This week's Murney Student-Athlete of the Week is Missouri State women's basketball player Aniya Thomas. The fifth-year senior led the way for the Lady Bears as she helped lead them to wins over Bradley and first-place Illinois State last week. Thomas averaged 17 points and 4.5 rebounds across the week, while going a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line. She also dished out four assists and collected two steals. In Friday night’s 10-point win at Bradley, Thomas tied for a game-high 19 points and grabbed five rebounds, including going 7-for-7 from the charity stripe, in addition to tallying two assists and a steal. On Sunday, Thomas logged all but eight seconds on the floor as MSU took down the first-place Redbirds on the road in a crucial Valley matchup. In the victory, Thomas posted a team-high 15 points, pulled down four boards and went 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Eleven of Thomas’ 15 points came in the second half alone as she helped propel the Lady Bears down the stretch to a five-point win. The graduate transfer has reached double figure points in 19 of 23 games this season and is averaging 15.6 points and 4.7 rebounds against Valley opponents, while leading MSU with 99 assists and 49 steals this season.
