TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team opens the 2023-24 season against No. 17-ranked Louisville on Monday inside Fifth Third Arena.
Tip-off between the Bearcats and Cardinals is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. The broadcast will also air on either WSAI 1360 or The Project 100.7/106.3 in Cincinnati.
// CINCINNATI OPENS SEASON WITH NO. 17 LOUISVILLE
Monday will be the 70th overall meeting - the most total meetings of any opponent in program history. The rivalry spans over five conferences - Great Midwest, Metro Conference, Conference USA, Big East and American. This is the first meeting between the two programs at Cincinnati since March 1, 2014.
This is the second straight season that Cincinnati has opened its campaign with Louisville, falling to the No. 7 Cardinals, 87-68, on Nov. 7, 2022. Junior guard Braylyn Milton erupted for a career-high 28 points on 9-12 from the field, 5-5 from three in the matchup. It was the most points scored by a Bearcat since IImar'I Thomas totaled 30 in the American Athletic Conference First Round against Memphis on Mar. 8, 2021.
After trailing 48-28 at the half, Cincinnati outscored Louisville 40-39 in the second half in last season's matchup.
Cincinnati's last win over Louisville came when both programs were members of the Big East, taking down the Cardinals on the road, 74-68, in Freedom Hall on Feb. 2, 2010.
// NEW ERA(S) BEGIN - MERRIWEATHER, BIG 12, JORDAN
Head coach Katrina Merriweather was hired as the 10th women's basketball head coach at Cincinnati, her alma mater, on March 25, 2023.
A four-year letterwinner for Hall of Fame head coach Laurie Pirtle from 1997-01, Merriweather was the program's first women's basketball player to make four consecutive postseason tournaments and posted an 83-41 record as a player. Additionally, she helped lead the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament win as a graduate assistant in 2001-02.
Merriweather returns to her alma mater with a 151-70 overall record in seven seasons as the head coach of Memphis (38-23) and Wright State (113-47). Most recently, Merriweather led Memphis to a 22-11 season in 2022-23, the program's first 20-win season since 2012-13, and an appearance in the WNIT Sweet 16.
Merriweather spent five seasons at Wright State, where she led the Raiders to a 113-47 record, four postseason berths (2 NCAA, 2 WNIT) and was named Horizon League Coach of the Year three times. She led Wright State to the program's third appearance and first NCAA Tournament win with an upset over four-seed Arkansas in 2021.
Cincinnati was one of four programs to become a member of the Big 12 on July 1. The Bearcats will also be a Jordan Brand program for the first time.
// A LOT OF RETURNING PRODUCTI0N
Cincinnati returns seven players from 2022-23. All seven averaged double-digit minutes and played in at least 25 of 30 games last season.
The Bearcats return six of their top seven scorers from last season, including double-digit scorers in Jillian Hayes (12.8) and Mya Jackson (11.0).
In terms of returning percentages from 2022-23, Cincinnati returns 75.5 percent of its points (1354/1794), 77.7 percent of its rebounds (749/966), 82.3 percent of its assists (293/356) and 72.6 percent of minutes played (4412/6075).
The seven returners combine for 441 career games played and 245 starts. Five of the seven returners started double-digit games in 2022-23.
// CINCINNATI IN SEASON/HOME OPENERS
Cincinnati is 7-2 in its last nine season openers and 8-1 - with six straight wins - in their last nine home openers.
During the current six straight home opener wins, the Bearcats have won by a margin of +15. Cincinnati last lost a home opener to Indiana State, 63-55, on Nov. 19, 2016.
// BIG (12) THINGS TO COME
Cincinnati was one of four schools - BYU, Houston UCF - to join the Big 12 Conference on July 1.
The Big 12 is one of the premier basketball conferences in the nation. 90 percent of Big 12 teams finished with a winning record in 2022-23, a feat that no other conference has accomplished since the formation of the Big 12 in 1994.
A nation-leading - for the second straight year - 60 percent (six teams) were selected to the 2023 NCAA Tournament and 90 percent (nine teams) reached a postseason tournament - including 2023 WNIT Champion Kansas.
Within the Bearcats' 18-game conference slate are nine home contests inside Fifth Third Arena and eight game versus teams that advanced to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Cincinnati will face Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech for the first time in program history.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats welcome Lindenwood to Fifth Third Arena for Education Day on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m. inside Fifth Third Arena.
Tip-off between the Bearcats and Cardinals is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. The broadcast will also air on either WSAI 1360 or The Project 100.7/106.3 in Cincinnati.
// CINCINNATI OPENS SEASON WITH NO. 17 LOUISVILLE
Monday will be the 70th overall meeting - the most total meetings of any opponent in program history. The rivalry spans over five conferences - Great Midwest, Metro Conference, Conference USA, Big East and American. This is the first meeting between the two programs at Cincinnati since March 1, 2014.
This is the second straight season that Cincinnati has opened its campaign with Louisville, falling to the No. 7 Cardinals, 87-68, on Nov. 7, 2022. Junior guard Braylyn Milton erupted for a career-high 28 points on 9-12 from the field, 5-5 from three in the matchup. It was the most points scored by a Bearcat since IImar'I Thomas totaled 30 in the American Athletic Conference First Round against Memphis on Mar. 8, 2021.
After trailing 48-28 at the half, Cincinnati outscored Louisville 40-39 in the second half in last season's matchup.
Cincinnati's last win over Louisville came when both programs were members of the Big East, taking down the Cardinals on the road, 74-68, in Freedom Hall on Feb. 2, 2010.
// NEW ERA(S) BEGIN - MERRIWEATHER, BIG 12, JORDAN
Head coach Katrina Merriweather was hired as the 10th women's basketball head coach at Cincinnati, her alma mater, on March 25, 2023.
A four-year letterwinner for Hall of Fame head coach Laurie Pirtle from 1997-01, Merriweather was the program's first women's basketball player to make four consecutive postseason tournaments and posted an 83-41 record as a player. Additionally, she helped lead the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament win as a graduate assistant in 2001-02.
Merriweather returns to her alma mater with a 151-70 overall record in seven seasons as the head coach of Memphis (38-23) and Wright State (113-47). Most recently, Merriweather led Memphis to a 22-11 season in 2022-23, the program's first 20-win season since 2012-13, and an appearance in the WNIT Sweet 16.
Merriweather spent five seasons at Wright State, where she led the Raiders to a 113-47 record, four postseason berths (2 NCAA, 2 WNIT) and was named Horizon League Coach of the Year three times. She led Wright State to the program's third appearance and first NCAA Tournament win with an upset over four-seed Arkansas in 2021.
Cincinnati was one of four programs to become a member of the Big 12 on July 1. The Bearcats will also be a Jordan Brand program for the first time.
// A LOT OF RETURNING PRODUCTI0N
Cincinnati returns seven players from 2022-23. All seven averaged double-digit minutes and played in at least 25 of 30 games last season.
The Bearcats return six of their top seven scorers from last season, including double-digit scorers in Jillian Hayes (12.8) and Mya Jackson (11.0).
In terms of returning percentages from 2022-23, Cincinnati returns 75.5 percent of its points (1354/1794), 77.7 percent of its rebounds (749/966), 82.3 percent of its assists (293/356) and 72.6 percent of minutes played (4412/6075).
The seven returners combine for 441 career games played and 245 starts. Five of the seven returners started double-digit games in 2022-23.
// CINCINNATI IN SEASON/HOME OPENERS
Cincinnati is 7-2 in its last nine season openers and 8-1 - with six straight wins - in their last nine home openers.
During the current six straight home opener wins, the Bearcats have won by a margin of +15. Cincinnati last lost a home opener to Indiana State, 63-55, on Nov. 19, 2016.
// BIG (12) THINGS TO COME
Cincinnati was one of four schools - BYU, Houston UCF - to join the Big 12 Conference on July 1.
The Big 12 is one of the premier basketball conferences in the nation. 90 percent of Big 12 teams finished with a winning record in 2022-23, a feat that no other conference has accomplished since the formation of the Big 12 in 1994.
A nation-leading - for the second straight year - 60 percent (six teams) were selected to the 2023 NCAA Tournament and 90 percent (nine teams) reached a postseason tournament - including 2023 WNIT Champion Kansas.
Within the Bearcats' 18-game conference slate are nine home contests inside Fifth Third Arena and eight game versus teams that advanced to the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Cincinnati will face Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma and Texas Tech for the first time in program history.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats welcome Lindenwood to Fifth Third Arena for Education Day on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Tip-off is scheduled for 11 a.m. inside Fifth Third Arena.