Women's Basketball Starts 2021 at Wichita State

CINCINNATI (1-5, 0-2 AAC)
at WICHITA STATE (3-3, 0-1 AAC)
Saturday, Jan. 2 // 3 p.m. ET
Charles Koch Arena // Wichita, Kan.
SERIES INFO: Fifth Meeting; Cincinnati leads 4-0 overall; UC leads 2-0 in Wichita, Kan., 
UC leads 1-0 in Cincinnati; UC leads 1-0 at neutral sites
LAST SEASON'S MEETING: UC won 75-54 on Feb. 29, 2020 in Wichita, Kan.
STREAK: Cincinnati - 4
COACHES: Michelle Clark-Heard is in her third season at Cincinnati (47-26); 11th season overall (225-106)
Keitha Adams is in her fourth season at Wichita State (45-53); 20th season overall (329-262)
AP/USA TODAY RANKINGS: Cincinnati (--/--); Wichita State (--/--)
TV: ESPN+; Shane Dennis and Tracey Anderson
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (TWITTER, FACEBOOK & INSTAGRAM): @GoBearcatsWBB or GoBearcatsWBB

GAME PREVIEW 

• Cincinnati (1-5, 0-2 AAC) returns to action at Wichita State (3-3, 0-1) on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN+. 
• The Bearcats were scheduled to play at SMU on Wednesday. However, the Mustangs announced on Tuesday that they would not play the remainder of the season due to COVID-19 health and safety concerns.
• UC last played on Dec. 22, falling to then-No. 20 USF, 73-61, at Fifth Third Arena. IImar'I Thomas posted her third 30-point performance of the season, registering 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting with six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Arame Niang added 12 points. 
• Wichita State suffered a 79-65 setback in its AAC opener at Houston on Wednesday. Seraphine Bastin led the Shockers with 18 points and 11 rebounds. 
• Cincinnati owns a 4-0 lead in its series with Wichita State, including a 75-54 victory in Wichita, Kan., last season.
• UP NEXT: The Bearcats return home to host Tulsa on Wednesday, Jan. 6. Tipoff is 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

CINCINNATI STORYLINES

• The AAC Co-Preseason Player of the Year, senior forward IImar'I Thomas entered the week averaging 28.2 points behind only Middle Tennessee's 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. 
• Thomas, who was named to the AAC Weekly Honor Roll on Monday, 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).
• UC leads the AAC in blocks, averaging 5.0 per game. Four Bearcats rank among the AAC leaders in blocks entering the week: Jillian Hayes (6th at 1.3), Arame Niang (T14th at 0.8), Jadyn Scott (T14th at 0.8) and Thomas (T14th at 0.8).  
• Cincinnati is coming off back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since stringing together three consecutive 20-win campaigns from 2001-03.
• The Bearcats tied for second in the AAC regular-season standings a year ago with an 11-5 mark, the school's best finish in The American and its best league result since placing second in the Conference USA standings in 2004. 
• UC reached the championship game of the 2019 AAC Women's Championship, rallying from a 15-point deficit to post a 57-51 win over UCF. The effort resulted in the Bearcats first conference tournament championship game appearance since 2003 (Conference USA).
• Michelle Clark-Heard won more games (46) during her first two seasons at Cincinnati than any other head coach program history. She edged out Ceal Barry, who registered 45 wins combined through her first two seasons in Clifton (1979-80 and 1980-81). Clark-Heard is also the first coach in UC history to record 20-win seasons in each of her first two season on the job.

BEARCATS TIP-INS

• SCORING 30 OR MORE POINTS THREE TIMES IN 20-21: Thomas has scored 30 or more points three times this season already, pouring in 34 points in UC's 76-67 overtime win over Northern Kentucky (11/25), 32 points in UC's 86-75 loss to Marquette (12/10) and 32 points in UC's 73-61 loss against then-No. 20 USF.   
• Thomas has eclipsed the 30-point plateau on two other occasions during her UC career. She netted 32 points against UCF on Jan. 12, 2020 before posting a career-best 35 points against Houston on Jan. 22, 2020. 
• Thomas has scored in double figures 73 times in her career, including in 58 of the last 68 contests. She has scored 20 or more points 25 times, including six games this season.
• CHART CHASER: The name IImar'I Thomas is peppered throughout the UC record book and her climb up the charts will be a storyline during the 2020-21 campaign.
• Thomas enters the seventh game of the season ranked among UC's best in multiple categories: field goal percentage (1st at .602), blocks (3rd at 107), rebounds (5th at 734), points (8th at 1,525) and rebound average (9th at 7.0). 
• BLOCK PARTY: UC leads the AAC in blocks, averaging 5.0 per game. Four Bearcats rank among the AAC leaders in blocks entering the week: Jillian Hayes (6th at 1.3), Arame Niang (T14th at 0.8), Jadyn Scott (T14th at 0.8) and IImar'I Thomas (T14th at 0.8).  
• HAYES RANKS SECOND IN REBOUNDS: Freshman Jillian Hayes ranks second on the team in rebounds, averaging 5.3. She has pulled down at least five boards in each of the past four games, including a season-best seven at Central Michigan (12/12).
• HAYMER GETS HOT: Junior guard Destiny Haymer poured in a season-best 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting  to go with three assists and two steals against Marquette (12/10).
• She enters the week ranked among AAC leaders in steals (12th at 1.6) and assists (T15th at 2.4).
• NIANG DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Arame Niang recorded her second career double-double and the first as a Bearcat at Florida (12/5), posting 12 points and 13 rebounds. With Western Kentucky during the 2018-19 campaign, Niang tallied 15 points and 13 rebounds against Morgan State.
• Niang ranks second on the team, averaging 7.6 points and 5.2 rebounds. 

SCOUTING WICHITA STATE

• Wichita State enters Saturday's game having lost three in a row following Wednesday's 79-65 conference-opening setback at Houston. The Shockers saw the postponement of their first three AAC games due to COVID-19 issues within their program. 
• Five Shockers average more than nine points, led by Asia Strong (15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds), Seraphine Bastin (11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists) and Rachel Johnson (11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds).
• Strong ranked in the top 50 nationally in field goals made (35) and attempted (76) through five games entering the week. 

SERIES HISTORY

• Cincinnati leads the series 4-0 overall, including a 2-0 lead in Wichita, Kan., and a 1-0 lead in both Cincinnati and at neutral sites. 
• Cincinnati claimed a 75-54 win last season at Wichita State (2/29/20). IImar'I Thomas scored a team-high 29 points on 13-of-18 shooting with five rebounds and three blocks. Antoinette Miller (15) and Angel Rizor (14) also scored in double figures for the Bearcats. 
• Ashley Reid led Wichita State with 10 points on a trio of 3-pointers.