By Shannon Russell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The player UC will turn to

K.B. Sharp. The senior point guard is UC's leader, super-athlete, comedienne, voice of reason and inspiration.

Her achievements this season alone are seemingly endless, but we'll pick three: She set a Conference USA Tournament record for shooting percentage in UC's semifinal defeat of DePaul (81-64), going 8-of-9 from the field and 7-of-7 from the foul line; she scored a career-high 31 points in UC's 73-66 double-overtime win over Louisville Feb. 16; she's UC's all-time leader in games played (125), minutes played (4,299) and assists (619).

"We look to K.B. to make things happen," UC coach Laurie Pirtle said.

Need we say more?

UC by the numbers

0 Prior matchups between UC's winningest coach (Laurie Pirtle, in photo at right) and Arkansas' winningest coach (Gary Blair). 1 Arkansas players who went to Cincinnati high schools (Cara Wright, Lakota West). 4 UC losses at home the last three seasons. 2,139 Points scored by UC this season, compared to Arkansas' season total. 137 More steals Arkansas (306) has than Cincinnati (169). 23 Games in which either Valerie King (11) or Debbie Merrill (12) has led UC in scoring.

The player UC must have playing well

Debbie Merrill. The 6-foot-3 center just surpassed the 1,000 point mark - as a sophomore. She leads the team in scoring (18.1 points a game) and rebounding (8.4 a game), and she's C-USA's No. 2 scorer.

Merrill has had nine double-doubles in the last 15 games, and she has scored in double figures in every outing. Her talent is already giving Arkansas coach Gary Blair fits.

"She's tough under the basket," said Blair said, who has seen Merrill in AAU games and on tape.

The team UC doesn't want to face

Texas. The Longhorns are unhappy with their seeding (No. 2), less than thrilled about a journey to Ohio and are miffed that the West Region is the most loaded. Critics are already calling the No. 5 Longhorns `Final Four-bound.' UC, whose home court advantage Texas covets, would face a hefty wrath.

What could get UC bounced in the first round?

Defense, defense, defense. Pirtle has been harping on defense all season, and it was the difference as recently as the C-USA final.

UC's coverage waned in overtime March 9 and Texas Christian seized the title with an 85-76 win at the Pyramid in Memphis.

The Bearcats can't have any defensive lapses if they want to contain Arkansas leader Shameka Christon (15.6 points, 6.3 rebounds) and her teammates.

What is UC's best chance to make it to Atlanta?

The Final Four is the least of UC's worries. Making it out of the West Region will be tough, with Arkansas, Texas, Stanford, Ohio State, Louisiana Tech and LSU on its heels. We can't say enough about the home court advantage, which could jumpstart UC with the momentum it needs.

What was UC's best win?

What can top the double-overtime thriller at Louisville Feb. 16? UC's 73-66 win snapped the Cardinals' 19-game conference home winning streak and set up the Bearcats for a potential share of the C-USA regular-season title (although their chances were erased by a 69-63 loss at Saint Louis on March 2 ).

It was UC's first multiple-OT win in 290 games, dating to 1993. UC - which has played three games of one overtime or more this season - followed the Louisville game with a 71-67 OT win over DePaul Feb. 21.

What was Arkansas' best win?

Handing LSU its first loss, 82-72, on Jan. 19. LSU was ranked No. 2, making the win Arkansas' first ever over a top-five team. Arkansas improved to 16-2 and 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference for its best start in school history and in SEC play. And the game was played before 11,486 fans at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville - a regular-season record crowd for Arkansas. The win, Arkansas' sixth in a row, paved the way for its highest AP ranking, eighth.

What was UC's worst loss?

Against Tulane, 62-53, on Feb. 2 at Shoemaker Center. Not only was it the Bearcats' only home loss of the season, their slump extended to the next game, a 67-62 loss at eventual C-USA regular-season champion Charlotte.

"We knew Tulane would come back to haunt us," Pirtle said.

What was Arkansas' worst loss?

Falling to LSU 78-72 on March 7. The Tigers avenged Arkansas' Jan. 19 win twice, also having defeated the Lady Razorbacks 70-57 Feb. 27. LSU ended Arkansas' season March 7 in the SEC's second round, en route to the conference title.

Here's the kicker: LSU is the top seed in the West. Should Arkansas make it to the regional, it'll have to meet its familiar foe again.

Where is UC now, compared to November? What has gotten better or worse?

UC has struggled to live up to its preseason accolades. Ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press preseason poll (UC women's highest-ever ranking) and 22nd in the USA Today/ESPN preseason poll, UC opened the season with a 76-70 loss at then-No. 20 Mississippi State. The Bearcats haven't been ranked in the Top 25 since December.

UC squandered chances to win the C-USA regular-season title and the C-USA Tournament championship. The Bearcats were second in both.

There's no lack of talent, with Sharp, Merrill and Valerie King named to the all-conference team - a first in C-USA history, having three first-teamers from one program.

"We're 200 percent more focused, 200 percent more on-assignment and 200 percent more cohesive now," Pirtle said.

Homecourt advantage could play a role against Arkansas. UC has only lost two home games in two years.

E-mail srussell@enquirer.com