TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team released its 20-game American Athletic Conference schedule Friday. The Bearcats will play each league team home and away in 2020-21.
Tip times and broadcast information will be announced at a later date. All game dates are subject to change.
Picked to finish fourth in the AAC, according to a vote of the league's coaches, Cincinnati begins league play at Houston on Wednesday, Dec. 16, marking the Bearcats earliest start to conference play since joining the AAC in 2013-14.
Three days later, UC plays its AAC home opener against East Carolina on Dec. 19 at Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats face AAC favorite USF twice during the regular season: at home on Dec. 22 and in Tampa, Fla., on Jan. 30.
UC takes on UCF, who was picked to finish second in the AAC, in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 17 and at Fifth Third Arena on Feb. 14.
Other conference home games: Tulsa (Jan. 6), Tulane (Jan. 9), Memphis (Jan. 20), Wichita State (Jan. 27), Temple (Feb. 3), Houston (Feb. 20) and SMU (Mar. 2).
Other league road contests: at SMU (Dec. 30), at Wichita State (Jan. 2), at Temple (Jan. 13), at Tulane (Feb. 7), at Memphis (Feb. 10), at East Carolina (Feb. 24) and at Tulsa (Feb. 27).
The AAC Women's Championship is scheduled for Mar. 8-11 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
UC released its non-league slate last week, featuring home games against North Carolina A&T (Nov. 25), fifth-ranked Louisville (Nov. 28) and Xavier (Dec. 10) and road matchups at Florida (Dec. 5) and Central Michigan (Dec. 12).
A LOOK BACK AT LAST SEASON
The Bearcats are coming off a 22-10 overall record and 11-5 league mark last season, tying for second place in the league standings. UC also advanced to the championship game of the AAC tournament. It marked UC's best regular-season and league tournament finish in The American since joining the league.
The effort marked UC's second consecutive 20-win campaign in as many seasons under head coach Michelle Clark-Heard.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
Senior forward IImar'I Thomas (18.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 2019-20) was named AAC Co-Preseason Player of the Year, along with Temple's Mia Davis. Thomas also was named a candidate for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award earlier this month.
Thomas has registered a decorated career at Cincinnati, earning First Team All-AAC accolades at the conclusion of each of the past two seasons. She also was named the AAC Freshman of the Year and a unanimous pick to the AAC All-Freshman Team at the end of the 2017-18 season. She also was tabbed a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American last season.
Redshirt junior guard Addaya Moore saw action in every game last season with 12 starts, averaging 3.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 21.0 minutes. She's the only returning Bearcat besides Thomas with double-digits starts last season.
UC's 2020-21 roster includes eight returning letterwinners and five newcomers.
VIRTUAL SELLOUT SCHEDULED, CUTOUT PACKAGES ANNOUNCED
UC Athletics will hold a virtual sellout for the 2020 Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootouts, set to take place on Dec. 6 (men's) and Dec. 10 (women's) at Fifth Third Arena.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, general fans are currently not allowed in the arena on game day, but they have the opportunity to cheer their team on virtually with a fan cutout in the stands.
Custom fan cutout packages are available for $75 for fans and $40 for students and all proceeds will support UC Athletics. Make your purchase by Nov. 29 to ensure your cutout is in the stands for the shootout! Packages will be sold beyond Nov. 29, but cutouts will not be in the stands until after the Crosstown Shootout.
Cutouts will remain in the stands for men's and women's basketball and volleyball games which take place during the 2020-21 campaign. In the event fans are permitted to attend games, UC will sell tickets on a single-game basis and tickets will be made available only to season ticket holders.
For more information visit GoBearcats.com.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Stay up to date with the team by following the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @GoBearcatsWBB.
Tip times and broadcast information will be announced at a later date. All game dates are subject to change.
Picked to finish fourth in the AAC, according to a vote of the league's coaches, Cincinnati begins league play at Houston on Wednesday, Dec. 16, marking the Bearcats earliest start to conference play since joining the AAC in 2013-14.
Three days later, UC plays its AAC home opener against East Carolina on Dec. 19 at Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats face AAC favorite USF twice during the regular season: at home on Dec. 22 and in Tampa, Fla., on Jan. 30.
UC takes on UCF, who was picked to finish second in the AAC, in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 17 and at Fifth Third Arena on Feb. 14.
Other conference home games: Tulsa (Jan. 6), Tulane (Jan. 9), Memphis (Jan. 20), Wichita State (Jan. 27), Temple (Feb. 3), Houston (Feb. 20) and SMU (Mar. 2).
Other league road contests: at SMU (Dec. 30), at Wichita State (Jan. 2), at Temple (Jan. 13), at Tulane (Feb. 7), at Memphis (Feb. 10), at East Carolina (Feb. 24) and at Tulsa (Feb. 27).
The AAC Women's Championship is scheduled for Mar. 8-11 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
UC released its non-league slate last week, featuring home games against North Carolina A&T (Nov. 25), fifth-ranked Louisville (Nov. 28) and Xavier (Dec. 10) and road matchups at Florida (Dec. 5) and Central Michigan (Dec. 12).
A LOOK BACK AT LAST SEASON
The Bearcats are coming off a 22-10 overall record and 11-5 league mark last season, tying for second place in the league standings. UC also advanced to the championship game of the AAC tournament. It marked UC's best regular-season and league tournament finish in The American since joining the league.
The effort marked UC's second consecutive 20-win campaign in as many seasons under head coach Michelle Clark-Heard.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
Senior forward IImar'I Thomas (18.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 blocks in 2019-20) was named AAC Co-Preseason Player of the Year, along with Temple's Mia Davis. Thomas also was named a candidate for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award earlier this month.
Thomas has registered a decorated career at Cincinnati, earning First Team All-AAC accolades at the conclusion of each of the past two seasons. She also was named the AAC Freshman of the Year and a unanimous pick to the AAC All-Freshman Team at the end of the 2017-18 season. She also was tabbed a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American last season.
Redshirt junior guard Addaya Moore saw action in every game last season with 12 starts, averaging 3.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 21.0 minutes. She's the only returning Bearcat besides Thomas with double-digits starts last season.
UC's 2020-21 roster includes eight returning letterwinners and five newcomers.
VIRTUAL SELLOUT SCHEDULED, CUTOUT PACKAGES ANNOUNCED
UC Athletics will hold a virtual sellout for the 2020 Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootouts, set to take place on Dec. 6 (men's) and Dec. 10 (women's) at Fifth Third Arena.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, general fans are currently not allowed in the arena on game day, but they have the opportunity to cheer their team on virtually with a fan cutout in the stands.
Custom fan cutout packages are available for $75 for fans and $40 for students and all proceeds will support UC Athletics. Make your purchase by Nov. 29 to ensure your cutout is in the stands for the shootout! Packages will be sold beyond Nov. 29, but cutouts will not be in the stands until after the Crosstown Shootout.
Cutouts will remain in the stands for men's and women's basketball and volleyball games which take place during the 2020-21 campaign. In the event fans are permitted to attend games, UC will sell tickets on a single-game basis and tickets will be made available only to season ticket holders.
For more information visit GoBearcats.com.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Stay up to date with the team by following the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @GoBearcatsWBB.