TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati women's basketball team heads to Waco for a Sunday showdown against Baylor. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
THE RUNDOWN
A WIN WOULD...
THE RUNDOWN
- Cincinnati (13-6, 5-4) continued its strong stretch with a 73-65 win over Houston on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats have won four of their last five and have already matched last season's Big 12 win total.
- Jillian Hayes delivered a dominant performance vs. Houston, racking up 21 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. She became the first Bearcat to post a 21-point, 18-rebound game since Marley Hill in 2014. Hayes notched her ninth double-double of the season and 32nd of her career, while also securing her eighth 20-point game of the year—and fourth in Big 12 play. Over the last three games, she has averaged 22.0 points and 13.3 rebounds while knocking down 30 free throws (30-42 FT).
- Tineya Hylton contributed 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting and matched her career high with seven rebounds. She has now reached double figures in five straight games, including three 20-point performances. During that stretch, she is averaging 20.0 points while shooting 47.9% from the floor (34-71 FG) and 78.9% from the line (26-33 FT).
- Hayes and Hylton—known as the "heartbeat" and "engine" of the Bearcats—have led Cincinnati in scoring 17 times this season. Their latest performances marked the third time this year that both have scored 20 or more in the same game. It was also the first time since 2014 that two Bearcats posted 20+ points and 7+ rebounds in the same contest.
- Cincinnati has dominated at the free throw line over the last five games, nearly doubling its opponents' makes (97-55). The Bearcats lead the Big 12 and rank third nationally in free throws made per game (17.9) and are 13-3 when making more free throws than their opponent.
- Delaney Snyder earned her first career start against Houston, contributing five points and five rebounds, while Abby Holtman matched her career-high with nine points on a perfect 3-of-3 from the floor. After using the same starting five for the first 17 games, Cincinnati has rolled out new lineups in back-to-back contests.
- Cincinnati won the turnover battle for the 13th time this season, improving to 11-2 when committing fewer turnovers. The Bearcats force 19.0 turnovers per game, ranking fourth in the Big 12, while their +6.5 turnover margin is second in the conference and 24th nationally.
- On the glass, Cincinnati dominated Houston with a 43-29 rebounding advantage, including 17 offensive boards. The Bearcats lead the Big 12 in offensive rebounds per game during conference play (14.7) and rank second overall (14.3).
- Hayes is averaging nearly a double-double with 16.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while shooting 41.5% from the field this season. Her nine double-doubles rank second in the Big 12 and 26th nationally. She also sits second in the league in rebounding and 11th in scoring.
- The Bearcats have logged four double-digit comeback wins this season, including their latest against Arizona State on Jan. 25. Cincinnati is outscoring Big 12 opponents 187-137 in the final frame.
- The Bearcats are 9-1 this season and 17-2 under Coach Merriweather when holding opponents to 59 points or fewer.
- Among active career Division I leaders, Hayes ranks first in FT attempts (741), third in FTs made (518), 13th in rebounds (1,031) and 26th in double-doubles (32).
- The Bearcats secured their best non-conference winning percentage (.800, 8-2) since the 2005-06 season (.909, 10-1).
- Cincinnati is ranked 70th nationally in the Jan. 30 NET.
A WIN WOULD...
- Secure Cincinnati's third Big 12 road victory, the most in its Big 12 era
- Mark the Bearcats' most conference road wins in a season since 2020-21 (6-3)