UC to Face West Virginia in Second Round of Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship on Friday

CINCINNATI – The 11th-seeded University of Cincinnati women's basketball team will face No. 6 seed West Virginia on Friday at 9 p.m. ET in the second round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
 
// COVERAGE
Friday's game will be broadcast nationally on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, featuring commentary from Brenda VanLengen and Sheryl Swoopes. In addition, Anthony Mazzini will call the game on FOX 1360, with coverage beginning at 8:45 p.m. ET.
 
// THE RUNDOWN

• With a victory Friday, Cincinnati would move on to the quarterfinals on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET vs. No. 3 seed Kansas State. The Bearcats will look to make their first quarterfinal appearance since 2021.
• UC came from behind to defeat No. 14 UCF on Thursday in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship. The Bearcats overcame a 10-point halftime deficit and outscored the Knights by 19 in the third quarter (29-10). Cincinnati earned its first-ever Big 12 Championship victory, and first tournament win since 2021.
• Sophomore A'riel Jackson fueled the second-half comeback with 12 of her team-high 14 in the third quarter. She went 5-of-8 from the field and helped UC score the first 10 points of the period. She shook off a first half where she picked up three fouls and was held to two points. She is averaging 14.8 points and 3.8 rebounds over the last six games.
• Four Bearcats finished in double figures, including All-Big 12 Honorable Mention Jillian Hayes with her 10th double-double of the season (11 points, 12 rebounds). Freshman Reagan Jackson chipped in 12 points with a trio of three-pointers. 
• Senior Malea Williams surpassed 100 career blocks with two vs. UCF. She added 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals in the performance. She is averaging 15.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 2.0 blocks and is shooting 66.7% from 3-point range (6-9 3FG) over the last two games.
• Cincinnati is 5-8 all-time vs. West Virginia. The Mountaineers claimed both meetings in 2023-24, 68-53 in Morgantown and 72-43 in Cincinnati. The Bearcats will look to snap a six-game losing streak to the Mountaineers and pick up their first win over them since 2009.
• West Virginia, who ranks second nationally in steals per game, forced Cincinnati into an average of 26.5 turnovers in the two games this season. 
• Cincinnati is led by senior Jillian Hayes, who is the first player in program history to earn All-Big 12 honors. She leads the Big 12 in free throws made (148) and ranks third in offensive rebounding (3.3) and total rebounding (8.5), 11th in free throw percentage (.729), 13th in blocks (0.8) and 19th in scoring (12.9).
• In Cincinnati's record books, Hayes ranks third in blocks (125), fourth in free throws made (392), fifth in rebounds (830), eighth in steals (180) and 14th in scoring (1,270). She is the only player in UC history to record over 1,000 points, 800 rebounds, 300 free throws, 170 steals and 120 blocks in their career. 
• Williams sits eighth in the Big 12 in blocks per game (1.1). She has recorded 10 multi-block performances and has led the team in blocks 17 times this season.
• Williams is averaging 6.2 rebounds per game, a +1.7 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 has outrebounded its opponent in 20 games this season and has either won or matched the rebounding battle in 13 of its 18 Big 12 contests (+3.2 margin). UC has totaled 1,200 rebounds in 2023-24 and would need 154 more boards to break the single season program record (1,354).
• UC sits first in the league and 23rd in the country in offensive rebounds per game (14.6). The Bearcats also paced the league with 13.7 offensive boards/contest in Big 12 play.
• The Bearcats lead the Big 12 and sit 13th nationally in free throws made per game (15.8). Hayes ranks in the top-15 nationally in free throws made (13th) and free throws attempted (6th). Her 148 free throws rank third for a single season in UC history.
• Cincinnati is 12-1 when leading at the half, and 12-0 when leading with five minutes remaining. Conversely, the Bearcats are 2-15 when trailing at the break, and 1-15 when trailing with five minutes to go. The Bearcats have overcome a first-half deficit twice this season, both times versus UCF.
• Cincinnati has won 14 games under first year head coach Katrina Merriweather – its most wins in a single season since the Bearcats won 22 in 2019-20. Merriweather arrived after a 9-21, 2-14 AAC season and in just one year, has ushered a new wave of success into the program. 
• The Bearcats posted their best non-conference winning percentage (72.7%) in 15 years. UC won six consecutive games for its longest win streak since 2019-20. The non-conference slate also featured UC's first win over an SEC opponent since 2004.
• After winning just three games at home in 2022-23, UC went 8-7 in Fifth Third Arena this season, including a stretch of five consecutive games across November and December.
• Seven Bearcats have missed at least one game this season due to injury or an illness. Posts Destiny Thomas and Clarissa Craig have missed a combined 17 games for the Red & Black. 

// UP NEXT
With a victory Friday, Cincinnati would move on to the quarterfinals on Saturday at 9 p.m. ET vs. No. 3 seed Kansas State. The Bearcats will look to make their first quarterfinal appearance since 2021.