TicketsThe Bearcats will open the tournament with UT Arlington on Friday at 3:30 p.m. followed by Charlotte on Saturday at 5:45 p.m. Cincinnati has only played in one other neutral site Thanksgiving week tournament under head coach Michelle Clark-Heard, competing in the Puerto Rico Clasico in 2019.
UT Arlington (WAC) and Charlotte (C-USA) each won their conference championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament last season.
Cincinnati earned its first road win of the season in its last game on Monday, defeating Lindenwood 71-60 inside Hyland Arena in St. Charles, Mo. Junior guard Jillian Hayes recorded her fifth career double-double, second in the last three games, with a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds, while senior guard Mya Jackson finished in double figures for the fifth straight game with 13 points, a team-high four assists and three steals.
Cincinnati led for 34:20 minutes and forced a season-high 24 turnovers for 30 points. The 30 points off turnovers ties the most under Clark-Heard. The Bearcats also had 30 in a 73-62 win at Memphis on Feb 10, 2021. Cincinnati dominated inside all night, finishing with 40 points in the paint. The 40 points in the paint are the most since the Bearcats totaled 52 in a 87-77 (2OT) win over North Carolina A&T on Dec 19, 2021.
Cincinnati also went 18-23 from the free throw line for a season-high 78.3 percent at Lindenwood. Despite shooting a season-low 21.4 percent from behind the arc against the Lions, Cincinnati is converting on 28-71 for 39.4 percent from three-point range through the first five games, which ranks 27th in the nation and second in the AAC.
Friday will be the third-ever meeting between UT Arlington and Cincinnati. Cincinnati was victorious at home in both of the prior contests. This is the first time that the two programs will face off since the Bearcats defeated the Mavericks 73-61 on Dec. 14, 2005.
UT Arlington is off to a 2-2 start in the third season under head coach Shereka Wright. The Mavericks are led by fifth year guard Jireh Washington, an Arkansas State transfer, who is averaging a team-high 16.5 points and 6.5 assists per game. Washington is one of four players on the team that is averaging double-digit scoring. UT Arlington is scoring 82.8 points per game and limiting their opponents to 73.3. The roster returns six players who logged time from last year's 20-8 overall, 11-4 WAC team. One of those six returners is Starr Jacobs, who was selected as the as the WAC's Preseason Player of the Year after breaking the program's single-season scoring record last season.
Saturday will be the 19th-ever meeting between Charlotte and Cincinnati and the first since the Bearcats defeated the 49ers, 71-64, in the Lady Rebel Round-Up tournament in Las Vegas on Nov. 30, 2013. Cincinnati leads the all-time series 12-6 and is 2-1 in neutral site contests.
Charlotte is 3-1 in Cara Consuegra's 12th season at the helm with their only loss coming at NC State on Nov. 16. The 49ers are scoring 64.5 points per game and allowing 68.8. Charlotte has two players averaging over 17 points per game with fifth year guard Mikayla Boykin at 17.5 and redshirt sophomore Dazia Lawrence at 17.0. Lawrence is averaging 35.9 minutes per game followed by fifth year guard Jada McMillian at 35.7, which ranks first and second in the Conference USA. The 49ers made history in their season-opener, setting the NCAA record for the largest fourth-quarter comeback after erasing a 21-point deficit to defeat App. State 98-94 (2OT) on Nov. 8.
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MYA JACKSON AND JILLIAN HAYES - DYNAMIC DUO
Jillian Hayes recorded her fifth career double-double, second in the last three games, with a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds, in addition to three steals, while senior guard Mya Jackson finished in double figures for the fifth straight game with 13 points, a team-high four assists and three steals at Lindenwood on Nov. 21. Jackson is averaging a team-high 15.6 points, 4.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds on 43.9 percent from the field in 38.2 minutes per game. The 38.2 mintues per game ranks 18th in the nation and first in the conference. Jackson has finished in double figures in all five games this season. The five straight games in double figures ties the most since Akira Levy scored 10-plus points in seven straight games in 2021-22. Hayes has nearly averaged a double-double with 17.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 29.8 minutes per game over the last four contests. As of Nov. 22, 16 players in the conference have recorded a double-double this season and Hayes is one of four players who have recorded at least two. The two double-doubles by Hayes also ranks 27th nationally. Jackson and Hayes accounted for 45 of the 71 points vs. Toledo on Nov. 16 and became the first Bearcats to score 20-plus points in the same game since IImar'I Thomas (28) and Caitlyn Wilson (20) did so in a 71-58 win at Tulsa on Feb. 27, 2021. The pair is the only two Bearcats to start all five games.
WHAT IS THE HALFTIME SPEECH
Cincinnati is outscoring their opponents 102-80 in the third quarter, a margin of +4.4, through the first five games. Cincinnati has outscored four of five opponents in the third quarter, including a season-best 29-20 third quarter vs. Radford on Nov. 13. The Bearcats have outscored four of five opponents in the second half, holding a 179-164 advantage after the break.
FROM THE LINE
Cincinnati finished a season-best 18-23 for 78.3 percent from the free throw line in their last game at Lindenwood on Nov. 21. Cincinnati ranks 73rd nationally and third in the conference with 21.2 free throw attempts per game and 85th nationally and third in the conference with 14.4 made per game. Jillian Hayes ranks 42nd nationally, first in the conference with 30 free throw attempts this season, converting on 20-30 from the line. Hayes' 20 makes also ranks first in the conference. The Bearcats are shooting 49-68 for 72.1 percent from the line over the last three games. Clarissa Craig is leading the team with a 84.6 free throw percentage on 11-13.