The opening weekend in MVC women's basketball was filled with outstanding individual efforts from veterans and newcomers alike. Drake's Sara Rhine led the Bulldogs to a pair of wins over 2019 NCAA Tournament teams, en route to the league's first Player of the Week honor for 2019-20 and her 10th career award. Evansville freshman guard Abby Feit made an immediate impact in her Aces debut, tallying 26 points and 18 rebounds to capture the conference's initial Newcomer of the Week honor.
Much like last season, again in 2019-20 the Missouri Valley Conference will release its players of the week on Mondays, with the full women's basketball notebook available on Tuesdays, beginning tomorrow (Nov. 12).
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Sara Rhine, Sr., F, Drake
Redshirt senior Sara Rhine picked up right where she left off from last season, helping Drake to a 2-0 opening weekend with wins over pair of NCAA Tournament teams, South Dakota State and Iowa State. Rhine averaged 24.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal while shooting a blistering 71.3 percent from the field, 75.0 percent from deep and 81.3 percent from the free throw line in the home victories. Against the Jackrabbits, Rhine finished with a game-high 25 points and added seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks. She scored eight key points in the final period to help off the 2019 NCAA Sweet 16 squad. Rhine followed that great performance with another one against the Cyclones in the annual in-state contest. She led all scorers with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting to go along with a game-high nine rebounds. She connected on 3-of-4 three-point tries (matching her career-high for makes).
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Abby Feit, Fr., G, Evansville
In her first two collegiate games, freshman Abby Feit turned in one of the best debut weeks in program history. Against Brescia on Tuesday, Feit set a new record for best scoring performance by a freshman in their debut, scoring 26 points and collecting 18 rebounds in a 77-61 win over Brescia. Feit’s 18 rebounds were the most by an Ace since at least 2014. Facing SEMO on Sunday, Feit again reached double-figures, scoring a team-high 16 points, while corralling six boards. Feit’s debut out-did other freshman debuts in The Valley, including besting MVC Hall of Famer Jackie Stiles’ debut of 21 points. On the weekend, Feit averaged 21 points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and one-and-a-half blocks per game in 35 minutes per game of action.
Noteworthy - In addition to the league's player and newcomer of the week selections, several conference players had notable performances, and they include:
Lasha Petree (BRAD) - Petree averaged 18.5 points, 2.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal to help Bradley split a pair of road games. Playing near her home town of Detroit, Petree opened the season with the seventh 20-point game of her career, scoring a game-high 20 points in a 74-58 win at Oakland to help the Braves post the largest margin of victory in a road season opener in school history and biggest win in a season opener since 2004-05. She also dished out a career-best four assists in the win against the Golden Grizzlies. Petree followed it up by scoring a game-high 17 points in Sunday’s outing at #24/25 Michigan. She had one assist, two blocks and a steal against the nationally ranked Wolverines.
TeTe Maggett (ILS) - The reigning MVC Newcomer of the Year TeTe Maggett recorded two strong performances in the opening week of the season, averaging 18.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. In Tuesday’s home opener versus Truman State, the senior posted a game-high 21 points, only the fifth 20+ point game of her career. Maggett also led the squad with 16 points and six rebounds on Sunday against BIG EAST opponent, Marquette.
LeAndra Echi (INS) - LeAndra Echi played a big role in the Sycamores’ success over the weekend, recording her first double-double in an ISU uniform in a 59-57 win at Eastern Illinois. The junior played 36 minutes and tallied 11 points and 12 rebounds. She opened her Sycamore career at Kansas last Thursday with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists. Overall during her first week of Division I basketball, Echi averaged team-high minutes, points and rebounds at 28 minutes, 11.5 points, 8.5 rebounds in addition to 1.5 steals and one assist per game.
Abby O’Connor (LUC) - Loyola junior forward Abby O’Connor looked to pick up right where she left off last season as the Ramblers opened the 2019-20 campaign with a pair of victories. O’Connor averaged a double-double, chipping in 17.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across two contests. In Tuesday’s dominant 89-60 road win at Detroit Mercy, the South Bend, Ind. native finished the night with 11 points and 14 rebounds, posting the eighth double-double of her career. A First Team All-MVC selection a year ago, O’Connor saved her best for Friday’s thrilling home-opening 78-76 win over Vermont, leading all scorers with 23 points in addition to seven rebounds, four assists, a block, and a steal.
Alexa Willard (MSU) - Alexa Willard averaged 18.7 points on 57 percent shooting, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game to guide the Lady Bears to a 3-0 start, including a pair of big road wins. She shot at least 50 percent from the floor in every game and went 6-for-10 from beyond the arc. Willard tied a career-high with 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting in Friday’s win against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, draining four 3-pointers with three rebounds, two assists and a block. She posted identical lines of 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting in road wins at No. 23 Minnesota and Boise State, adding five boards at Minnesota and three assists against the Broncos to help the Lady Bears extend their school-record streak to 12 consecutive road wins, tied for the longest active streak in NCAA Division I.
Karli Rucker (UNI) - Karli Rucker led UNI to a pair of season-opening wins over North Dakota State and former MVC opponent Wichita State. Rucker tallied 22 points against NDSU on 6-7 shooting from the field and 3-4 shooting from the three-point line. She didn’t miss a field goal for the first three quarters of the game to help guide the Panthers to a 95-63 win. She also notched six assists, a rebound and a pair of steals. Against Wichita State, she scored 18 points on 5-12 shooting with three rebounds and two assists. She scored 17 of her 18 points in the second half to guide UNI to a comeback 61-50 win. The Panthers are 2-0 for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
Makenzie Silvey (SIU) - Makenzie Silvey notched her sixth career 20-plus point performance in SIU’s 103-67 win over SIUE, as she scored 28 points on the strength of 6-of-9 (.667) shooting from behind the arc. The Edwardsville, Ill. product tied her career-highs in 3-balls (6) and field goals made (11), and fell one point short of tying her career-best for points. Silvey’s 28 points are the third-most in a game in the Valley this season.
Mahri Petree (BRAD) - Petree averaged 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game off the bench in her first two outings as a Brave, helping Bradley split a pair of road games. She collected seven points on 3-of-4 shooting in 13 minutes of action and also had two rebounds in Friday’s season-opening 74-58 win at Oakland to help the Braves post the largest margin of victory in a road season opener in school history and biggest win in a season opener since 2004-05. Petree played 17 minutes in Sunday’s outing at #24/25 Michigan, notching four points, five rebounds and one assist against the Wolverines.
Kierra Collier (DU) - Redshirt sophomore Kierra Collier made her Drake debut after sitting out last season following her transfer from the University of Washington. Collier shined in two starts averaging 10.0 points and 5.5 assists per game. Against SDSU, she scored nine points, handed out five assists, pulled down two rebounds and nabbed on steal. She followed that with 11 points and six assists also making a key three-pointer late to help hold off the Cyclones.
Juliunn Redmond (ILS) - Redmond has made an immediate impact on this year’s Illinois State squad, starting in both games in the opening week of season, shooting .455 from the field while grabbing seven rebounds and recording three steals.
Jala Johnson (LUC) - Loyola freshman guard Jala Johnson reached double figures in scoring in both of the Ramblers’ victories last week, averaging 11.5 points in addition to 2.0 assists. Out of Toledo, Ohio, Johnson opened her collegiate career in style, coming off the bench to add 13 points and three assists in Loyola’s comprehensive 89-60 win at Detroit Mercy this past Tuesday. She again made an impact off the bench against Vermont three days later, chipping in 10 points as part of a thrilling 78-76 victory over the Catamounts.
Gabby Walker (SIU) - Walker scored in double figures in her first game as a Saluki, as the St. Charles, Mo. product scored 10 points on an efficient 3-of-4 shooting, including a perfect 4-for4 from the charity stripe, in SIU’s 103-67 win over SIUE.