NOTEBOOK (PDF)
The league finished above .500 in non-conference play for the first time since 2012-13 (59-55) and registered 60 non-league wins for the first time since 2010-11 (62-49).
And We’re Off
The league’s 90-game conference slate begins on Friday, Jan. 4, with four games on the calendar. The opening weekend is highlighted by a battle of the two of the league’s top teams, as Drake will travel to Bradley on Friday evening.
Valley Streak
Drake has the longest win streak in the history of the Gateway/MVC for regular season contests. The impressive streak started Feb. 26, 2016 with a win over Loyola. The Bulldogs broke SIU’s 37 game streak from 1985-1987 during the Gateway era with a win over Illinois State Feb. 25. The Bulldogs enter the season with back-to-back 18-0 league seasons.
Consecutive MVC/Gateway Wins
40 - Drake (Feb. 26, 2016-present)
37 - Southern Illinois (Mar. 6, 1985-Dec. 30, 1987)
Quick Starts Crucial
Since 1982-83, just three teams (Missouri State, champions in 1998-99, 1994-95 and 1990-91; Drake, champions in 1996-97 and co-champions in 1987-88; and Evansville, a 2007-08 co-champion) have won at least a share of the regular-season title without winning its regular-season opener. In fact, 13 of the last 18 regular-season champs (or co-champs) have opened 2-0 or better in MVC play, with Evansville in 2007-08, Missouri State in 2004-05, UNI in 2010-11, Missouri State in 2011-12 and UNI in 2015-16 serving as the only five exceptions.
Title Town
The league has had nine different regular-season champions in the past 12 seasons (SIU-2007, DU/UE/ILS-2008, ILS-2009, ILS-2010, UNI-2011; MSU-2012; WSU/CU-2013; INS/WSU-2014; WSU-2015; UNI-2016; DU-2017; DU-2018). Bradley, Loyola and Valparaiso are the only league teams not to have won a regular-season MVC championship.
For Starters
The 18-game conference schedule begins this week with four games on Jan. 4. Here’s a look at how current MVC members have fared in conference-opening games in the last five seasons. Southern Illinois has the current longest winning streak in MVC openers, having won its last five conference debuts.
Team ALL Home Away Streak
Bradley 1-4 0-2 1-2 W1
Drake 3-2 1-1 2-1 W2
Evansville 3-2 2-1 1-1 L1
Illinois State 2-3 2-3 0-0 L1
Indiana State 2-3 2-1 0-2 L2
Loyola 1-4 0-1 1-3 L2
Missouri State 2-3 0-3 2-0 W1
UNI 4-1 2-0 2-1 W4
Southern Illinois 5-0 2-0 3-0 W5
Valparaiso 0-1 0-0 0-1 L1
Against the Field
The MVC held a winning record against 10 leagues in non-conference play, including the America East (1-0), Big West (2-1), Colonial (2-0), Conference USA (4-3), Horizon (9-5), NEC (1-0), Ohio Valley (11-8), Summitt (9-5) , Sun Belt (1-0) and WAC (6-1). The MVC holds at least a .500 mark against the Atlantic 10 (2-2) and the SEC (1-1).
Strength of Schedule
Drake and Missouri State have tested themselves with a difficult non-conference schedule. The Bulldogs have played the third toughest strength of schedule so far this season, while the Lady Bears’ schedule ranks 47th nationally.
Home Sweet Home
Currently four MVC teams remain unbeaten at home: Bradley (6-0), Illinois State (5-0), UNI (5-0) and Southern Illinois (5-0) have unblemished records on their home courts this season.
1,000 Point Club
Currently five MVC players are in the 1,000 Point Club. Drake’s Sammie Bachrodt is 11 points away from joining the club and would become the fourth active Bulldog player to eclipse 1,000 career points.
Current MVC Players in 1,000 Point Club
1,336 - Maddy Dean, Drake
1,255 - Sara Rhine, Drake
1,116 - Meredith Hamlet, Valparaiso
1,107 - Ellie Howell, UNI
1,108 - Becca Hittner, Drake
MVC Players Approaching 1,000 Points
989 - Sammie Bachrodt, Drake
883 - Becca Jonas, Drake
The RPI Ratings Game
The latest installment of the NCAA RPI Report (Jan. 1) has six Valley teams that rank in the top-175, led by Drake at No. 10, followed by UNI (74), Southern Illinois (117), Bradley (137), Missouri State (151) and Indiana State (172). The MVC ranks 14th among 32 conferences.
Sweeping the Honors
Illinois State’s TeTe Maggett registered 24 points and added seven rebounds in the Redbirds’ 62-55 win at UMKC, en route to the league’s Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week honor. Maggett becomes the eighth player in MVC history to sweep the weekly awards since the Newcomer of the Week began during the 2003-04 season.
Year Player, School Date
2005-06 Kristi Cirone, Illinois State (Dec. 19)
2007-08 Kelsey Woodard, Creighton (Feb. 4)
2008-09 Casey Garrison, Missouri State (Jan. 19)
2017-18 Hannah Noe, Evansville (Jan. 13)
Abby Brockmeyer, Southern Illinois (Jan. 2)
Simone Goods, Illinois State (Feb. 19)
2018-19 Lasha Petree, Bradley (Dec. 17)
TeTe Maggett, Illinois State (Jan. 2)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER & NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
TeTe Maggett, Jr., G, Illinois State
TeTe Maggett set a new career high of 24 points and guided the Redbirds to their sixth-straight victory as they downed UMKC 62-55 on Sunday. The junior guard was perfect from the charity stripe and three-point range, netting 10-for-10 at the line and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Additionally, she grabbed seven boards and dished out two assists. Maggett has scored in double figures in all but two contests this season and sits eighth in the Valley averaging 15.1 points per game.
Other Notable Performances: Lasha Petree (BRAD); Ashli O’Neal (INS); Tamara Lee (INS); Brice Calip (MSU); Jasmine Franklin (MSU)