TicketsPROVIDENCE, R.I. – Three University of Cincinnati women's basketball student-athletes earned American Athletic Conference regular season honors Friday with sophomore forward IImar'I Thomas (Oakland, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep) selected First Team All-Conference, junior guard Antoinette Miller (Detroit, Mich./Southfield-Lathrup) picked Second Team, and junior guard Florence Sifa (Bujumbura, Burundi/Jacksonville College) tabbed Newcomer of the Year.
The recognition marks back-to-back years UC has had multiple AAC regular season honorees after Thomas won Freshman of the Year and Ana Owens was chosen for the Third Team in 2018. In addition, Thomas' selection is the Bearcats' first First Team selection in its six years in the AAC and the first since Valerie King in 2003 in Conference USA. In '03, King was joined on the First Team by Debbie Merrill and K.B. Sharp which is the last time UC had three or more regular season league awardees prior to today.
Thomas is pacing the Red & Black with 13.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season. Her scoring was even better in conference play with 14.4 points each outing, to go along with 7.1 rebounds. In addition, the sophomore's 60.5-percent field-goal percentage is second-best in the AAC, 10th nationally, and is currently second-best in a season in program history. On the year, Thomas has recorded six double-doubles, led UC in scoring on 12 occasions, and in rebounding, 18. She has scored 20-plus points five times, including a career-high 23 points against Howard on Dec. 21, 2018. The forward has also grabbed 10 or more rebounds six times on the year, including a career-best 18 rebounds versus crosstown rival Xavier on Dec. 16, 2018. Thomas was named league Player of the Week twice this season and made the Weekly Honor Roll three times.
Miller has done a little bit of everything for UC in 2018-19, averaging 12.8 points, 5.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.0 steals a game. Her production picked up a bit in AAC action with a team-best 14.6 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds each time out. Miller's assists average ranks second in the league and 27th in the country, while her assist-to-turnover ratio is third in The American and 61st-best nationally. Also, her current 156 total assists ranks as fourth-best in a season in program history. The guard has led the team in scoring eight times, and in assists, 23 times. She has also notched three double-doubles. The Michigan native has had three 20-point contests this year, including a career mark of 23 points against Wichita State on Feb. 10. The junior also has had 10 or more assists three times, including a career-high 12 dimes versus Memphis on Jan. 26. Miller landed on The American Weekly Honor Roll twice this season.
Sifa has made an impact early on at Cincinnati, recording 7.8 points and 3.1 rebounds in just 20 minutes per game this season. In conference competition, the junior college transfer averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. She has scored in double-figures 10 times this season, including a season-high 17 points at ECU on Feb. 23. The east Africa native also pulled down a season-best nine rebounds at Temple on Feb. 17 and swiped a season-high six steals against Tulsa on Feb. 20. Sifa was selected for the conference Weekly Honor Roll once this season.
// UP NEXT
As the No. 3 seed in the 2019 American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship, the Bearcats will face the winner of tonight's No. 11 Memphis – No. 6 Temple matchup on Saturday, March 9 at 8 p.m. ET at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
// AAC CHAMPIONSHIP TICKET INFO
Fans wanting to support University of Cincinnati women's basketball at the 2019 American Athletic Conference Championship can purchase tickets at GoBearcats.com/Tickets or by calling 1-877-CATS-TIX. The championship will take place March 8-11, 2019, with all games being played at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, for the sixth-consecutive season. All-session ticket packages, which includes admission to all four days of competition – a total of 11 games – will be available for $99. Tickets will be allocated and mailed the week of Feb. 25. All will-call tickets will be available to pick up at the Mohegan Sun Arena on UC gamedays.
The recognition marks back-to-back years UC has had multiple AAC regular season honorees after Thomas won Freshman of the Year and Ana Owens was chosen for the Third Team in 2018. In addition, Thomas' selection is the Bearcats' first First Team selection in its six years in the AAC and the first since Valerie King in 2003 in Conference USA. In '03, King was joined on the First Team by Debbie Merrill and K.B. Sharp which is the last time UC had three or more regular season league awardees prior to today.
Thomas is pacing the Red & Black with 13.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season. Her scoring was even better in conference play with 14.4 points each outing, to go along with 7.1 rebounds. In addition, the sophomore's 60.5-percent field-goal percentage is second-best in the AAC, 10th nationally, and is currently second-best in a season in program history. On the year, Thomas has recorded six double-doubles, led UC in scoring on 12 occasions, and in rebounding, 18. She has scored 20-plus points five times, including a career-high 23 points against Howard on Dec. 21, 2018. The forward has also grabbed 10 or more rebounds six times on the year, including a career-best 18 rebounds versus crosstown rival Xavier on Dec. 16, 2018. Thomas was named league Player of the Week twice this season and made the Weekly Honor Roll three times.
Miller has done a little bit of everything for UC in 2018-19, averaging 12.8 points, 5.4 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.0 steals a game. Her production picked up a bit in AAC action with a team-best 14.6 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds each time out. Miller's assists average ranks second in the league and 27th in the country, while her assist-to-turnover ratio is third in The American and 61st-best nationally. Also, her current 156 total assists ranks as fourth-best in a season in program history. The guard has led the team in scoring eight times, and in assists, 23 times. She has also notched three double-doubles. The Michigan native has had three 20-point contests this year, including a career mark of 23 points against Wichita State on Feb. 10. The junior also has had 10 or more assists three times, including a career-high 12 dimes versus Memphis on Jan. 26. Miller landed on The American Weekly Honor Roll twice this season.
Sifa has made an impact early on at Cincinnati, recording 7.8 points and 3.1 rebounds in just 20 minutes per game this season. In conference competition, the junior college transfer averaged 7.6 points and 3.6 rebounds. She has scored in double-figures 10 times this season, including a season-high 17 points at ECU on Feb. 23. The east Africa native also pulled down a season-best nine rebounds at Temple on Feb. 17 and swiped a season-high six steals against Tulsa on Feb. 20. Sifa was selected for the conference Weekly Honor Roll once this season.
// UP NEXT
As the No. 3 seed in the 2019 American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship, the Bearcats will face the winner of tonight's No. 11 Memphis – No. 6 Temple matchup on Saturday, March 9 at 8 p.m. ET at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
// AAC CHAMPIONSHIP TICKET INFO
Fans wanting to support University of Cincinnati women's basketball at the 2019 American Athletic Conference Championship can purchase tickets at GoBearcats.com/Tickets or by calling 1-877-CATS-TIX. The championship will take place March 8-11, 2019, with all games being played at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, for the sixth-consecutive season. All-session ticket packages, which includes admission to all four days of competition – a total of 11 games – will be available for $99. Tickets will be allocated and mailed the week of Feb. 25. All will-call tickets will be available to pick up at the Mohegan Sun Arena on UC gamedays.