Streaks will be broken on Saturday afternoon at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.
First, both the TCU and Cincinnati women’s basketball teams enter the contest without a recent win. Both teams’ last victories were against UCF.
Another streak that will be broken is the string of ranked teams that TCU (15-9, 2-11 Big 12) has faced over the last couple of weeks. That will end against the Cincinnati Bearcats (12-12, 4-9) on Saturday and for the remainder of the regular season; the rest of TCU’s opponents sport sub-.500 conference records.
Once again, the Frogs are faced with injury questions. With just four games remaining, will players such as Madison Conner and Sedona Prince finally come back? There has been no announcement from the team regarding their status. With it being unlikely that they enter the lineup against Cincinnati, expect this starting five on Saturday afternoon:
- G Tara Manumaleuga
- G Una Jovanovic
- G Agnes Emma-Nnopu
- G Victoria Flores
- F Aaliyah Roberson
Agnes Emma-Nnopu has been electric the last several games, with TCU head coach Mark Campbell calling her the “backbone of our program all season.”
“We need some more kids that play as hard as Agnes does,” Campbell said.
Emma-Nnopu averages 10.6 points per game and is second only behind Prince with 7.1 rebounds per game. She’s started all 24 of TCU’s games and averages just over 30 minutes per contest.
Cincinnati’s first year in the Big 12 has yielded them wins over Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and UCF twice. Just like the Frogs, ranked opponents have been the thorn in their side; the Bearcats are 0-6 against ranked teams throughout the 2023-24 campaign.
The Bearcats wield multiple offensive weapons that could prove pivotal in deciding the fate of the game. Senior forward Jillian Hayes is the Bearcats’ most important part of the offense and leads the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game. She shoots 43 percent from the field and 33 percent from three. She also leads the team with 8.7 rebounds per game. TCU’s ability to keep her away from the basket on both ends of the floor will be crucial in determining whether the Frogs can get their first win in almost a month.
Her teammates Reagan Jackson and A’riel Jackson (not related) both average 8.3 points per game, but don’t shoot nearly as efficiently as Hayes.
A win for TCU would not only break the losing streak but could double their win total from last season. Additionally, the Frogs would secure a winning record for the first time since the 2019-20 season.
Tip off is at 1 p.m. CST on Saturday from Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. The game will be available for streaming on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Anthony Mazzini and AB Stocks on the call. Chris Blake will broadcast the game on the radio on 88.7 KTCU FM.
