TicketsTAMPA, Fla. – Winners of six-straight games to close non-conference play, University of Cincinnati women's basketball will begin American Athletic Conference action Sunday, Jan. 5 at USF. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. ET at the Yuengling Center.
// GOING LIVE
Fans can watch the game live on ESPN2. A live audio stream will be available on Bearcats TV, while live stats can be accessed on GoUSFBulls.com.
// THE SERIES
Sunday will be the 34th all-time meeting between the two teams with USF holding an 18-16 advantage. Last season, the Bearcats snapped an 11-game losing skid to the Bulls with a sweep of both meetings. Most recently, UC dropped USF 57-43 on Senior Day, March 2, 2019 at Fifth Third Arena. In the win, four Cincinnati players scored in double figures, with forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) and forward IImar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) both scoring a team-high 13 points. The Bulls have a 10-6 edge in games played in Tampa, but the Red & Black picked up their first win at USF since 2011 last season – a 57-56 decision. Thomas led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds in the road triumph.
// LAST TIME OUT
Thomas scored a game-high 21 points Monday night to help the Bearcats (9-4) roll Coppin State, 86-40, in their non-conference finale at Fifth Third Arena. The Red & Black offense was also aided by a career-high-tying 20 points by Rizor, while freshman guard Chellia Watson (Winder, Ga./Winder-Barrow) scored a season-best 18 points to go along with four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. The Bearcats jumped out to a 10-0 lead to begin the game and never looked back. After a 27-10 advantage following one quarter, UC outscored the Eagles 25-6 in the second period to take a 52-16 surplus into the halftime locker room. In the second half, the home team used a 12-0 run midway through the third stanza to run away with the contest. Up by as many as 56 early in the fourth quarter, UC was edged 12-7 by CSU in the period to close the gap to 86-40 at the final horn.
// SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Needing 10 points to reach 1,000 for her career, Thomas posted 21 points Monday against Coppin State to become the 27th member of the UC women's basketball 1,000-point club. Now with 1,011 career points in just nearly two-and-a-half seasons, the junior is the latest Bearcats 1,000-point scorer with guard Ana Owens the next most recent after reaching the milestone in 2017. Senior guard Antoinette Miller (Detroit, Mich./Southfield-Lathrup) is also on the verge of joining the 1K club with 881 career points.
Following her performance vs. Coppin State, Thomas was picked for the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Tuesday. On the year, she is averaging team bests of 19.2 points and 8.4 rebounds. Her scoring average is second-best in the AAC, while her rebounding is seventh. In addition, she ranks second in the league in both field-goal percentage (57.2%) and free-throw percentage (81.0%) and is third in offensive rebounding (4.0 RPG). Tuesday's weekly conference award is the fourth this season for Thomas after most recently being picked for the honor roll on Dec. 16.
UC's 86-40 defeat of Coppin State on Monday was the Bearcats' largest margin of victory since Dec. 4, 1982 when they defeated Carlow 101-24 on a neutral floor in Pittsburgh. The win Monday also capped a perfect 6-0 record during the month of December. The last time UC recorded a perfect month of competition came in 2011 when they started the season with a 5-0 record during the month of November.
On the heels of back-to-back impressive showings, senior guard Sam Rodgers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East) was picked for the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, Dec. 23. She collected the honor after averaging 15.5 points, 57.1% shooting (5-of-9) from 3-point range, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals in helping UC to a pair of wins on the week. For the season, the Cincinnati native is averaging 8.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.6 steals a contest. In addition, her 4.2 defensive rebounding average ranks in a tie for 14th-best in the league, while her 36.2 minutes each outing is fourth-most in the AAC. The weekly league honor was Rodgers' first of this season and the second of her career.
Following a career day of 20 points and five steals vs. the Musketeers, Rizor was picked for the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Dec. 16. The senior is 20th in the conference in scoring (10.8 PPG) and 13th in rebounding (6.8 RPG). She also leads the league in free-throw shooting (87.8%) and is tied for eighth in steals (2.1 SPG). A week prior, Rizor was named to the AAC weekly honor roll after averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game as the Bearcats went 2-0.
The Bearcats have created a formidable home-court advantage inside newly-renovated Fifth Third Arena with a 24-4 home record going back to last season. In total, the Red & Black boasts a 75% (48-16) winning percentage on their home floor over the last four seasons.
UC's 98-point scoring output vs. Miami (OH) on Dec. 8 was the most since tallying 96 at home vs. Valparaiso (96-69) on Nov. 16, 2007. The last time the Bearcats scored more than 98 was in 2003 when they netted 105 vs. Charleston Southern. UC's record scoring output is 109 at Marquette in 1992.
Announced at AAC Basketball Media Day on Oct. 14, UC was selected to finish in a tie for third in the 12-team league. In addition, Miller and Thomas were both tabbed for the preseason all-conference second team. Chosen by the league's head coaches, the predicted finish is the highest the Bearcats have ever received in their seven years in The American, while the preseason all-conference accolades are the first since Alyesha Lovett received second team all-AAC honors in 2014.
UC will aim to continue the momentum from last year's historic season which included consecutive postseason wins for the first time in program history (WNIT quarterfinals), first 20-win season (24) since 2003, first time with 12 conference wins since 1999, and highest-ever finish in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) (third place).
// SCOUTING THE BULLS
USF (8-6) snapped a two-game losing skid Monday with a 70-60 home win over Brown. Freshman guard Elena Tsineke scored a team-high 17 points, and junior forward Bethy Mununga and freshman wing
Kristyna Brabencova each tied their career highs with 16 points in the victory. The Bulls boast wins over Texas, VCU, and Idaho, among others, on the season. Tsineke leads the team with 12.1 points per game, while Mununga adds 10.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per. The Bulls shoot the ball at a 38% clip from the field, knock down 7.6 3-point field goals a contest, and outrebound their opponents by 12 boards each outing. In the preseason, USF was picked to finish second in the 12-team AAC with junior guard Enna Pehadzic a Second Team selection.
// TICKET INFO
Single-game tickets for the 2019-20 UC women's basketball season are on sale now. General admission tickets for most games are available at $7, while Champions Club tickets are $10. Season tickets are on sale starting at just $50.
// GET CONNECTED
Stay up to date with the team by following the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @GoBearcatsWBB.
// GOING LIVE
Fans can watch the game live on ESPN2. A live audio stream will be available on Bearcats TV, while live stats can be accessed on GoUSFBulls.com.
// THE SERIES
Sunday will be the 34th all-time meeting between the two teams with USF holding an 18-16 advantage. Last season, the Bearcats snapped an 11-game losing skid to the Bulls with a sweep of both meetings. Most recently, UC dropped USF 57-43 on Senior Day, March 2, 2019 at Fifth Third Arena. In the win, four Cincinnati players scored in double figures, with forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) and forward IImar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) both scoring a team-high 13 points. The Bulls have a 10-6 edge in games played in Tampa, but the Red & Black picked up their first win at USF since 2011 last season – a 57-56 decision. Thomas led the way with 19 points and seven rebounds in the road triumph.
// LAST TIME OUT
Thomas scored a game-high 21 points Monday night to help the Bearcats (9-4) roll Coppin State, 86-40, in their non-conference finale at Fifth Third Arena. The Red & Black offense was also aided by a career-high-tying 20 points by Rizor, while freshman guard Chellia Watson (Winder, Ga./Winder-Barrow) scored a season-best 18 points to go along with four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. The Bearcats jumped out to a 10-0 lead to begin the game and never looked back. After a 27-10 advantage following one quarter, UC outscored the Eagles 25-6 in the second period to take a 52-16 surplus into the halftime locker room. In the second half, the home team used a 12-0 run midway through the third stanza to run away with the contest. Up by as many as 56 early in the fourth quarter, UC was edged 12-7 by CSU in the period to close the gap to 86-40 at the final horn.
// SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Needing 10 points to reach 1,000 for her career, Thomas posted 21 points Monday against Coppin State to become the 27th member of the UC women's basketball 1,000-point club. Now with 1,011 career points in just nearly two-and-a-half seasons, the junior is the latest Bearcats 1,000-point scorer with guard Ana Owens the next most recent after reaching the milestone in 2017. Senior guard Antoinette Miller (Detroit, Mich./Southfield-Lathrup) is also on the verge of joining the 1K club with 881 career points.
Following her performance vs. Coppin State, Thomas was picked for the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Tuesday. On the year, she is averaging team bests of 19.2 points and 8.4 rebounds. Her scoring average is second-best in the AAC, while her rebounding is seventh. In addition, she ranks second in the league in both field-goal percentage (57.2%) and free-throw percentage (81.0%) and is third in offensive rebounding (4.0 RPG). Tuesday's weekly conference award is the fourth this season for Thomas after most recently being picked for the honor roll on Dec. 16.
UC's 86-40 defeat of Coppin State on Monday was the Bearcats' largest margin of victory since Dec. 4, 1982 when they defeated Carlow 101-24 on a neutral floor in Pittsburgh. The win Monday also capped a perfect 6-0 record during the month of December. The last time UC recorded a perfect month of competition came in 2011 when they started the season with a 5-0 record during the month of November.
On the heels of back-to-back impressive showings, senior guard Sam Rodgers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East) was picked for the American Athletic Conference (AAC) Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, Dec. 23. She collected the honor after averaging 15.5 points, 57.1% shooting (5-of-9) from 3-point range, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals in helping UC to a pair of wins on the week. For the season, the Cincinnati native is averaging 8.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.6 steals a contest. In addition, her 4.2 defensive rebounding average ranks in a tie for 14th-best in the league, while her 36.2 minutes each outing is fourth-most in the AAC. The weekly league honor was Rodgers' first of this season and the second of her career.
Following a career day of 20 points and five steals vs. the Musketeers, Rizor was picked for the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Dec. 16. The senior is 20th in the conference in scoring (10.8 PPG) and 13th in rebounding (6.8 RPG). She also leads the league in free-throw shooting (87.8%) and is tied for eighth in steals (2.1 SPG). A week prior, Rizor was named to the AAC weekly honor roll after averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game as the Bearcats went 2-0.
The Bearcats have created a formidable home-court advantage inside newly-renovated Fifth Third Arena with a 24-4 home record going back to last season. In total, the Red & Black boasts a 75% (48-16) winning percentage on their home floor over the last four seasons.
UC's 98-point scoring output vs. Miami (OH) on Dec. 8 was the most since tallying 96 at home vs. Valparaiso (96-69) on Nov. 16, 2007. The last time the Bearcats scored more than 98 was in 2003 when they netted 105 vs. Charleston Southern. UC's record scoring output is 109 at Marquette in 1992.
Announced at AAC Basketball Media Day on Oct. 14, UC was selected to finish in a tie for third in the 12-team league. In addition, Miller and Thomas were both tabbed for the preseason all-conference second team. Chosen by the league's head coaches, the predicted finish is the highest the Bearcats have ever received in their seven years in The American, while the preseason all-conference accolades are the first since Alyesha Lovett received second team all-AAC honors in 2014.
UC will aim to continue the momentum from last year's historic season which included consecutive postseason wins for the first time in program history (WNIT quarterfinals), first 20-win season (24) since 2003, first time with 12 conference wins since 1999, and highest-ever finish in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) (third place).
// SCOUTING THE BULLS
USF (8-6) snapped a two-game losing skid Monday with a 70-60 home win over Brown. Freshman guard Elena Tsineke scored a team-high 17 points, and junior forward Bethy Mununga and freshman wing
Kristyna Brabencova each tied their career highs with 16 points in the victory. The Bulls boast wins over Texas, VCU, and Idaho, among others, on the season. Tsineke leads the team with 12.1 points per game, while Mununga adds 10.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per. The Bulls shoot the ball at a 38% clip from the field, knock down 7.6 3-point field goals a contest, and outrebound their opponents by 12 boards each outing. In the preseason, USF was picked to finish second in the 12-team AAC with junior guard Enna Pehadzic a Second Team selection.
// TICKET INFO
Single-game tickets for the 2019-20 UC women's basketball season are on sale now. General admission tickets for most games are available at $7, while Champions Club tickets are $10. Season tickets are on sale starting at just $50.
// GET CONNECTED
Stay up to date with the team by following the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @GoBearcatsWBB.