NOTEBOOK (PDF)
Drake Back On Top
For the first time in league history, two teams sitting at 14-1 in league play met on Sunday with Drake claiming a 70-61 win over Missouri State to take over the top of the standings. Only on one other occasion had two teams been 13-1 or better at this point in the MVC league season. In 1984-85 both Illinois State and Drake were 13-1 when they met on Feb. 27 in Des Moines. The Redbirds pulled out a 79-74 win on the way to the regular season title.
The Bulldogs and Lady Bears have locked up the top two seeds in the upcoming MVC tournament.
Drake can win at least a share of their third consecutive MVC regular season title with a win over Bradley or Illinois State in their final games of the regular season. The three-peat would be the first since Wichita State won three-straight (2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15).
20 Wins Streak
Drake claimed its fifth-consecutive 20-win season and sits with an overall record of 23-5. The impressive streak began in 2014-15. The league record for consecutive 20-win seasons is held by Drake and Missouri State, with each holding a streak of six-straight.
Consecutive 20-win seasons since 1982-83
1. Drake (1996-97 through 2000-01) 6
Missouri State (1990-91 through 1995-96) 6
3. Illinois State (2006-07 through 2010-11) 5
Southern Illinois (1982-83 through 1986-87) 5
Drake (2014-15 through current) 5
Speaking of 20 Wins
Since the start of the 1992-93 season only two 20-win MVC teams have been left out of the postseason. In that time, all but two (55 of 57) 20-win Valley teams have advanced to the postseason. Bradley in 2008-09 won a school record 21 games but did not play in the postseason, while Creighton won 20 games in 1992-93 and did not play in a postseason event.
Bradley claimed the program’s second 20-win season since 1982-83 with a win over Loyola Saturday. The Braves are one win shy of tying the 2008-09 team’s school record 21 wins.
Most Wins, Non-Champion?
Eight teams have finished the conference season with a 15-3 mark but did not win the regular-season title. Two teams have won 16 games but did not win the regular season title, the last coming in 1985-86.
Most MVC Wins by Non-MVC Champ
16-2 Drake (2nd), Illinois State (1st, 17-1) 84-85
16-2 Drake (2nd), Southern Illinois (1st, 18-0) 85-86
15-3 Southern Illinois (2nd), ILS (1st, 16-2) 88-89
15-3 Southern Illinois (2nd), MSU (1st, 17-1) 91-92
15-3 Southern Illinois (2nd), MSU (1st, 16-2) 95-96
15-3 Drake (2nd), Creighton (1st, 16-2) 01-02
15-3 Creighton (2nd), MSU (1st, 16-2) 03-04
15-3 Drake (2nd), WSU (1st, 17-1) 14-15
15-3 UNI (2nd), Drake (1st, 18-0) 16-17
15-3 Missouri State (2nd), Drake (1st, 18-0) 17-18
Valley Road Streak
Drake’s MVC-record regular season road winning streak improved to 29-straight with wins at Southern Illinois and Missouri State over the weekend. The Bulldogs have finished the last three seasons with a perfect 9-0 mark in league road games. Drake last suffered a road loss on Feb. 19, 2016 at UNI.
Leading the Pack
Drake’s Sara Rhine and Becca Hittner currently rank as the top two scorers in The Valley, ranking No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. Hittner is averaging 19.7 points per game, while Rhine is averaging 18.8 a contest. Only one time in the league’s history has a teammate tandem finished the season ranking No. 1 and 2 as Drake’s Wanda Ford (24.2 ppg) and Julie Fitzpatrick (23.1 ppg) led the way during the 1984-85 season.
It would also mark the sixth-straight season a Bulldog has led the MVC in scoring (Kyndal Clark in 2014, Lizzy Wendell from 2015-17 and Becca Hittner in 2018), which is the longest stretch a school has led that statistic in league history. Twice has a school led for four-straight seasons (Drake from 1983-86 with Lorri Bauman and Wanda Ford; Missouri State from 1998-01 with Jackie Stiles). UNI’s Jacqui Kalin is the last non-Bulldog to lead the MVC in scoring back in the 2013 season.
In Valley men’s hoops, an individual from the same school has led the league in scoring five-straight seasons on two occasions. Evansville is riding a current five-year stretch, while Bradley also accomplished the feat from 1987-91.
.700 Club
Drake’s Jennie Baranczyk moved into second in Valley history in career winning percentage in league games. Baranczyk sits with a career record of 94-30 (.758), passing MSU’s Cheryl Burnett for second on the list. Missouri State’s Kellie Harper sits fifth on the chart with a career mark of 76-30 (.717).
Poll Position
Drake remained in the Associated Press’ women’s Top 25 poll this week, moving up to No. 22 in the poll. This is the fifth time this season Drake has been ranked in the AP weekly poll. The Bulldogs have been ranked in the AP poll 21 times in program history, which ranks second in MVC history behind Missouri State’s 52 appearances in the poll.
In Good Company
Drake is one of eight teams nationally ranking in the Top 15 in assists per game, field-goal percentage and scoring offense this season. The Bulldogs are joined by Baylor, UConn, Notre Dame, Oregon, Iowa ,Marquette and South Dakota State in the club.
Team FG% (Rank) PPG (Rank) APG (Rank)
Baylor 50.2% (4) 80.6 (9) 23.0 (1)
Drake 47.4% (11) 80.3 (11) 21.5 (3)
UConn 49.6 (5) 83.8 (4) 20.4 (5)
Iowa 52.2% (1) 80.1 (12) 22.0 (2)
Marquette 46.6% (15) 83.3 (5) 17.9 (12)
Notre Dame 51.9% (2) 88.4 (1) 20.8 (4)
Oregon 51.3% (3) 87.3 (2) 19.4 (6)
S. Dakota St. 48.2% (8) 79.4 (14) 18.2 (9)
Sharp Shooters
A year after seeing Evansville lead the nation in free-throw percentage (82.0%), The Valley has two of the nation’s top 15 teams in the category so far this season. UNI currently leads the league and sits 7th nationally, while Evansville sits 14th.
As a conference, The Valley sits second nationally with a combined FT% of 71.8%.
Free-Throw Percentage (By Conference)
1. Summit 73.0%
2. Missouri Valley 71.8%
3. Pac 12 71.5%
4. Big East 71.4%
5. Big Sky 71.0%
Updated RPI Ratings
The latest installment of the NCAA RPI Report (Mar. 4) has six Valley teams that rank in the top-165, led by Drake at No. 22, followed by Missouri State (65), UNI (88), Bradley (157), Southern Illinois (159) and Illinois State (162). The MVC ranks 13th among 32 conferences. The league ranking is the highest for the league since the 2013 season (finished 10th).
Tournament Preview Show
The 2019 MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament Preview Show will air on The Valley on ESPN – the Conference’s co-branded digital network with ESPN – on Thursday, March 14. The preview show – co-hosted by Scott Warmann and Laura Leonard – will be shown on The Valley on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. CST as a lead-in to tournament coverage starting that date.
The Valley on ESPN will also distribute opening-round games (4 and 7 p.m. Central) on Thursday, March 14, and all four quarterfinals (12, 2:30, 6 and 8:30 p.m. Central) on Friday, March 15, from the MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament from TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Illinois. The tournament semifinals (1:30 and 4 p.m. Central) will be shown on Saturday, March 16, and the title game will air at 2 p.m. Central on Sunday, March 17.
The bracket will be announced on Saturday evening following the conclusion of the regular season.