TicketsCINCINNATI – The No. 13 seed University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team opens the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament against No. 12 seed Kansas State at noon ET on Wednesday inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
THE RUNDOWN
- Cincinnati opens tournament play against No. 12 seed Kansas State at noon ET on Wednesday in Kansas City. With a win, the Bearcats would advance to the second round to face No. 5 seed Texas Tech at noon ET on Thursday.
- Cincinnati finished the regular season 11-19 overall and 6-12 in Big 12 play. The Bearcats dropped a 79-52 decision at Kansas State on Dec. 31 in Manhattan and were without starting point guard Caliyah DeVillasee in that matchup.
- Senior Mya Perry closed the regular season with 530 points, ranking 11th in program single-season history. She is the first Bearcat to score 500+ points in a season since 2020-21.
- With two three-pointers at West Virginia, Perry moved into a tie for fifth on Cincinnati’s single-season list with 78 made threes.
- Freshman Caliyah DeVillasee eclipsed the 100-assist mark, becoming just the fourth freshman in program history to reach the milestone and the first since 2006-07. Despite missing four games, her 103 assists are the most by a Bearcat in a season since 2021-22.
- Perry and DeVillasee have formed Cincinnati’s leading duo, scoring 20+ points in the same game three times this season. Combined, they have led the team in scoring in 25 games.
- Perry ranks fifth in the Big 12 in scoring (17.7) and third in both three-pointers made (78) and three-pointers per game (2.6). She is one of 13 players nationally with at least 500 points and 75 made threes this season.
- Perry has made at least three triples in 15 games, including 10 in conference play, and has scored in double figures 27 times. Her 11 20-point performances rank seventh in the Big 12 and are the most by a Bearcat in a season since 2020-21.
- DeVillasee ranks 14th in the Big 12 in scoring (14.7), 12th in field goal percentage (.411) and 11th in assists (4.0). Her six 20-point games are the most by a Cincinnati freshman since 2002-03 and the second most by a Big 12 freshman this season. She is one of three freshmen nationally averaging at least 14 points, four assists and three rebounds per game.
- Freshman Kylie Torrence ranks ninth in the Big 12 in rebounding (7.0) and 11th in blocks (1.0). She is one of 10 freshmen nationally averaging at least eight points, seven rebounds and one block per game. She has led the team in rebounds 16 times, blocks 17 times and steals seven times.
- Cincinnati leads the Big 12 and ranks 33rd nationally in offensive rebounds per game (14.6) and has recorded 20+ offensive rebounds six times, including four in conference play. The Bearcats have outrebounded opponents in 21 games and rank third in the league in total rebounds per game (39.7).
- Cincinnati has held the free throw advantage in 17 games and ranks fourth in the Big 12 in free throws made per game (14.6) and second in attempts per game (20.4).
- The Bearcats are 11-2 this season when holding opponents to 69 points or fewer.
- Cincinnati recorded three Quad 2 wins this season, including the highest-ranked win in program history over then-No. 11 Iowa State. The Bearcats also earned victories over Arizona State at home and BYU on the road.
- Cincinnati played in 16 games decided by 10 points or fewer, including nine decided by five points or less. The Bearcats went 3-6 in those five-point games, with six of the nine coming in non-conference play.
- In the six losses decided by five points or fewer, the combined margin was just 21 points — an average of 3.5 points per game — highlighting how narrow the outcomes were for a roster featuring six freshmen and two transfers.
- Cincinnati battled early-season adversity, with nine Bearcats missing at least one game due to injury or illness.
- Dee Alexander, the Big 12 Preseason Freshman of the Year, missed all non-conference play while recovering from ankle surgery. She made her season debut versus Oklahoma State on Dec. 21, returning three weeks ahead of schedule.
- Among Cincinnati’s non-conference opponents, eight finished with winning records and three captured conference regular-season championships: Alabama A&M, Miami (OH) and Howard.
MILESTONE WATCH...
- Perry is five 3-pointers away from tying for fourth on Cincinnati’s single-season 3-pointers made list (83)
- DeVillasee is six assists shy of moving into third on UC’s freshman single-season assists list
- Torrence is six blocks away from cracking the program’s single-season top 10 list
- Perry needs 28 points to break into the program’s single-season top 10 in scoring