Bearcats Travel to SMU for Saturday Contest

// THE GAME: Cincinnati and SMU will meet in an American Athletic Conference contest Saturday at 2 p.m. CT (3 p.m. ET) inside Moody Coliseum in Dallas, Texas. The game can listened to live on GoBearcats.com with Matt Noonan of BearcatsTV on the call.

// THE SERIES: The Bearcats hold a 5-4 advantage in the all-time series thanks to a three-game winning streak. Cincinnati, who won at home last year, 69-57, also won the most recent meeting in Dallas, a 58-40 decision during the 2017-18 season (1/24/18). Overall, the series is tied, 2-2, when played at SMU with the teams rotating wins in each of the four contests.

// LAST TIME OUT: Despite trailing by 13 points, Cincinnati came from behind to grab a 60-55 victory at home over visiting USF Sunday (2/2/20) as the Bearcats secured their 10th win in a row at Fifth Third Arena. Three Bearcats scored in double figures with Angle Rizor leading the way with 16. Antoinette Miller scored 14, including 10 in the third quarter, to help mount the comeback as UC scored 22 in the third before limiting the Bulls to just five in the fourth. With the win, the Bearcats moved into a tie for third place in the American standings.

// BEARCATS BYTES
• Antoinette Miller was named to this week's AAC Weekly Honor Roll after scoring in double-digits in both games played last week with 19 at UConn and 14 against USF at home. Miller, who earned her second Honor Roll selection of the season (November 11), averaged 16.5 ppg for the week while chipping in 5.5. rpg, 2-5 apg and 4.0 steals per game.
• The Bearcats have created a formidable home-court advantage inside newly-renovated Fifth Third Arena with a 28-4 home record going back to last season. In total, the Red & Black boasts a 76% (52-16) winning percentage on their home floor over the last four seasons. Currently, UC has won 10 in a row at home, last coming up short on Nov. 13, 2019, vs. Ohio State (78-73, ot).
• IImar'I Thomas continues to lead the league in scoring as she is currently averaging 19.7 ppg with a league-best 413 points on the year. She also is tops in the AAC in field goal percentage as she has connected on .591 shooting for the season.
• Tickets are now on sale for the AAC Women's Basketball Championships that will be played March 6-9 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

// TICKETS ON SALE
Tickets for the 2020 American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championships are on sale now. The tournament will once again be held at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., and will take place March 6-9. To purchase your ticket, visit: https://cpaw.io/wbb20_aactourney.

// IIMAR'I PULLING RANK
On the season, Thomas is averaging an AAC-best 19.7 points per game, including 20.5 per in conference play. Her team-leading 8.3 rebounds each time out ranks as seventh-best in The American and her 59.1% shooting from the field – and 62.4% in league play – also ranks first in the conference. Furthermore on the season, she averages 3.6 offensive rebounds (3rd in AAC) and 80.2% free-throw shooting (8th in AAC). Nationally, the junior ranks 10th in field goals made (162), 12th in field goal percentage (59.1%), and 22nd in total points (413).

// THOMAS JOINS THE CLUB
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 1,175 career points, Thomas currently ranks 16th on the all-time scoring list and is just two points off tying Stephanie Geter (1995-98) for 15th with 1,177 points. The junior was the first Bearcats 1,000-point scorer since guard Ana Owens reached the milestone in 2017.

// MILLER MAKING MOVES
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 back to her usual workload, the senior scored a career-high 27 points at Memphis on Jan. 8 and added team highs of 20, 21, and 19 points, respectively, against Tulane on Jan. 18, Temple on Jan. 26, and at No. 4 UConn, among other solid performances. She also added 14 in the come-from-behind win against USF Feb. 2, scoring 10 of those points in the third quarter to help her earn a spot on the American's Honor Roll for the week. In league play, she is posting 19.3 points each outing, which is second-best in The American, and 3.9 assists per. She recently became the 28th member of the program's 1,000-point club on Jan. 26 vs. Temple.

// HISTORIC WIN
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.

// RIZOR RISING
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 20th in the conference in scoring (11.4 PPG) and t-15th in rebounding (6.3 RPG). She is also third in the league in free-throw shooting (82.8%) and 11th in steals (1.8).

// CLOSING IN
Angel Rizor has accumulated 926 points in her playing career, leaving her 74 points shy of joining the 1,000-point club at UC. Should she reach that milestone, the senior would be the third member of the current team to join with IImar'I Thomas (1,175 points) and Antoinette Miller (1,035) previously adding their names to the list earlier this season.

// RODGERS HONORED
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 8.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.3 steals a contest. In addition, her assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6) is fourth-best in the AAC, while her 36.5 minutes each outing is fourth-most in the league.

// SCORING EXPLOSION
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.

// MILLER'S MEMORABLE SEASON
Antoinette Miller burst onto the scene in 2018-19, leading the Bearcats to their best season in over 15 years. Individually, she made a mark on the UC record book with a couple notable career statistical jumps. She entered this season ranked 5th all-time in minutes played (1,185) and 3rd all-time in assists (183). 

// LAST SEASON NOTABLES
During UC's historic 2018-19 season, the Bearcats left an imprint on the program record book with a number of notable all-time statistical achievements. The notables included second-most wins (24), third-most points (2,353), second-most rebounds (1,310), second-most assists (536), and most blocked shots (121).   

// 2020 SIGNING CLASS
Following its best season in over 15 years, University of Cincinnati women's basketball has signed a talented quartet of 2020 recruits, complete with highly-decorated student-athletes Riane Burton, Caitlin Elseser, Jillian Hayes, and Destiny Haymer.

Burton ranks as the No. 88 prospect nationally and a four-star recruit in the 2020 class by Prospects Nation … Tabbed as the No. 10 wing in the country in her class by ESPN … Averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds per game as a junior at Cypress Ranch High School ... Three-time First Team All-District honoree … 2018-19 All-Greater Houston First Teamer and All-State selection.

Elseser averaged 17 points and 7 rebounds per game as a junior at Liberty-Benton High School … Division III Third Team All-Ohio and Second Team All-Northwest District in 2019 … First Team Blanchard Valley Conference pick … Four-year high school volleyball letterwinner who was recently a part of a state championship team.

Hayes ranks as the No. 116 prospect in the 2020 class by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report … Tabbed as a four-star recruit by Prospects Nation … Averaged 17 points and 8 rebounds per game as a junior at Loveland High School … Honorable Mention Division I All-Ohio and Second Team All-Southwest District in 2019 ... Father Jonathan is current head coach of the XFL's St. Louis BattleHawks, her mother, Kristi, a former Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year at Drake, and her brother, Jaxson, the 8th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and a current member of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Haymer ranks as the No. 12 junior college recruit in the 2020 class by All Star Girls Report (ASGR) ... First Team All-MACJC and NJCAA All-Region 23 pick in 2019 ... Averaged 12.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in a year ago ... In high school, was tabbed the 2017-18 Gatorade Mississippi Player of the Year ... Averaged 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.8 steals and 3.4 assists per game … Led the Jaguars to the 2016 5A state championship...Had 10 career triple-doubles and one quadruple-double.

// THOMAS ON TOP
After shooting 60.4% from the field in 2018-19, IImar'I Thomas' career field-goal percentage currently sits at 59.8% which is best in program history, trailed by Linda Norwell who shot 53.4% from 1974-77. Thomas was second in the conference and Top 15 nationally in shooting last season.

// CONTINUING MOMENTUM
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) (3rd).

// THEY'RE BACK
With nine newcomers to the program in 2019-20, the Red & Black returns five starters, as well as Illinois transfer Addaya Moore. Returning senior starters include 2019 second team all-AAC pick Miller, Rizor, and Sam Rodgers. In addition, first team all-conference honoree Thomas and reigning league Newcomer of the Year Florence Sifa are also back.

// UP NEXT
Cincinnati returns to action at home Wednesday with an 11 a.m. tip against visiting Tulsa inside Fifth Third Arena for the Bearcats' annual Education Day. The game will be aired live on the American Digital Network.