TicketsCincinnati leads the all-time series, 1-0. The lone meeting was played on Dec. 19, 2021, where Cincinnati outlasted North Carolina A&T in a 87-77 (2OT) win inside Fifth Third Arena. Jillian Hayes finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Braylyn Milton added nine points and Malea Williams pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. Cincinnati is 29-20 in regular season non-conference games and 21-27 on the road under head coach Michelle Clark-Heard. North Carolina A&T is the only Colonial Athletic Association opponent the Bearcats have faced under Clark-Heard.
North Carolina A&T is one of four - Alabama A&M, Coppin State, Howard - Historically Black Colleges and Universities, HBCUs, that Cincinnati has faced under Clark-Heard. The Bearcats are 5-0 in those contests with a +23.6-win margin.
The North Carolina A&T Aggies are 4-2 in their 11th season under head coach Tarrell Robinson. Robinson became the program's all-time winningest coach, earning his 192nd win with the Aggies with a 68-49 victory over South Carolina State on Nov. 22. North Carolina A&T is scoring 72.3 points per game and limiting their opponents to a CAA conference-best 58.2. The +14.1 differential also marks a conference-best. North Carolina A&T is holding opponents to a conference-best 34.1 percent from the field and 22.0 percent from three. The Aggies are also leading the conference with 45.3 rebounds per game with a +9.5 margin. Junior guard Maleia Bracone leads the team with 14.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, while graduate student center Jazmin Harris is averaging nearly a double-double with 14.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
Cincinnati split contests with a win against UT Arlington in game one before falling to Charlotte in game two of the Daytona Beach Invitational last Friday and Saturday.
Cincinnati scored a season-high 72 points, while also finishing with a season-high 25 free throws and seven blocks in the 72-58 win over UT Arlington. Junior guard Jillian Hayes led the team in scoring in both contests, averaging 14.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 assist per game. Sophomore forward/center Clarissa Craig added a pair of double digit scoring efforts off the bench, finishing with a career-high 12 points against UT Arlington followed by 10 points against Charlotte. Craig converted 7-11 from the field and 8-10 from the line over the two games. Cincinnati led for 30:01 minutes in the win over UT Arlington; the Bearcats have led for at least 30 minutes of action in all four wins this season. Cincinnati held a 49-11 advantage in bench points over the two games. The Daytona Beach Invitational marks the second neutral site Thanksgiving week tournament Cincinnati has competed in under Clark-Heard, also participating in the Puerto Rico Clasico in 2019.
Senior guard Mya Jackson has finished in double figures in the all seven contests this season. Jackson is averaging a team-high 14.9 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 rebounds on 42.1 percent from the field in 37.1 minutes per game. The seven straight games ties the most since I'ImarI Thomas did so in 10 straight games in 2020-21.
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OFF THE BENCH
Cincinnati has recorded 145 total points for 20.7 points per game off its bench this season. Cincinnati is outscoring their opponents 145-102 in bench points this season, including 70-19 over the last three games. The Bearcats are 4-1 when outscoring their opponent in bench points this season. Cincinnati has received at least 20 points from its bench in six of seven games. The Bearcats have had four double digit scoring efforts off its bench this season - Clarissa Craig (3) and A'riel Jackson (1). Cincinnati received a season-high 28 points from its bench in their last win over UT Arlington on Nov. 25. Sophomore forward/center Clarissa Craig is leading the team with 6.4 points per game off the bench.
JILLIAN HAYES NAMED TO AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WEEKLY HONOR ROLL ON NOV. 28
Junior guard Jillian Hayes was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll after averaging a double-double in the three games last week, posting 15.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 32.2 minutes per contest. Hayes is averaging 14.3 points, a team-high 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 28.7 minutes per game through the first seven contests. She has led the team in scoring in four contests, including the last three. Her 8.7 rebounds ranks fourth in the conference, while her 1.3 blocks ranks fifth. After an 0-9 performance in 18 minutes at Louisville, Hayes has nearly posted a double-double, increasing her averages to 16.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 30.5 minutes per game over the last six contests. As of Nov. 29, 14 players in the AAC have recorded a double-double and Jillian Hayes is one of five players who have recorded at least three. The three double-doubles by Hayes is tied for 18th nationally. Hayes earned her six career double-double and third of the season with 16 points and a career-high 14 rebounds vs. UT Arlington on Nov. 25.Hayes' 14 rebounds against UT Arlington was the most by a Bearcat this season and the most since Arame Niang recorded 16 vs. Temple on Feb. 3, 2021. Hayes recorded her fifth career 20-plus point game vs. Toledo on Nov. 16, scoring 21 points on 8-13 from the field with a team-high eight rebounds.
IT'S A BLOCK PARTY, EVERYONE'S INVITED
Cincinnati has recorded 4.7 blocks per game, which ranks first in the conference and 45th in the nation. Junior forward/center Malea Williams tied a career-high four blocks against UT Arlington at the Daytona Beach Invitational on Nov. 25, which is the most by a Bearcat this season and ties the most since Arame Niang recorded six against Memphis on Mar. 8, 2021. Malea Williams (1.6) and Jillian Hayes (1.3) both rank in the top-five in the conference in blocks per game. Williams' 1.6 blocks per game also ranks 77th nationally. The Bearcats are 3-1 this season when they record five or more blocks in a game, while four Bearcats have recorded at least one multi-block game this season.