Cincinnati Set for Saturday Showdown at #10 Texas

CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team begins a two-game road swing against No. 10-ranked Texas on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET in Austin.
 
// THE RUNDOWN

• Senior Malea Williams notched the game-winning steal and score as the University of Cincinnati women's basketball team defeated Oklahoma State, 58-56, on Wednesday night in Fifth Third Arena. UC improved to 3-0 in games decided by five points or fewer.
• With the score tied at 56 with 17 seconds remaining, Williams intercepted OSU's hand-off and made the game-winning layup with two seconds on the clock. The back-and-forth battle featured nine ties and six lead changes, including four of each in the final quarter. 
• Cincinnati received valuable contributions from its bench, owning a plus-19 advantage in the category (23-4). The Bearcats are 8-2 when their bench outscores the opponent. In total, 10 Bearcats recorded a point in the victory.
• The Bearcats committed just 11 turnovers vs. OSU – its second lowest total of the season. UC has a +1.5 turnover margin in wins, but conversely, are -5.5 in the category in losses.
• Senior Jillian Hayes played in her 100th career game on Wednesday vs. OSU and finished with 10 points and six rebounds. She has made 96 career starts in 100 games - all starts consecutive. She made her first career start against East Carolina on Dec. 20, 2020.
• Sophomore Destiny Thomas returned to the Bearcats' lineup for the first time since Dec. 17 vs. Southern Indiana. The Bearcats improved to 8-3 with Thomas in the lineup, with the only three losses coming to ranked opponents. 
• Hayes is averaging nearly a double-double with 12.4 points and 8.3 rebounds and is shooting 46% from the field this season. She sits fourth in the Big 12 and 88th nationally in rebounds per game (8.3).
• Senior Malea Williams is averaging 9.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks and is shooting 42.3% from the field this season. She sits seventh in the Big 12 in blocks per game (1.06). She has recorded six multi-block performances and has led the team in blocks nine times this season.
• Cincinnati and Texas lead the Big 12 and country with eight different leading scorers apiece. Big 12 teams have had a total of 84 different players lead a team in scoring, the most of any D-1 conference this season.
• Cincinnati has outrebounded its opponent in 13 games this season, including six of seven Big 12 contests (+3.0). The Bearcats are 9-4 when they own the advantage on the glass. UC sits second in the league and 31st in the country in offensive rebounds per game (14.7).
• With nine rebounds vs. UCF, 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 (113), sixth in rebounds (724), seventh in free throws made (324) and 10th in steals (164) in program history.
• Cincinnati has made 388 trips to the free throw line this season, making 285 of its attempts (.735). The Bearcats sit first in the Big 12 and 15th nationally in free throws made per game (15.8). UC has made more free throws than its opponent in 12 of 18 games this season and are 8-4 when holding the advantage.
• Hayes is getting to the free throw line at a high rate, making the second-most foul shots in the Big 12 (80-101 FT). She also sits ninth in the league in free throw percentage (.792).
• UC ranks 19th in the nation in three-point field goal defense, holding its opponents to 25.7% from behind the arc.
• 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...

• Give Cincinnati its first ranked win since the 2010-11 season
• Be Cincinnati's highest ranked win in program history
• Be Cincinnati's first-ever win over Texas

 
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats will head to Houston for a Tuesday night contest versus the Cougars.