Bearcats Travel to Face Houston Tuesday Night

// THE GAME: The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team is back on the road Tuesday night as the Bearcats are set to meet Houston inside the Fertitta Center in a 7 p.m. CT (8 p.m. ET) tip on the American Digital Network (web video) and BearcatsTV (web radio). The Bearcats stand 16-8 overall and tied for second in the AAC standings ay 7-4 while the Cougars sport a 12-14 record and stand 5-7 in AAC play.

// THE SERIES: UC holds an all-time record of 20-6 against the Cougars and won earlier this season at home, 85-66 (1/22/20), to extend its winning streak to four in a row over UH. The two sides have met in Houston nine times with UC holding a 7-2 record and have won five in a row, including an 88-82 decision in the last meeting in Texas (1/10/18).

// LAST TIME OUT: Cincinnati saw its three-game winning streak snapped Saturday as the Bearcats fell on the road at UCF, 49-42, in a very defensive game. Angel Rizor led the way with 12 points and added five rebounds while Sam Rodgers scored 10 points and added team highs in both steals (3) and assists (2).

// TIP INS
• 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 962 points in her career, leaving her 38 away.
• Angel Rizor earned a spot on this week's AAC Honor Roll after averaging 13.5 ppg and 9.0 rpg as UC went 1-1. Rizor opened the week with a double-double against Tulsa, scoring 15 points and tying her season-best with 13 rebounds before adding 12 and 5 at UCF Saturday.
• Cincinnati has won 11 in a row at home following its 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
Ahead of Tuesday's game, the Bearcats in a three-way tie for second place in the American as UC, UCF and USF each sport 7-4 records in league play. Tulane, next Sunday's opponent at home (4 p.m.) it one-half game behind at 7-5 with Temple (6-5) and Wichita State (6-6) close behind.

// DEFENSE
In Saturday's loss at UCF, the Bearcats limited the Knights to just four points in the first quarter and 15 points total in the first half. The four points in the first quarter marked the second time UC had limited an opponent to under 10 points in the opening quarter of play (9, Ball State) and the eighth time overall this year a team has been limited to under 10 points in any quarter. The four points also are the fewest allowed in any quarter this year, surpassing the five score by USF in the fourth quarter in Cincinnati February 2. Overall, the 15 points allowed in the first half are the fewest of any half this year, surpassing the 16 Coppin State scored in the first half earlier this year.

// DOUBLE DIP
Against Tulsa last 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 38 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 666 rebounds in her career, leaving her one shy of tying for 10th all-time in program history. Earlier this season, she moved into the Top 10 in career blocks as her 60 currently rank her ninth.

// RIZOR HONORED
Last week, Angel Rizor averaged 13.5 points and 9.0 rebounds and recorded her third double-double of the year, which helped earn her a place on this week's AAC Honor Roll. Against Tulsa, Rizor posted a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, giving her back-to-back games with 13 boards as well. Then, in Sunday's defensive struggle at UCF, she led the team with 12 points and added five rebounds with one steal and one block. The award is her third of the year after she was named to the Honor Roll both December 9 and December 16.

// 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 last week, 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 19.1 points per game, including 19.1 per in conference play (2nd). Her team-leading 8.3 rebounds each time out ranks as seventh-best in The American and her 59.3% shooting from the field – and 62.1% 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 11th in field goals made (181), 11th in field goal percentage (59.3%), and 23rd in total points (459).

// 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 1,221 career points, Thomas currently ranks 14th on the all-time scoring list with Regina Williams (1985-89) ahead of her in 13th with 1,237 points (+16). The junior was the first Bearcats 1,000-point scorer since guard Ana Owens reached the milestone in 2017.

// 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
The 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
Cincinnati is back at home for two in a row starting Sunday when they play host to Tulane in a scheduled 4 p.m. start on ESPNU. The game will be the second of a men's-women's doubleheader with the men facing Wichita State at 1 p.m. on ESPN.