Bearcats Off to Orlando to Face UCF

// THE GAME: The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team returns to the road this weekend as the Bearcats, winners of three in a row, will venture to Orlando, Fla., for a 2 p.m. American Athletic Conference game with UCF Saturday, February 15. The Bearcats (16-7,  7-3 AAC) are currently in a tie for second in the league standings with the Knights (14-8, 6-4 AAC) one game behind them.

// THE SERIES: The Bearcats lead the all-time series, 8-6, and won the first meeting earlier this year with an 81-64 decision over the visiting Knights January 12 inside Fifth Third Arena. While UC holds the all-time advantage, UCF leads, 3-2, when hosting the series and won the most recent meeting, 56-55, on January 13, 2019.

// LAST TIME OUT: Cincinnati jumped on Tulsa early and grabbed its 11th home win a row as the Bearcats defeated the Golden Hurricane, 78-53, Wednesday morning in UC's annual Education Day game. IImar'I Thomas (21p & 11r) and Angel Rizor (15p & 13r) recorded double-doubles on the day while Antoinette Miller and Sam Rodgers both chipped in 15 each with Rodgers tying a career-high with five made three-pointers.

// BEARCATS BYTES
• Cincinnati currently has 695 all-time victories, just five away from reaching the 700-victory milestone.
• With two current players in the 1,000-point club (Thomas & Miller), Angel Rizor is closing in on the group as she has scored 950 points in her career, leaving her 50 away.
• Thomas and Rizor recorded double-doubles in the same game for the second time this year after first doing so against Ohio State in the third contest of the season.
• Cincinnati has won 11 in a row at home following Wednesday's 78-53 victory over visiting Tulsa.
• The Bearcats have created a formidable home-court advantage inside newly-renovated Fifth Third Arena with a 29-4 home record going back to last season. In total, the Red & Black boasts a 76.8% (53-16) winning percentage on their home floor over the last four seasons. Currently, UC has won 11 in a row at home, last coming up short on Nov. 13, 2019, vs. Ohio State (78-73, ot).
• 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.

// LOG JAM
Following Thursday's action in the American, the Bearcats remain in tie for second place in the league standings as UC and USF both hold 7-3 records with Tulane just behind them at 7-4. Saturday's opponent, UCF, is one game behind at 6-4 with Temple (5-5), Wichita State (5-6) and Houston (5-6) just behind them. Over the final six games of the regular season, including Saturday's game with the Knights, the Bearcats will play all of those teams with the exception of Temple. UConn currently leads the league at 10-0.

// DOUBLE DIP
Against Tulsa Wednesday, both IImar'I Thomas and Angel Rizor recorded doubles, their seventh and third of the year, respectively. Thomas scored 21 points and added 11 rebounds while Rizor posted 15 and 13, giving her 13 boards in back-to-back games. The last time two Bearcats recorded double-doubles in the same game was the same duo against Ohio State earlier this year. In that contest, Thomas scored 25 points and collected 12 rebounds while Rizor tallied 10 points and also recorded 12 boards.

// CLOSING IN
With her play this year, Rizor continues to near milestones in program history, most notably scoring as she currently needs just 50 points to join the 1,000 Point Club at UC. Along with her scoring, she also has continued to clean the glass as she has pulled down 661 rebounds in her career, leaving her six shy of tying for 10th all-time in program history. Earlier this season, she moved into the Top 10 in career blocks as her 59 currently rank her ninth.

// MILLER MAKING MOVES
Antoinette Miller also is on the move in the career record books as she already is among the Top 10 in assists and is nearly a spot in the steals category as well. With 354 dimes to her credit, Miller is #7 all-time at UC and needs six to tie Cheryl Cook (1982-85) for the #6 spot. Miller also has accumulated 147 steals, leaving her five shy of the #10 spot all-time. 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 18.4 points each outing, which is third-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.

// SHE'S ON FIRE!
Against Tulsa Wednesday, Sam Rodgers caught fire from behind the arc as she finished 5-of-8 for the day and tied her career-high for made treys in a contest. The sixth time she has hit for three or more threes in a game this year and the second in a row (3 at SMU), Rodgers previously splashed in five treys against Butler last year in the WNIT when she also was 5-of-8 from three.

// IIMAR'I PULLING RANK
On the season, Thomas is averaging an AAC-best 19.7 points per game, including 20.3 per in conference play. Her team-leading 8.4 rebounds each time out ranks as seventh-best in The American and her 59.4% shooting from the field – and 62.8% in league play – also ranks first in the conference. Furthermore on the season, she averages 3.7 offensive rebounds (3rd in AAC) and 80.7% free-throw shooting (5th 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).

// HIGH FIVE!
Following Saturday's performance at SMU in which Thomas scored 19 points and added seven boards, two blocks and two steals, the American selected the junior for its weekly Honor Roll, the fifth time the AAC has done so this year. Thomas was instrumental in the Bearcats pulling away from the Mustangs as she tallied 13 points in the second half, including three points, three rebounds and one block in the decisive 16-0 run that opened the third quarter.

// 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.

// 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). Most recently, she pulled down a season-best 13 rebounds on the road at SMU, leaving her one shy of tying her career-high for a single game.

// 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.

// 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). 

// 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 letter winner 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
The Bearcats remain on the road for their next game as they are set to face Houston Tuesday night inside the Fertitta Center. The game, which will be streamed live on the American Digital Network, is set for a 7 p.m. CT (8 p.m. ET) tip.