TicketsHARTFORD, Conn. – University of Cincinnati women's basketball will face the No. 1 UConn Huskies on Sunday at 1 p.m. inside the XL Center.
// GOING LIVE
The game will be broadcast live on WatchESPN and the ESPN app as well as on SportsNet New York (SNY). A live audio broadcast will be available on BearcatsTV. Live stats can be accessed through GameTracker.
// THE SERIES
Sunday's matchup will be the 18th all-time meeting between the two teams with UConn unbeaten, 17-0. In the most recent meeting, on Feb. 7, 2017 in Cincinnati, forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) totaled 20 points and nine rebounds in the loss. The Bearcats and the Huskies last squared off in Hartford on Feb. 3, 2015.
// LAST TIME OUT
UC (13-9, 5-4 AAC) fell, 50-38, to the UCF Knights on Tuesday night at Saint Ursula Academy Gymnasium & Convocation Center.
Hoping to bounce back from Saturday's overtime loss at home to the ECU Pirates, the Red & Black fell behind by eight points midway through the opening quarter, but battled back to trail just 11-6 going into the following period. After pulling within three points just seconds into the next quarter and going back and forth with the Knights during the first five minutes of the period, UC was outscored 10-2 over the duration to face a 25-12 deficit at halftime.
Facing a sizeable shortfall, the Bearcats answered to begin the second half, trailing by just 10, 28-18, with 7:35 to play in the third quarter. The Red & Black then saw UCF manufacture a 14-3 run over five minutes to take a game-high 21-point lead with 2:14 to go in the period. In the fourth, UC reduced its deficit to only 12, 48-36, with 3:04 remaining, but couldn't get over the hump down the stretch, falling by a final score of 50-38.
Johnson led the way for the Red & Black with 14 points to go along with six rebounds, an assist, and a steal in just 22 minutes of play. Freshman forward IImar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) contributed eight points, three rebounds, and a block. In addition, sophomore guard Antoinette Miller (Detroit, Mich./Southfield-Lathrup) pitched in career highs of seven rebounds and four steals as well as five points.
// SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) is leading UC in scoring with 11.8 points per game. Senior guard Ana Owens follows with 11.5 points per and a team-high 4.0 assists each game. Thomas is not far behind with 10.9 points a contest. Johnson grabs a team best of 6.1 rebounds per game. and also leads the Bearcats with 2.2 steals each contest.
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. Owens' current 1,370 career points places her 12th. She is on pace to break into the top 10 all-time before the season's end. In addition, starting every game of her collegiate career, Owens is currently third all-time in starts in program history with 113. She is also marked in the Bearcats record book as third all-time in minutes played (3,998), fifth in made 3-pointers (179), 4th in free-throw percentage (.830), and fifth in assists (370).
As a team, UC is third in the conference in both rebounding margin at +4.6 and assist-to-turnover ratio at 0.9. The Bearcats rank fourth in the league in scoring offense (66.7), scoring defense (60.5), field-goal percentage (.422), field-goal percentage defense (.368), and assists (15.0). In addition, the Red & Black is fifth-best in free-throw percentage at 70.9 percent.
Individually on the year, Thomas is second in the AAC in field-goal percentage at 60.1 percent with Rizor fourth at 57.8. Owens is second in the conference in free-throw percentage at 92.9 percent and is seventh in The American with 4.0 assists a contest. Johnson is fifth-best in the league in steals with 2.2 a game. In addition, knocks down a seventh-in-the-AAC 37.8 percent of her 3-point attempts, while Rizor ranks 10th in the conference in offensive rebounds per contest with 2.7.
// SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Last time out, UConn (21-0, 9-0 AAC) dealt No. 7 and defending National Champion South Carolina a 83-58 defeat on Thursday night in Columbia, South Carolina. The victory included a 29-8 second quarter as the Huskies hit 11 of 18 field goals to turn a tight game into a runaway. Senior guard Kia Nurse had 23 points, while junior guard/forward Katie Lou Samuelson added 20.
For the season, Samuelson is averaging a team-best 17.1 points per game. Five additional Huskies score in double-figures: Nurse (15.5), Napheesa Collier (15.0), Azura Stevens (14.2), Crystal Dangerfield (10.8), and Gabby Williams (10.5). Collier averages Husky-highs of 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots each contest, of which the blocks are tops in the AAC. In addition, Williams ranks second in the conference in both assists (4.9) and steals (2.7) a game.
The Huskies rank first in the league in 12 statistical categories including scoring offense (90.9), field-goal percentage (.538), field-goal percentage defense (.340), 3-point field-goal percentage (.408), rebounding margin (+10.2), blocked shots (5.1), assists (22.4), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7), among others. Furthermore, UConn's scoring offense and field-goal percentage marks are both best in NCAA Division I.
In the preseason, UConn was picked unanimous No. 1 in the country, selected to win its fifth-consecutive The American regular season crown and is aiming to win its fifth National Championship in the last six seasons
// FOLLOW THE TEAM
Stay connected with Bearcats Women's Basketball on Facebook (@GoBearcatsWBB), Twitter (@GoBearcatsWBB) and Instagram (@GoBearcatsWBB).
// GOING LIVE
The game will be broadcast live on WatchESPN and the ESPN app as well as on SportsNet New York (SNY). A live audio broadcast will be available on BearcatsTV. Live stats can be accessed through GameTracker.
// THE SERIES
Sunday's matchup will be the 18th all-time meeting between the two teams with UConn unbeaten, 17-0. In the most recent meeting, on Feb. 7, 2017 in Cincinnati, forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) totaled 20 points and nine rebounds in the loss. The Bearcats and the Huskies last squared off in Hartford on Feb. 3, 2015.
// LAST TIME OUT
UC (13-9, 5-4 AAC) fell, 50-38, to the UCF Knights on Tuesday night at Saint Ursula Academy Gymnasium & Convocation Center.
Hoping to bounce back from Saturday's overtime loss at home to the ECU Pirates, the Red & Black fell behind by eight points midway through the opening quarter, but battled back to trail just 11-6 going into the following period. After pulling within three points just seconds into the next quarter and going back and forth with the Knights during the first five minutes of the period, UC was outscored 10-2 over the duration to face a 25-12 deficit at halftime.
Facing a sizeable shortfall, the Bearcats answered to begin the second half, trailing by just 10, 28-18, with 7:35 to play in the third quarter. The Red & Black then saw UCF manufacture a 14-3 run over five minutes to take a game-high 21-point lead with 2:14 to go in the period. In the fourth, UC reduced its deficit to only 12, 48-36, with 3:04 remaining, but couldn't get over the hump down the stretch, falling by a final score of 50-38.
Johnson led the way for the Red & Black with 14 points to go along with six rebounds, an assist, and a steal in just 22 minutes of play. Freshman forward IImar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) contributed eight points, three rebounds, and a block. In addition, sophomore guard Antoinette Miller (Detroit, Mich./Southfield-Lathrup) pitched in career highs of seven rebounds and four steals as well as five points.
// SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) is leading UC in scoring with 11.8 points per game. Senior guard Ana Owens follows with 11.5 points per and a team-high 4.0 assists each game. Thomas is not far behind with 10.9 points a contest. Johnson grabs a team best of 6.1 rebounds per game. and also leads the Bearcats with 2.2 steals each contest.
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. Owens' current 1,370 career points places her 12th. She is on pace to break into the top 10 all-time before the season's end. In addition, starting every game of her collegiate career, Owens is currently third all-time in starts in program history with 113. She is also marked in the Bearcats record book as third all-time in minutes played (3,998), fifth in made 3-pointers (179), 4th in free-throw percentage (.830), and fifth in assists (370).
As a team, UC is third in the conference in both rebounding margin at +4.6 and assist-to-turnover ratio at 0.9. The Bearcats rank fourth in the league in scoring offense (66.7), scoring defense (60.5), field-goal percentage (.422), field-goal percentage defense (.368), and assists (15.0). In addition, the Red & Black is fifth-best in free-throw percentage at 70.9 percent.
Individually on the year, Thomas is second in the AAC in field-goal percentage at 60.1 percent with Rizor fourth at 57.8. Owens is second in the conference in free-throw percentage at 92.9 percent and is seventh in The American with 4.0 assists a contest. Johnson is fifth-best in the league in steals with 2.2 a game. In addition, knocks down a seventh-in-the-AAC 37.8 percent of her 3-point attempts, while Rizor ranks 10th in the conference in offensive rebounds per contest with 2.7.
// SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
Last time out, UConn (21-0, 9-0 AAC) dealt No. 7 and defending National Champion South Carolina a 83-58 defeat on Thursday night in Columbia, South Carolina. The victory included a 29-8 second quarter as the Huskies hit 11 of 18 field goals to turn a tight game into a runaway. Senior guard Kia Nurse had 23 points, while junior guard/forward Katie Lou Samuelson added 20.
For the season, Samuelson is averaging a team-best 17.1 points per game. Five additional Huskies score in double-figures: Nurse (15.5), Napheesa Collier (15.0), Azura Stevens (14.2), Crystal Dangerfield (10.8), and Gabby Williams (10.5). Collier averages Husky-highs of 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots each contest, of which the blocks are tops in the AAC. In addition, Williams ranks second in the conference in both assists (4.9) and steals (2.7) a game.
The Huskies rank first in the league in 12 statistical categories including scoring offense (90.9), field-goal percentage (.538), field-goal percentage defense (.340), 3-point field-goal percentage (.408), rebounding margin (+10.2), blocked shots (5.1), assists (22.4), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7), among others. Furthermore, UConn's scoring offense and field-goal percentage marks are both best in NCAA Division I.
In the preseason, UConn was picked unanimous No. 1 in the country, selected to win its fifth-consecutive The American regular season crown and is aiming to win its fifth National Championship in the last six seasons
// FOLLOW THE TEAM
Stay connected with Bearcats Women's Basketball on Facebook (@GoBearcatsWBB), Twitter (@GoBearcatsWBB) and Instagram (@GoBearcatsWBB).