Bearcats to Face Houston Tuesday Night

CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team continues its Texas road swing when the Bearcats take on Houston Tuesday night inside the Fertitta Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
 
// THE RUNDOWN

• Cincinnati (10-9, 2-6 Big 12) pulled within three early in the second half before then-ranked No. 10 Texas ran away with a 67-50 decision on Saturday in Austin. 
• Texas native Reagan Jackson scored 10 points to go along with four rebounds vs. the Longhorns. It marked the seventh double-digit scoring performance of her freshman campaign.
• Sophomore guard A'riel Jackson tied her season high in points vs. Texas (10), with eight coming in the first half of play. 
• Seniors Jillian Hayes and Malea Williams were held to a combined six points in the loss due to foul trouble. The Bearcats committed 25 fouls which allowed Texas to take 29 trips to the free throw line (23-29 FT).
• Hayes is averaging nearly a double-double with 12.0 points and 8.1 rebounds and is shooting 46.1% from the field this season. She sits fifth in the Big 12 and 105th nationally in rebounds per game (8.1).
• Williams sits seventh in the Big 12 in blocks per game (1.1). She has recorded six multi-block performances and has led the team in blocks 10 times this season. She currently ranks sixth in blocks (86) in program history.
• Williams is averaging 6.5 rebounds per game, a +2.0 improvement from the 2022-23 season – good for the second-largest improvement among Big 12 players (played in 75% of team games for both seasons).
• 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 and are 9-4 when they own the advantage on the glass. UC sits fourth in the league and 39th in the country in offensive rebounds per game (14.4).
• The Bearcats have either won or matched the rebounding battle in seven of their eight Big 12 contests.  
• Hayes currently ranks fourth in blocks (113), sixth in rebounds (728), seventh in free throws made (325) and ninth in steals (165) in program history. She has made 97 consecutive starts in 101 games played.
• Cincinnati has made 400 trips to the free throw line this season, making 294 of its attempts (.735). The Bearcats sit second in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally in free throws made per game (15.47). UC has made more free throws than its opponent in 12 games this season and is 8-4 when holding the advantage.
• Hayes is getting to the free throw line at a high rate, making the third-most foul shots in the Big 12 (81-102 FT). She sits ninth in the league in free throw percentage (.794).
• The Bearcats committed just 11 turnovers vs. Oklahoma State on Jan. 24 – its second-lowest total of the season and fewest in Big 12 play. UC has a +1.5 turnover margin in wins, but conversely, is -5.2 in the category in losses.
• UC ranks 15th in the nation in three-point field goal defense, holding its opponents to 25.8% 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...

• Snap a two-game losing skid to Houston
• Be Cincinnati's ninth straight win vs. the Cougars in Houston

 
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati returns to Fifth Third Arena to host Texas Tech on Saturday, Feb. 3 for National Girls & Women in Sports Day.