The first weekend of MVC women's basketball conference action was filled with a long list of great performances. Bradley's Lasha Petree helped the Braves improve to 2-0 in league play, averaging 30.0 points, while shooting 62.2% from the field in wins over Indiana State and Evansville, en route to her second Player of the Week honor of the season. Illinois State redshirt freshman Mary Crompton averaged 13.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 40.9% from three in wins over Indiana State and Evansville, taking home Newcomer of the Week Honors.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Lasha Petree, So., G, Bradley
Petree averaged an impressive 30.0 points per game during the opening weekend of Missouri Valley Conference play on 62.2 percent shooting (23-for-37). She also collected seven blocks (3.5 per game) as she helped Bradley to just the seventh 2-0 start to league play in program history. Petree scored a game-high 24 points in the Valley opener against Evansville, connecting on 10-of-18 from the field in just 26 minutes of action. The only player in the nation with 35 three-pointers and at least 19 blocked shots, Petree added four rejections and two blocks against the Aces. Petree then highlighted Sunday’s 91-75 win over Indiana State with a career-best 36-point effort. Petree was 13-of-19 from the field, including 4-for-8 from three-point range and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. She also had two rebounds and three blocks. Her 36 points were the most in a game by a Brave since Michelle Young tied the Bradley single-game scoring record of 38 points at Columbia on Nov. 26, 2014.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Mary Crompton, R-Fr., G, Illinois State
Redshirt freshman Mary Crompton averaged 13.7 points and shot 40.9% (9-of-22) from behind the three-point line in the last three games for the Redbirds, helping Illinois State get off to a 2-0 start in conference for the first time since 2013. Crompton led the Redbirds in scoring at Austin Peay on Dec. 29, matching a career-high 16 points and making four three-point field goals in the contest. She finished with 13 points in Illinois State’s conference opening win over Indiana State, registering three triples, two rebounds and a steal. Crompton concluded the week with a 12-point performance in Sunday afternoon’s victory over Evansville, also tying a career-best with five assists and going a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line. Crompton ranks second in the Valley with a 40.7% (33-of-81) three-point field goal percentage and averages 2.5 triples per game.
Noteworthy - In addition to the league's player and newcomer of the week selections, several conference players had notable performances, and they include:
Becca Hittner (DU) - Senior guard Becca Hittner helped Drake roll past UNI in its conference opener with a season-high and career-equaling 37 points, including making 18-of-18 from the free throw line. Hittner’s free throw total is the second most by a player in the NCAA this season and is the second-highest single game mark in program history behind legend Lori Bauman’s 22 vs Northern Illinois in 1982. She added seven rebounds, four steals and two assists and made three three-pointers in just 24 minutes. In the Bulldogs’ final non-conference game, she helped Drake win at Northern Illinois with 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals also in just 24 minutes. Hittner is fifth in the MVC in scoring at 17.4 points per game and her great free throw shooting propelled her to second in the MVC at 85.5 percent.
Abby Feit (UE) - In the first conference weekend of her collegiate career, freshman Abby Feit recorded a pair of strong performances, including a return to her hometown. Feit opened the weekend with an 18-point, eight-rebound performance against Bradley on Friday night, including going 3-5 from beyond the arc. Back in Normal, Ill., Feit recorded six points and a game-best 14 rebounds in a loss on the road at the Redbird.
Lexi Wallen (ILS) - Fifth-year senior Lexi Wallen averaged 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in the last three games, helping the ‘Birds get off to a 2-0 start in conference for the first time since 2013. Wallen collected her second double-double of the year in Dec. 29’s game at Austin Peay, posting 15 points while shooting 7-of-12 (.583) and grabbing a career-best 12 rebounds. The senior matched a career-high of 26 points in ISU’s conference opening win over Indiana State on Friday, adding eight rebounds, an assist and a block. Wallen also tallied a double-digit scoring performance in Sunday afternoon’s victory over Evansville, recording 10 points and four rebounds.
Jamyra McChristine (INS) - Jamyra McChristine was the Sycamore leader during their last nonconference game and opening weekend of Valley play. The junior forward averaged 11 points, 5.67 rebounds and 1.67 steals per game during the stretch, including an outstanding outing at Bradley where she recorded a career-high 19 points to go along with nine boards, two blocks and a steal. During the last nonconference game against Saint Louis, McChristine finished with 10 points, three rebounds and two steals to lead the Trees.
Abby O’Connor (LUC) - Loyola junior guard/forward Abby O’Connor averaged a team-best 16.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in the Maroon & Gold’s three contests over the past week. O’Connor opened her week with a 17-point (6-10 FGs, 3-3 3FGs, 2-2 FTs) effort against Western Michigan, also adding a team-high four assists. In Friday’s clash with No. 21/19 Missouri State, the South Bend, Ind. native posted her 10th career double-double, finishing with 17 points (5-15 FGs, 1-5 3FGs, 6-6 FTs,), 11 rebounds, and two blocks. She capped off her week by leading all scorers in Loyola’s 51-49 win over Southern Illinois on Sunday afternoon, finishing with 16 points (6-16 FGs, 1-6 3FGs, 3-3 FTs) and seven rebounds. O’Connor, who is just 37 points shy of 1,000 for her career, currently ranks in the top 10 in The Valley in scoring (8th; 15.0 ppg), rebounding (4th; 7.9 rpg), blocked shots (T-8th; 0.8 bpg), and free throw percentage (T-1st; 0.941).
Alexa Willard (MSU) - Alexa Willard averaged 19.7 points per game on 57 percent shooting in three games last week, topping the 20-point mark in both MVC contests. Willard scored 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting in Sunday’s win at Valparaiso, going 7-for-7 at the foul line and adding six rebounds. Friday, the senior scored 21 points and was 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and 7-for-13 overall at Loyola. In just 14 minutes of action Tuesday versus William Jewell, Willard had 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting, two rebounds and two steals.
Abby Brockmeyer (SIU) - Abby Brockmeyer averaged 11.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, a block and an assist per contest in SIU’s split to open conference play. The Raymond, Ill. native was 6-of-12 (50-percent) from the field and knocked down her only three-point attempt of the weekend. In SIU’s conference-opening win at Valparaiso, the junior forward recorded her third double-double of the season. Brockmeyer tied a season-high with 17 points to go along with a season-best 12 boards. Her nine offensive rebounds in the win were a career-high. She followed that up with five points and five boards at Loyola on Sunday.
Grace Hales (VALPO) - Hales averaged a team-best 15.8 ppg over the four games in the reporting period and was a dead-eye from deep, knocking down 13-of-19 (68.4%) of her 3-point attempts. Hales connected on multiple 3-pointers in all four games, highlighted by a 5-for-6 performance from deep against Missouri State - one of the top 3-point percentage efforts in program history. Her 25-point effort in the win at Southern Illinois was a career best, and with her 17 points Sunday against Missouri State, Hales moved into Valpo’s career top-20 in points scored and is just 71 points shy of becoming just the 16th 1,000-point scorer in program history.
Kierra Collier (DU) - Kierra Collier played back-to-back solid games for Drake in helping the team go 2-0. In her first MVC game, Collier scored 11 points and handed out a career-high eight assists and added three rebounds in just 20 minutes. In Drake’s final non-conference win over the Huskies she had six points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals also in 20 minutes. In her first season as Bulldog, Collier is averaging 8.9 points and 3.4 assists per game.
Jossie Hudson (UE) - Seeing an increase in playing time, freshman Jossie Hudson made an impact on two conference games this weekend. Hudson opened the weekend coming off the bench at Bradley, scoring seven points and tallying two rebounds and two steals. Earning her second collegiate start of her career on Sunday, Hudson scored eight points, while recording four rebounds.
Grace White (VALPO) - White averaged 10.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game over the four games in the reporting period, scoring in double figures three times and hitting at a 50% clip from 3-point range. She needed just 17 minutes to post 11 points and six rebounds in the win over Chicago State, and then had a night to remember in the win at Eastern Illinois, posting 20 points (6-8 FG; 4-6 3PT; 4-4FT) and career highs of 10 rebounds and seven assists. It was Valpo’s first double-double of the season, and White was the first Valpo player to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in a game since Agnieszka Kulaga posted 20 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in an overtime win over Green Bay in January 2008.