9@ucmail.uc.edu for more information.
// TEMPORARY HOME(S)
Due to the current, $87-million renovation of Fifth Third Arena, the Bearcats will play all home contests off campus this year. In the regular season, UC will play two games at Cincinnati State – the Nov. 13 home opener against Slippery Rock and the Nov. 27 meeting with St. Francis (Pa.) – with the remaining games played at Saint Ursula Academy Gymnasium & Convocation Center (SUA).
// STUDENT SHUTTLE
UC students are invited to enjoy a free bus ride to the game as well as free pizza. The bus will depart from the Bearcat statue on campus at 1 p.m. Free student shuttles to home UC women's basketball games will continue throughout the season.
// GAME PROMOTIONS
The Milford dance team will perform at halftime, while fans will have the opportunity to get autographs from the Bearcats following the game as part of Signature Saturday.
// GOING LIVE
Aside from the Dec. 17 game against Ohio State on ESPN2 and the Feb. 17 game versus Tulsa on the American Digital Network, all home games in 2017-18 will be streamed live on BearcatsTV free of charge. The link to the live stream can be found on the women's basketball schedule page. On the same page, links to live statistics can also be found.
// THE SERIES
Saturday's matchup will be the 19th all-time meeting between the two teams with UC holding a 10-8 series advantage. The Bearcats have come away victorious in the last five matchups including, most recently, a 59-48 home win on Dec. 9, 2012. In Cincinnati, the Red & Black is 6-3 against the Colonels with its last loss on Jan. 23, 1991.
// LAST TIME OUT
UC (3-2) fell 66-46 to the Pittsburgh Panthers on Tuesday night at Saint Ursula Academy Gymnasium & Convocation Center.
After an even first quarter and trailing by just one point, 14-13, early in the second, UC fell victim to a 22-4 Pitt run over the duration of the period to face a 36-17 deficit at halftime. The Red & Black came out of the break energized with a 7-0 run to pull within 13 points, 38-25, with 7:29 to go in the third quarter. The Panthers then answered with a 16-4 burst through the remainder of the period to take command heading into the final quarter. Trailing by as many as 30 points with three minutes to play, the Red & Black ended the game on a strong note with a 10-0 streak to bring the final score to 66-46, Pitt.
Junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) led the Bearcats' offensive attack with nine points. Sophomore forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) nearly notched her first-career double-double with nine rebounds and eight points, as well as two assists. Her rebound and assist totals were both career highs. Freshman center Andeija Puckett (Griffin, Ga./Griffin) provided a late spark with eight points and two steals in just six minutes of play.
// SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Thomas was named American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday. She earned the distinction after averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds last week as the Bearcats went a perfect 3-0. Entering just her third week of collegiate basketball, the 17-year-old is leading UC with 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per in only 22.2 minutes a contest. Her scoring average ranks 13th in The American while her 7.0 boards per game is 10th in the conference.
After becoming the 26th member of UC women's basketball's 1,000-point club last season, senior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) continues her climb up the all-time scoring list. After scoring 14 last Saturday, her 1,165 total career points moved her past K.B. Sharp (1999-03) into 17th place. She is on pace to break into the top 10 before the season's end.
Following just missing recording her 14th career double-double on against Slippery Rock with nine points and nine rebounds, senior forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) is poised for a big senior season. Her 13 double-doubles last season ranked among the top 25 in the nation. The forward began last year with double-doubles in four of the first five games of the season.
As a team, UC is first in the conference in field goal percentage at 47.1 percent. The Bearcats are limiting their opponents to 35.4 percent shooting which is second best in the AAC and are totaling a +8.4 rebound margin which ranks second as well. The Red & Black is dishing out 15.4 assists per game which is fourth in the league. Individually, Johnson's 19 steals on the year is sixth nationally and first in the AAC, while freshman forward Iimar'I Thomas' (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) 68.4 percent field goal percentage a contest ranks 14th-best in the country and tops in the league. Junior guard Nikira Goings' (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) 14 made three-pointers in 2017 ranks 41st in the nation and second-best in the conference.
// SCOUTING THE COLONELS
EKU (2-2) had its two-game winning streak snapped Wednesday when it was upended, 62-45, at Akron. Reigning Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week A'Queen Hayes led the way for the Colonels, pouring in a game-high 16 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Shay Solomon also added a career-high 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting.
For the season, Hayes leads EKU with 16.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. Hayes is joined in double-figure scoring a contest by Abby Wright with 13.8 and Madison Wood with 12.0.
In the preseason, the Colonels were picked to finish 10th in the 12-team Ohio Valley Conference after going 12-20 in 2016-17.