TicketsNEW ORLEANS – University of Cincinnati women's basketball will aim to extend its American Athletic Conference (AAC) win streak to three games on Saturday, Jan. 18 when it visits Tulane for a 4:30 p.m. ET tipoff at Devlin Fieldhouse.
// GOING LIVE
Fans can watch the game live on ESPN3. A live audio stream will be available on Bearcats TV, while live stats can be accessed on TulaneGreenWave.com.
// THE SERIES
Saturday will be the 33rd all-time meeting between the two teams with UC holding a 17-15 series advantage. The Bearcats have won the last two meetings including, most recently, an 80-65 victory last season in New Orleans to bring the series to 8-6, Green Wave, in games played at Tulane. In the triumph last year, the Red & Black led the entire game with forward IImar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) posting 18 points and 12 rebounds, while guard Antoinette Miller (Detroit, Mich./Southfield-Lathrup) added 16 points, six assists, and six steals. In addition, forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and a block. Moreover, guard Sam Rodgers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East) chipped in 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
// LAST TIME OUT
In its first home AAC game of the season, UC (11-5 2-1 AAC) dropped UCF, 81-64, on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Arena behind a career-high 32 points from Thomas. In a matchup of two teams both picked in the preseason to finish third in the league, the Bearcats punched the Knights in the mouth early and never looked back. Thomas was joined in double figures by three teammates – Miller with 16 and Rizor and Rodgers each with 10.
// SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Thomas picked up her second AAC Player of the Week award of the season – and the fifth of her career -- on Monday after averaging 27.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 80% shooting from the field last week as UC picked up a pair of conference wins. First, the junior notched a double-double of 23 points and 14 rebounds in a 73-66 road win on Jan. 8 at Memphis. She then followed with a career day against UCF. The recognition was Thomas third in three-straight weeks and her fifth overall in 2019-20.
On the season, Thomas is averaging a conference-best 20.4 points as well as team-high 8.6 rebounds. Her rebounding average is seventh-best in the AAC, while her field-goal percentage (60.8%) is first. The junior also ranks second in the league in free-throw shooting (82.1%) and third in offensive rebounding (3.8 RPG). Nationally, her scoring average is 14th-best, field-goal percentage 12th, field goals made (129) seventh, and total points (327) 12th.
Miller has had a strong senior season to date. After a stellar start to the year, highlighted by six-straight games of double-figure scoring, she was sidelined for four games with injury. Now again in the lineup and easing back into her usual minutes, the senior scored a career-high 27 points at Memphis on Jan. 8 and added 16 on Sunday vs. UCF. Already with an accomplished career, Miller is on the verge of joining the UC 1,000-point club with 943 career points.
Needing 10 points to reach 1,000 for her career, Thomas posted 21 points on Dec. 30 against Coppin State to become the 27th member of the UC women's basketball 1,000-point club. Now with 1,089 career points in 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.
Following a career day of 20 points and five steals in the Crosstown Shootout at Xavier on Dec. 14, Rizor was picked for the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Dec. 16. A week prior, the forward 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 senior currently is 24th in the conference in scoring (10.6 PPG) and 12th in rebounding (6.4 RPG). She also leads the league in free-throw shooting (87.0%) and is tied for 15th in steals (1.8 SPG).
On the heels of back-to-back impressive showings, Rodgers was picked for the 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. The weekly league honor was Rodgers' first of this season and the second of her career. For the season, the Cincinnati native is averaging 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.4 steals a contest. In addition, her assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5) is fifth-best in the AAC, while her 36.2 minutes each outing is second-most in the AAC.
UC's 86-40 defeat of Coppin State on Dec. 30 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 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 November.
The Bearcats have created a formidable home-court advantage inside newly-renovated Fifth Third Arena with a 25-4 home record going back to last season. In total, the Red & Black boasts a 75% (49-16) 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 GREEN WAVE
Tulane (9-8, 4-0 AAC) has won five-straight games after pulling out a 67-66 victory on Wednesday at SMU. The Green Wave came back from 18 points down in the second half, sealing the win on a junior forward Krystal Freeman buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Freeman scored a game and career-high 30 points in the win. On the season, Freeman leads the team with 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while junior guard Arsula Clark adds 13.0 points per. The Green Wave dishes out 14 assists each outing, but turns the ball over 18 times a game. In the preseason, Tulane was picked to finish seventh in the 12-team AAC with Freeman a first team all-conference 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 ESPN3. A live audio stream will be available on Bearcats TV, while live stats can be accessed on TulaneGreenWave.com.
// THE SERIES
Saturday will be the 33rd all-time meeting between the two teams with UC holding a 17-15 series advantage. The Bearcats have won the last two meetings including, most recently, an 80-65 victory last season in New Orleans to bring the series to 8-6, Green Wave, in games played at Tulane. In the triumph last year, the Red & Black led the entire game with forward IImar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) posting 18 points and 12 rebounds, while guard Antoinette Miller (Detroit, Mich./Southfield-Lathrup) added 16 points, six assists, and six steals. In addition, forward Angel Rizor (Zebulon, N.C./East Wake) stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and a block. Moreover, guard Sam Rodgers (Cincinnati, Ohio/Lakota East) chipped in 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
// LAST TIME OUT
In its first home AAC game of the season, UC (11-5 2-1 AAC) dropped UCF, 81-64, on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Arena behind a career-high 32 points from Thomas. In a matchup of two teams both picked in the preseason to finish third in the league, the Bearcats punched the Knights in the mouth early and never looked back. Thomas was joined in double figures by three teammates – Miller with 16 and Rizor and Rodgers each with 10.
// SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
Thomas picked up her second AAC Player of the Week award of the season – and the fifth of her career -- on Monday after averaging 27.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 80% shooting from the field last week as UC picked up a pair of conference wins. First, the junior notched a double-double of 23 points and 14 rebounds in a 73-66 road win on Jan. 8 at Memphis. She then followed with a career day against UCF. The recognition was Thomas third in three-straight weeks and her fifth overall in 2019-20.
On the season, Thomas is averaging a conference-best 20.4 points as well as team-high 8.6 rebounds. Her rebounding average is seventh-best in the AAC, while her field-goal percentage (60.8%) is first. The junior also ranks second in the league in free-throw shooting (82.1%) and third in offensive rebounding (3.8 RPG). Nationally, her scoring average is 14th-best, field-goal percentage 12th, field goals made (129) seventh, and total points (327) 12th.
Miller has had a strong senior season to date. After a stellar start to the year, highlighted by six-straight games of double-figure scoring, she was sidelined for four games with injury. Now again in the lineup and easing back into her usual minutes, the senior scored a career-high 27 points at Memphis on Jan. 8 and added 16 on Sunday vs. UCF. Already with an accomplished career, Miller is on the verge of joining the UC 1,000-point club with 943 career points.
Needing 10 points to reach 1,000 for her career, Thomas posted 21 points on Dec. 30 against Coppin State to become the 27th member of the UC women's basketball 1,000-point club. Now with 1,089 career points in 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.
Following a career day of 20 points and five steals in the Crosstown Shootout at Xavier on Dec. 14, Rizor was picked for the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Dec. 16. A week prior, the forward 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 senior currently is 24th in the conference in scoring (10.6 PPG) and 12th in rebounding (6.4 RPG). She also leads the league in free-throw shooting (87.0%) and is tied for 15th in steals (1.8 SPG).
On the heels of back-to-back impressive showings, Rodgers was picked for the 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. The weekly league honor was Rodgers' first of this season and the second of her career. For the season, the Cincinnati native is averaging 8.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.4 steals a contest. In addition, her assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5) is fifth-best in the AAC, while her 36.2 minutes each outing is second-most in the AAC.
UC's 86-40 defeat of Coppin State on Dec. 30 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 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 November.
The Bearcats have created a formidable home-court advantage inside newly-renovated Fifth Third Arena with a 25-4 home record going back to last season. In total, the Red & Black boasts a 75% (49-16) 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 GREEN WAVE
Tulane (9-8, 4-0 AAC) has won five-straight games after pulling out a 67-66 victory on Wednesday at SMU. The Green Wave came back from 18 points down in the second half, sealing the win on a junior forward Krystal Freeman buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Freeman scored a game and career-high 30 points in the win. On the season, Freeman leads the team with 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, while junior guard Arsula Clark adds 13.0 points per. The Green Wave dishes out 14 assists each outing, but turns the ball over 18 times a game. In the preseason, Tulane was picked to finish seventh in the 12-team AAC with Freeman a first team all-conference 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.