TicketsNORFOLK, Va. – University of Cincinnati women's basketball will hit the road for the first time in nearly a month Sunday when it travels to Norfolk, Virginia to take on Old Dominion at 2 p.m. inside the Ted Constant Center.
// THE GAME
The Bearcats will compete on the road for the first time since the season opener at ETSU on Nov. 10 when they meet the Monarchs for a 2 p.m. tipoff on Sunday on the ODU campus. The game will air live on CUSA.tv (subscription required). Live stats can be accessed here.
// THE SERIES
Sunday's matchup will be just the second all-time meeting between the two teams. In the only previous matchup, UC fell, 59-49, on a neutral floor on Nov. 27, 1987.
// LAST TIME OUT
A 10-0 run to start the game set the tone as the Cincinnati Bearcats (5-3) went on to knock off the Southeast Missouri Redhawks, 65-52, on Thursday night at Saint Ursula Academy Gymnasium & Convocation Center.
Looking to rebound from Monday's home loss to Saint Francis, the Bearcats jumped on the Redhawks early, scoring the first 10 points of the game. Armed with a 19-10 advantage going into the second quarter, UC put together a 6-0 streak to begin the period to go up by 15. The Bearcats increased their lead to as many as 20 points in the quarter and took a 39-24 surplus into the halftime break.
UC stayed in control in the third period, matching the Redhawks on numerous occasions to maintain a sizeable advantage. Leading by 20 early in the final quarter, UC weathered a late surge by SEMO who cut its deficit to 12 points in the closing minutes. Ultimately, the Bearcats overwhelmed the Redhawks with their defensive pressure and balanced scoring to come away victorious, 65-52.
Senior forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds to notch her first double-double of the season and the 14th of her career. She also swiped a game-high four steals. Freshman forward Iimar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) continued her production off the bench with 12 points and seven rebounds. Senior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) ran the show efficiently with 10 points, six assists, and four rebounds. Junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) chipped in 10 points, three steals, and two rebounds.
// SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Thomas is leading UC with 12.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Thomas is joined by three additional double-figure scorers: Johnson (12.1), Goings (10.9), and Owens (10.9). Johnson is averaging 3.8 steals a contest, while Owens is dishing out 4.4 assists per.
After becoming the 26th member of UC women's basketball's 1,000-point club last season, Owens continues her climb up the Bearcats' all-time scoring list. Her 1,205 total career points puts her in 14th place. She is on pace to break into the top 10 all-time before season's end.
As a team, UC is second in the conference in total assists with 126 on the year. The Bearcats are also runner-up in the league in field goal percentage per game at 45.4 percent. The Red & Black is tops in The American in rebounding defense at 33.1 per game.
Individually on the year, Johnson's 30 total steals is best in the AAC, while Thomas' 63.3-percent field goal percentage is also tops in the league. Owens ranks fourth in The American with 4.4 assists per game, while Goings' 2.1 made 3-pointers a contest is seventh-best in the conference.
Head Coach Jamelle Elliott enters Sunday's game with 99 career wins at UC. Now in her ninth year in Clifton, Elliott has posted two 16-win campaigns in her Bearcats career, including last season. She is the second all-time winningest coach in program history, behind only Laurie Pirtle who totaled 310 wins in 21 years at the helm.
// SCOUTING THE MONARCHS
ODU (1-6) picked up its first win of the season Thursday when it bested Coppin State, 75-67. Trailing 52-47 in the fourth quarter, Kelly Loftus and Victoria Morris caught fire from beyond the arc, combining for 23 points and seven threes in the final quarter to guide the Monarchs to their first victory of the season. ODU finished the game with a school-record 13 three-pointers. Morris finished with a team-high 20 points, a new career high, and Loftus added 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
For the season, Morris is pacing the team with 12.6 points per game. Odegua Oigbokie follows with 10 points a contest. The Monarchs shoot the ball at a 39-percent clip from the field and 34-percent from 3-point range. Additionally, ODU averages 32 rebounds per game and 14.4 turnovers a contest.
The Monarchs are led by first-year head coach Nikki McCray-Penson who spent the last nine seasons as an assistant at South Carolina.
In the preseason, ODU was picked to finish 10th in the 14-team Conference USA.
// THE GAME
The Bearcats will compete on the road for the first time since the season opener at ETSU on Nov. 10 when they meet the Monarchs for a 2 p.m. tipoff on Sunday on the ODU campus. The game will air live on CUSA.tv (subscription required). Live stats can be accessed here.
// THE SERIES
Sunday's matchup will be just the second all-time meeting between the two teams. In the only previous matchup, UC fell, 59-49, on a neutral floor on Nov. 27, 1987.
// LAST TIME OUT
A 10-0 run to start the game set the tone as the Cincinnati Bearcats (5-3) went on to knock off the Southeast Missouri Redhawks, 65-52, on Thursday night at Saint Ursula Academy Gymnasium & Convocation Center.
Looking to rebound from Monday's home loss to Saint Francis, the Bearcats jumped on the Redhawks early, scoring the first 10 points of the game. Armed with a 19-10 advantage going into the second quarter, UC put together a 6-0 streak to begin the period to go up by 15. The Bearcats increased their lead to as many as 20 points in the quarter and took a 39-24 surplus into the halftime break.
UC stayed in control in the third period, matching the Redhawks on numerous occasions to maintain a sizeable advantage. Leading by 20 early in the final quarter, UC weathered a late surge by SEMO who cut its deficit to 12 points in the closing minutes. Ultimately, the Bearcats overwhelmed the Redhawks with their defensive pressure and balanced scoring to come away victorious, 65-52.
Senior forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds to notch her first double-double of the season and the 14th of her career. She also swiped a game-high four steals. Freshman forward Iimar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) continued her production off the bench with 12 points and seven rebounds. Senior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) ran the show efficiently with 10 points, six assists, and four rebounds. Junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) chipped in 10 points, three steals, and two rebounds.
// SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Thomas is leading UC with 12.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Thomas is joined by three additional double-figure scorers: Johnson (12.1), Goings (10.9), and Owens (10.9). Johnson is averaging 3.8 steals a contest, while Owens is dishing out 4.4 assists per.
After becoming the 26th member of UC women's basketball's 1,000-point club last season, Owens continues her climb up the Bearcats' all-time scoring list. Her 1,205 total career points puts her in 14th place. She is on pace to break into the top 10 all-time before season's end.
As a team, UC is second in the conference in total assists with 126 on the year. The Bearcats are also runner-up in the league in field goal percentage per game at 45.4 percent. The Red & Black is tops in The American in rebounding defense at 33.1 per game.
Individually on the year, Johnson's 30 total steals is best in the AAC, while Thomas' 63.3-percent field goal percentage is also tops in the league. Owens ranks fourth in The American with 4.4 assists per game, while Goings' 2.1 made 3-pointers a contest is seventh-best in the conference.
Head Coach Jamelle Elliott enters Sunday's game with 99 career wins at UC. Now in her ninth year in Clifton, Elliott has posted two 16-win campaigns in her Bearcats career, including last season. She is the second all-time winningest coach in program history, behind only Laurie Pirtle who totaled 310 wins in 21 years at the helm.
// SCOUTING THE MONARCHS
ODU (1-6) picked up its first win of the season Thursday when it bested Coppin State, 75-67. Trailing 52-47 in the fourth quarter, Kelly Loftus and Victoria Morris caught fire from beyond the arc, combining for 23 points and seven threes in the final quarter to guide the Monarchs to their first victory of the season. ODU finished the game with a school-record 13 three-pointers. Morris finished with a team-high 20 points, a new career high, and Loftus added 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
For the season, Morris is pacing the team with 12.6 points per game. Odegua Oigbokie follows with 10 points a contest. The Monarchs shoot the ball at a 39-percent clip from the field and 34-percent from 3-point range. Additionally, ODU averages 32 rebounds per game and 14.4 turnovers a contest.
The Monarchs are led by first-year head coach Nikki McCray-Penson who spent the last nine seasons as an assistant at South Carolina.
In the preseason, ODU was picked to finish 10th in the 14-team Conference USA.