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Bearcats Head to Provo to Face BYU Saturday

The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team takes on BYU Saturday night inside the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. Tip-off between the Bearcats and Cougars is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

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Bearcats Head to Provo to Face BYU SaturdayBearcats Head to Provo to Face BYU Saturday
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CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team takes on BYU Saturday night inside the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. Tip-off between the Bearcats and Cougars is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
 
// THE RUNDOWN
  • Behind sophomore A'riel Jackson's late-game heroics, Cincinnati (9-6, 1-3 Big 12) pulled out a thrilling 64-63 win over UCF on Wednesday night inside Fifth Third Arena. Down by one with 14 seconds remaining (63-62), A'riel Jackson made the game-winning putback with five tenths of a second on the clock to give UC the win. The Bearcats are now 2-0 in games decided by five points or fewer. 
  • With the win, the Bearcats earned their first-ever Big 12 Conference victory. Cincinnati also matched its win total from a season ago under first year head coach Katrina Merriweather, who earned her 160th career win on Wednesday. 
  • Senior Malea Williams recorded her third career double-double with a career-high 17 points to go along with 11 rebounds vs. UCF. She made a career-high seven field goals (7-11 FG) and added three assists and two blocks in a season-high 33 minutes of action.
  • Sophomore Braylyn Milton finished with 12 points vs. UCF. She drained a season-high four three-pointers, with three coming in the first quarter.
  • With nine rebounds vs. UCF, senior Jillian Hayes became the eighth player in program history to record over 1,000 points and 700 rebounds in their career. She currently ranks fourth in blocks (110), sixth in rebounds (703), t-seventh in free throws made (313) and 10th in steals (159) in program history.
  • Hayes is averaging nearly a double-double with 12.7 points and 8.5 rebounds and is shooting 49.6% from the field this season. She sits sixth in the Big 12 and 78th nationally in rebounds per game (8.5). She has recorded five double-doubles in 2023-24, with the most recent coming against West Virginia on January 3 (18 points and 11 rebounds). Her five double-doubles are the fifth-most in the Big 12, top-50 nationally.
  • Senior Malea Williams is averaging 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks and is shooting 43.4% from the field this season. She sits fifth in the Big 12 in blocks per game (1.3) and 13th in rebounding (6.9). She has recorded six multi-block performances and has led the team in blocks nine times this season.
  • Redshirt junior Ta'Ziah Jenks is providing valuable minutes off the bench for the Bearcats. She is averaging 23.1 minutes, 8.7 points and 4.3 rebounds and is shooting 41.7% from the floor over the last three games. She finished with nine points and a season-high six rebounds vs. Oklahoma and played a season-high 28 minutes vs. UCF.
  • The Bearcats are 8-3 when they outrebound their opponent. UC sits 21st in the country in offensive rebounds per game (15.3). The Bearcats have won the rebounding battle in all four of their Big 12 contests (+3.5).
  • Cincinnati has made 330 trips to the free throw line this season, making 242 of its attempts (.733). The Bearcats sit first in the Big 12 and 16th nationally in free throws made per game (16.1). UC is 8-2 when it makes more free throws than its opponent.
  • Hayes is getting to the free throw line at a high rate, making the second-most foul shots in the Big 12 (69-85 FT). She also sits sixth in the league in free throw percentage (.812).
  • UC ranks 12th in the nation in three-point field goal defense, holding its opponents to 24.5% from behind the arc.
  • Five Bearcats have missed at least one game this season due to injury. Two of the Bearcats' five starters have missed multiple games due to injury.
  • The Bearcats finished non-conference play with an 8-3 record for their best non-conference winning percentage (72.7%) in 15 years. UC won six consecutive games during the stretch for its longest win streak since 2019-20.
 
// A WIN WOULD...
  • Be Cincinnati's 10th win of the season
  • Give Cincinnati its first-ever Big 12 road win
  • Be UC's second straight Big 12 victory
  • Be Cincinnati's first win over BYU
 
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati will be back in action in a week, hosting West Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 20 for Cincinnati Zoo Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. inside Fifth Third Arena.