TicketsEAST LANSING, Mich. – In the opening round of the 2018 Women's National Invitation Postseason Tournament (WNIT), University of Cincinnati women's basketball will visit the Michigan State Spartans on Thursday, March 15 for a 7 p.m. tipoff inside the Breslin Center.
// GOING LIVE
The game will be video broadcast live on BTN Plus. A live audio broadcast will be available on BearcatsTV. Live stats can be accessed through MSUSpartans.com.
// THE SERIES
Thursday's matchup will mark the seventh all-time meeting between the two teams with UC winless in the series. In the last meeting, MSU downed the Red & Black, 103-63, on Nov. 27, 2015 in the Junkanoo Jam in Freeport, Bahamas. In the last matchup between the Bearcats and Spartans in East Lansing, UC fell, 55-43, on Dec. 29, 2003.
// LAST TIME OUT
In the semifinals of the 2018 Aaron's American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship on Monday, March 5, No. 4 seed UC (19-12, 10-6 AAC) was dealt a 75-21 defeat by the top-seeded UConn Huskies inside Mohegan Sun Arena.
UC earned the right to face the nation's best team with a thrilling, 66-65 American quarterfinals win on Sunday, March 4, against Tulsa. In its first-ever AAC Championship semifinals appearance, the Red & Black fell behind early and was unable to recover. The Bearcats did finish the game strong, edging the Huskies, 10-9 in the fourth quarter.
Freshman forward Andeija Puckett (Griffin, Ga./Griffin) showed well off the bench with five points, three rebounds, and a block. Sophomore guard Sam Rodgers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East) contributed a team-high-tying five rebounds to go along with three points, two assists, and a steal. AAC Freshman of the Year IImar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) and sophomore guard Antoinette Miller (Detroit, Mich./Southfield-Lathrup) combined for nine rebounds with five and four, respectively.
// SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
This year's WNIT bid marks the Bearcats' first appearance in a non-league postseason tournament since 2011-12 when they knocked off Duquesne, 68-63, in overtime in the WNIT first round. The Red & Black followed with a 72-51 loss at Toledo in the second round. UC is 3-8 all-time in the WNIT.
With four double-figure scorers, junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) is leading UC in scoring with 11.3 points per game, while senior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) adds 10.8. Senior forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) chips in 10.4 points, while Thomas adds 10.0. Thomas also averages a team-best 6.2 rebounds per contest, while Owens dishes out a UC-high 3.9 assists each outing. Johnson leads the team with 2.0 steals a game.
The Bearcats are continuing the momentum from last year's 16-14 campaign – their then-best season in a decade – and are striving for more in 2017-18. After advancing to the 2018 AAC Championship semifinals, UC is 19-12 on the season – its best record since going 23-8 in 2002-03 – and has totaled 10 conference wins – the most since the '02-'03 squad went 11-3 in Conference USA. The Red & Black's fourth-place standing in The American is its best finish in its five season in the league.
A pair of University of Cincinnati women's basketball student-athletes earned American Athletic Conference postseason recognition on March 2 with Owens chosen as Third Team All-Conference while Thomas garnered All-Freshman Team accolades. In addition, IImar'I Thomas took home some additional hardware on Saturday as league Freshman of the Year. The recognition marked UC's first conference FOTY award since 2002.
Owens continues her climb up the Bearcats' all-time scoring list with 1,453 points which currently ranks 11th. She is also marked in the Bearcats record book as second all-time in minutes played (4,269), second in free-throw percentage (.835), fourth in made 3-pointers (194), fifth in assists (403), and fifth in games played with 122 – starting every game of her collegiate career.
As a team, UC is third in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.9) and defensive rebounds (27.6 rpg). The Bearcats are fourth in the conference in scoring offense (66.2 ppg), field-goal percentage defense (.381), rebounding margin (+3.7), and assists (14.8 apg). Additionally, the Red & Black ranks fifth in the AAC in free-throw percentage (.721) and scoring defense (62.5).
Individually on the year, Thomas is second in the AAC in field-goal percentage at 59.7 percent, with sophomore forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) fifth at 56.1. Owens is second in the conference in free-throw percentage at 92.3 percent and is fifth with 3.9 assists a contest. Johnson is eighth-best in the league in steals with 2.0 a game. In addition, Goings is sixth in the league in 3-point field-goal percentage (.372) and eighth in 3-point field-goal makes (2.1 3pg).
// SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
In the longest game in Big Ten Tournament history, No. 10-seeded MSU (17-13, 7-9 Big Ten) dropped a four-overtime heartbreaker to No. 7-seeded Indiana, 111-109, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in the first round on March 1. The Spartans had career highs from redshirt sophomore guard Shay Colley who had 27 points and senior forward Taya Reimer, who added 22. Sophomore guard Taryn McCutcheon scored 21, while senior guard Branndais Agee (16) and redshirt-sophomore Victoria Gaines (13) both scored in double figures.
MSU is led by Colley's 11.7 points per game, while Agee adds 10.5. Agee also grabs a team-best 6.1 rebounds each outing, while McCutcheon notches team highs of 5.3 assists and 1.6 steals each contest. In addition, Reimer averages 1.1 blocked shots. McCutcheon, Colley and Agee all earned honorable mention All-Big Ten postseason honors by both the league's coaches and the media. Junior center Jenna Allen garnered honorable mention honors from the media.
Entering Thursday, MSU averages 74.8 points a night and gives up 67.6. The Spartans shoot 43 percent from the field, but give up 41-percent shooting. MSU outrebounds its opponents by nearly six rebounds per game and dishes out almost 18 assists each time out. Furthermore, the Spartans force their opponents into 18 turnovers a contest, but only shoots 31 percent from the 3-point line.
MSU finished the 2017-18 regular season 10th out of 14 teams in the Big Ten.
// FOLLOW THE TEAM
Stay connected with Bearcats Women's Basketball on Facebook (@GoBearcatsWBB), Twitter (@GoBearcatsWBB) and Instagram (@GoBearcatsWBB).
// GOING LIVE
The game will be video broadcast live on BTN Plus. A live audio broadcast will be available on BearcatsTV. Live stats can be accessed through MSUSpartans.com.
// THE SERIES
Thursday's matchup will mark the seventh all-time meeting between the two teams with UC winless in the series. In the last meeting, MSU downed the Red & Black, 103-63, on Nov. 27, 2015 in the Junkanoo Jam in Freeport, Bahamas. In the last matchup between the Bearcats and Spartans in East Lansing, UC fell, 55-43, on Dec. 29, 2003.
// LAST TIME OUT
In the semifinals of the 2018 Aaron's American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship on Monday, March 5, No. 4 seed UC (19-12, 10-6 AAC) was dealt a 75-21 defeat by the top-seeded UConn Huskies inside Mohegan Sun Arena.
UC earned the right to face the nation's best team with a thrilling, 66-65 American quarterfinals win on Sunday, March 4, against Tulsa. In its first-ever AAC Championship semifinals appearance, the Red & Black fell behind early and was unable to recover. The Bearcats did finish the game strong, edging the Huskies, 10-9 in the fourth quarter.
Freshman forward Andeija Puckett (Griffin, Ga./Griffin) showed well off the bench with five points, three rebounds, and a block. Sophomore guard Sam Rodgers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East) contributed a team-high-tying five rebounds to go along with three points, two assists, and a steal. AAC Freshman of the Year IImar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) and sophomore guard Antoinette Miller (Detroit, Mich./Southfield-Lathrup) combined for nine rebounds with five and four, respectively.
// SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
This year's WNIT bid marks the Bearcats' first appearance in a non-league postseason tournament since 2011-12 when they knocked off Duquesne, 68-63, in overtime in the WNIT first round. The Red & Black followed with a 72-51 loss at Toledo in the second round. UC is 3-8 all-time in the WNIT.
With four double-figure scorers, junior guard Nikira Goings (Marietta, Ga./Osborne) is leading UC in scoring with 11.3 points per game, while senior guard Ana Owens (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) adds 10.8. Senior forward Shanice Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara/Monroe CC) chips in 10.4 points, while Thomas adds 10.0. Thomas also averages a team-best 6.2 rebounds per contest, while Owens dishes out a UC-high 3.9 assists each outing. Johnson leads the team with 2.0 steals a game.
The Bearcats are continuing the momentum from last year's 16-14 campaign – their then-best season in a decade – and are striving for more in 2017-18. After advancing to the 2018 AAC Championship semifinals, UC is 19-12 on the season – its best record since going 23-8 in 2002-03 – and has totaled 10 conference wins – the most since the '02-'03 squad went 11-3 in Conference USA. The Red & Black's fourth-place standing in The American is its best finish in its five season in the league.
A pair of University of Cincinnati women's basketball student-athletes earned American Athletic Conference postseason recognition on March 2 with Owens chosen as Third Team All-Conference while Thomas garnered All-Freshman Team accolades. In addition, IImar'I Thomas took home some additional hardware on Saturday as league Freshman of the Year. The recognition marked UC's first conference FOTY award since 2002.
Owens continues her climb up the Bearcats' all-time scoring list with 1,453 points which currently ranks 11th. She is also marked in the Bearcats record book as second all-time in minutes played (4,269), second in free-throw percentage (.835), fourth in made 3-pointers (194), fifth in assists (403), and fifth in games played with 122 – starting every game of her collegiate career.
As a team, UC is third in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.9) and defensive rebounds (27.6 rpg). The Bearcats are fourth in the conference in scoring offense (66.2 ppg), field-goal percentage defense (.381), rebounding margin (+3.7), and assists (14.8 apg). Additionally, the Red & Black ranks fifth in the AAC in free-throw percentage (.721) and scoring defense (62.5).
Individually on the year, Thomas is second in the AAC in field-goal percentage at 59.7 percent, with sophomore forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) fifth at 56.1. Owens is second in the conference in free-throw percentage at 92.3 percent and is fifth with 3.9 assists a contest. Johnson is eighth-best in the league in steals with 2.0 a game. In addition, Goings is sixth in the league in 3-point field-goal percentage (.372) and eighth in 3-point field-goal makes (2.1 3pg).
// SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
In the longest game in Big Ten Tournament history, No. 10-seeded MSU (17-13, 7-9 Big Ten) dropped a four-overtime heartbreaker to No. 7-seeded Indiana, 111-109, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in the first round on March 1. The Spartans had career highs from redshirt sophomore guard Shay Colley who had 27 points and senior forward Taya Reimer, who added 22. Sophomore guard Taryn McCutcheon scored 21, while senior guard Branndais Agee (16) and redshirt-sophomore Victoria Gaines (13) both scored in double figures.
MSU is led by Colley's 11.7 points per game, while Agee adds 10.5. Agee also grabs a team-best 6.1 rebounds each outing, while McCutcheon notches team highs of 5.3 assists and 1.6 steals each contest. In addition, Reimer averages 1.1 blocked shots. McCutcheon, Colley and Agee all earned honorable mention All-Big Ten postseason honors by both the league's coaches and the media. Junior center Jenna Allen garnered honorable mention honors from the media.
Entering Thursday, MSU averages 74.8 points a night and gives up 67.6. The Spartans shoot 43 percent from the field, but give up 41-percent shooting. MSU outrebounds its opponents by nearly six rebounds per game and dishes out almost 18 assists each time out. Furthermore, the Spartans force their opponents into 18 turnovers a contest, but only shoots 31 percent from the 3-point line.
MSU finished the 2017-18 regular season 10th out of 14 teams in the Big Ten.
// FOLLOW THE TEAM
Stay connected with Bearcats Women's Basketball on Facebook (@GoBearcatsWBB), Twitter (@GoBearcatsWBB) and Instagram (@GoBearcatsWBB).