Per GoBearcats:
University of Cincinnati women’s basketball senior forward IImar’I Thomas (first name pronounced ee-MAR-ee) enters the week ranked third in the nation in scoring and was named Monday to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll.
Thomas recorded her third 30-point performance of the season in Tuesday’s 73-61 home loss to then-No. 20 USF, tallying 32 points on 13-of-20 field goal shooting and 6-of-10 free throw shooting to go with six rebounds, five assists and four steals. The effort helped Thomas eclipse 1,500 career points as a Bearcat, only the ninth player in program history to accomplish the feat.
Thomas enters the week averaging 28.2 points behind only Middle Tennessee Anastasia Hayes (28.8 points) and UT Martin’s Chelsey Perry (28.3) for the nation’s top scorer. Among players who have played in at least six games this season, Thomas’ scoring average leads the nation.
The Oakland, California, native also ranks among the nation’s leaders in field goals made (fourth at 65), total points (fifth at 169), minutes played (13th at 38.86), free throws made (17th at 38) and free throws attempted (26th at 46).
Thomas has scored at least 23 points in every game this season. Her other two 30-point scoring games came in a 73-67 overtime win against Northern Kentucky (season-high 34 points) in the season opener on Nov. 24 and during an 86-75 home loss to Marquette (32 points) on Dec. 10.
It marks the second time this season Thomas has been named to the AAC’s Weekly Honor Roll. She was named the AAC Player of the Week following her performance against NKU.
The 2020-21 American Athletic Conference Co-Preseason Player of the Year, Thomas garnered WBCA Honorable Mention All-American and unanimous First Team All-AAC selection last season. She received AAC Player of the Week accolades three times and was a nine-time AAC Weekly Honor Roll recipient in 2019-20.
She also earned First Team All-AAC honors as a sophomore in 2018-19 and was tabbed AAC Freshman of the Year and a unanimous All-Freshman Team selection in 2017-18.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati (1-3, 0-2 American) plays four of its next six games away from home beginning with a trip to SMU (0-6, 0-2) on Wednesday, Dec. 30. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
