The University of Arizona women’s basketball team (12-8, 3-4 in Big 12) returns home to host the University of Cincinnati (11-5, 3-3 in Big 12) on Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. in McKale Center. The Wildcats are coming off a dominant 74-59 victory ending their three-game losing streak over Kansas University on Jan. 19.
The game on Wednesday will be the first matchup between the Bearcats and Wildcats in either program’s history.
Cincinnati players to watch
The Bearcats are led by head coach Katrina Merriweather. Merriweather was a former player for Cincinnati from 1997-2001 and was a graduate assistant from 2001-2002. Merriweather, the second year head coach of the Bearcats, previously coached at Wright State University and Memphis University. She led those programs to the postseason during her tenure before returning to her alma mater in 2023.
Jillian Hayes leads Cincinnati in scoring and rebounds, putting up 15.6 points and bringing in 9.2 rebounds per game in 31 minutes on the floor. The senior forward dropped a double-double, consisting of 16 points, 13 rebounds and three steals in a 72-63 victory over BYU on Jan. 1.
Senior guard Tineya Hylton follows Hayes. Hylton currently averages 13.2 points per game, with a team leading 3.1 assists and 2.3 takeaways. In a 65-59 win in the Bearcats most recent game against University of Colorado, Hylton recorded a season-high 27 points on 61.5 shooting percentage. Additionally, she converted on 10-of-12 of her shots from the free throw line. The 5-foot-7 guard also secured a team leading three steals.
The Bearcats place first in the conference in free throw attempts sitting at 22.6 per game, leading them to place fourth in the Big 12, shooting at a 76 percentage for the year. However, Cincinnati ranks last in the conference in 3-point shooting, converting only 24.5 percent of its shots on the season.
Despite the struggle from beyond the arc, the Bearcats make it up by averaging 13.8 offensive rebounds a game, good enough for second in the Big 12. Notably, Arizona ranks fourteenth in the conference, averaging 9.6 offensive rebounds per game, allowing Cincinnati the advantage on second chance opportunities.
Wildcats to watch
Ninth-year head coach Adia Barnes is coming off a 2023-2024 season where she led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament, making it the fourth-straight appearance in a row for the program.
Jada Williams continues to play a vital role on the court for the WIldcats, leading the team in points, assists and steals. Williams, the sophomore guard, scores 12.3 points a game, averages 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals a game. In her last five games, Williams has been averaging 14.4 points and 3.4 assists on a 37.3 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
Redshirt senior Isis Beh has been a huge asset for the Wildcat offense as of late. Beh in her previous five games averaged 12 points, hauled in 5.6 boards while shooting on a 61.5 percentage from the floor. Beh continues to be a reliable player, improving on her season averages of 6.4 points per game, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Notably, Beh averages a 55.6 shooting percentage.
Keep an eye out for Arizona’s defense, as the Wildcats average more than 10 steals per game compared to the Bearcats’ 8.9, creating multiple transition opportunities.
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