WBB: Bearcats Host No. 20 USF on Tuesday

No. 20 USF (4-1, 1-0 AAC)
at CINCINNATI (1-4, 0-1 AAC)
Tuesday, Dec. 22 // 2 p.m. ET
Fifth Third Arena // Cincinnati, Ohio
SERIES INFO: 37th meeting; USF leads 19-17 overall; UC leads 8-7 in Cincinnati;  
USF leads 11-6 in Tampa, Fla.; Cincinnati leads 3-1 at neutral sites
LAST SEASON'S MEETINGS: USF won 76-68 in Tampa, Fla., on Jan. 5, 2020; 
UC won 60-55 in Cincinnati on Feb. 2, 2020
STREAK: Cincinnati - 1
COACHES: Michelle Clark-Heard is in her third season at Cincinnati (47-25); 11th season overall (225-105)
Jose Fernandez is in his 21st season at USF (377-273); 21st season overall (377-273)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS: Cincinnati (--/--); USF (20/24)
TV: ESPN+; Matt Noonan and Betsy Ross
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GAME PREVIEW 

• Cincinnati (1-4, 0-1 AAC) welcomes No. 23 USF (4-1, 1-0 AAC) to Fifth Third Arena on Tuesday. The game tips at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+. 
• The Bearcats are coming off a 74-67 home setback to East Carolina in UC's American Athletic Conference opener on Sunday. II'marI Thomas posted a team-best 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and 7-of-7 shooting from the free-throw line to go with six rebounds and two blocks. 
• Jadyn Scott (11 points) and Jillian Hayes (10) also reached double figures in scoring for the Bearcats. 
• USF earned a  65-58 road win at Memphis on Dec. 16. Elisa Pinzan scored a season-high 19 points to lead the Bulls. 
• UC and USF split a pair of meetings last season. USF holds a 19-17 lead in the series. UC leads 8-7 in the Queen City.
• UP NEXT: After the Holiday break, UC plays four its next six games away from home beginning with a trip to SMU on Dec. 30. Tipoff is 2 p.m. on ESPN+.

CINCINNATI STORYLINES

• The AAC Co-Preseason Player of the Year, senior forward IImar'I Thomas enters the week  ranked  nationally in points  per game (4th at 27.4), field goals made (T10th at 52), minutes played (15th at 38.63), field goal percentage (17th at .642) and free throws made (30th at 32).
• She has scored at least 23 points in every game this season, including two 30-point efforts. 
• The Bearcats lead the AAC in blocks, averaging 5.2 per game. Four Bearcats rank among the AAC leaders in blocks: Jillian Hayes (T8th at 1.2),  Jadyn Scott (T12th at 1.0), Arame Niang (T15th at 0.8) and IImar'I Thomas (T15th at 0.8).  
• Cincinnati is coming off back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since stringing together three consecutive 20-win campaigns from 2001-03.
• The Bearcats tied for second in the AAC regular-season standings a year ago with an 11-5 mark, the school's best finish in The American and its best league result since placing second in the Conference USA standings in 2004. 
• UC reached the championship game of the 2019 AAC Women's Championship, rallying from a 15-point deficit to post a 57-51 win over UCF. The effort resulted in the Bearcats first conference tournament championship game appearance since 2003 (Conference USA).
• Michelle Clark-Heard won more games (46) during her first two seasons at Cincinnati than any other head coach program history. She edged out Ceal Barry, who registered 45 wins combined through her first two seasons in Clifton (1979-80 and 1980-81). Clark-Heard is also the first coach in UC history to record 20-win seasons in each of her first two season on the job.

TOUTING IIMAR'I THOMAS

• NATIONAL NUMBERS: Entering the week, Thomas ranks nationally in points  per game (4th at 27.4), field goals made (T10th at 52), field goal percentage (17th at .642), free throws made (30th at 32) and minutes played (15th at 38.63).
• AAC NUMBERS: Thomas entered action Monday ranked among the AAC leaders in scoring (1st at 27.4), field goal percentage (1st at .642), minutes played (1st at 38.6), free throw percentage (1st at .889), rebounds (7th at 6.8), offensive rebounds (T8th at 2.6), defensive rebounds (T10th at 4.2), assists (T11th at 2.8) and blocks (T15th at 0.8).
• SCORING 30 OR MORE POINTS TWICE THIS SEASON: Thomas has scored 30 or more points twice this season already, pouring in 34 points in UC's 76-67 overtime win over Northern Kentucky (11/25) and 32 points in UC's 86-75 loss to Marquette (12/10).   
• Thomas has eclipsed the 30-point plateau on two other occasions during her UC career. She netted 32 points against UCF on Jan. 12, 2020 before posting a career-best 35 points against Houston on Jan. 22, 2020. 
• Thomas has scored in double figures 72 times in her career, including in 57 of the last 67 contests. She has scored 20 or more points 24 times as a Bearcat, including all five games this season.
• CHART CHASER: Thomas enters the sixth game of the season ranked among UC's best in multiple categories: field goal percentage (1st at .601), blocks (3rd at 106), rebounds (T5th at 728), rebound average (9th at 7.0) and points (9th at 1,493). Thomas needs seven points Tuesday against USF for 1,500 in her career.

BEARCATS TIP-INS

• BLOCK PARTY: UC leads the AAC in blocks, averaging 5.2 per game. Four Bearcats rank among the AAC leaders in blocks entering the week: Jillian Hayes (T8th at 1.2),  Jadyn Scott (T12th at 1.0), Arame Niang (T15th at 0.8) and IImar'I Thomas (T15th at 0.8).  
• HAYES GETS START: Jillian Hayes made here first collegiate start Sunday against ECU, scoring 10 points with six rebounds, two assists and two steals. 
• NIANG DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Arame Niang recorded her second career double-double and the first as a Bearcat at Florida (12/5), posting 12 points and 13 rebounds. With Western Kentucky during the 2018-19 campaign, Niang tallied 15 points and 13 rebounds against Morgan State.
• Niang ranks second on the team, averaging 7.6 points and 5.2 rebounds.  
• MOORE STEALS: Addaya Moore ranks fourth in the AAC with 2.5 steals entering the week. She swiped four steals each against Northern Kentucky (11/25) and Marquette (12/10). 

SCOUTING USF

• USF enters the week ranked No. 20 in the AP poll,  having won three in a row since a 67-62 home loss to 
• No. 4 Baylor on Dec. 1. Included in the win streak is a 67-63 overtime home win over then-No. 6 Mississippi State. 
• The Bulls were the preseason favorite to win the AAC according to a vote of the league's coaches. 
• Four players average 9.0 points or more for USF, led by Elena Tsineke (10.6 points) and Sydni Harvey (10.0). 
• Elisa Pinzan averages 9.8 points and ranks second in the league in assists (5.2) and free throw percentage (.765).  
• Bethy Mununga averages 7.8 points and ranks second in the AAC with 10.8 rebounds.