NOTEBOOK (PDF)
High Level Success
The MVC tallied three more road wins over Power Five schools this past week as Valpo beat Illinois and Purdue and Drake routed Minnesota. The Valley currently sits 4-3 vs. the Big Ten this season and 0-1 vs. the ACC entering this week’s schedule.
The Valley also is 2-0 vs. the Big East so far this year, with Drake and UNI holding wins over Creighton. In fact, 40% (6 of 15) of the MVC’s non-conference wins so far are vs. the Big Ten and Big East in 2020-21.
This week, the MVC has a couple opportunities to add to the list as Missouri State travels to Missouri and Loyola faces DePaul on Sunday. The Lady Bears are already responsible for one of the league’s four wins over the Big Ten with a win over previously No. 12 Maryland.
Last season, the MVC earned nine wins over members of Power Five conferences during the regular season.
Pair of B1G Wins
Before earning wins last week at Illinois and at Purdue, Valpo had just one road win against a Big Ten team in program history - over Michigan in the 2002 WNIT. Valpo also beat multiple Big Ten teams in the same season for the first time in program history, beat Illinois for the first time and Purdue for the second time, and earned its ninth and 10th victories over power-conference teams all time.
Big Games vs. the B1G
Drake, which split last week against Iowa and Minnesota, played back-to-back Big Ten opponents for the first time since 2002. The Bulldogs dropped a heartbreaker to the Hawkeyes after leading by double digits twice in the home opener, but they bounced back with a big win over the Gophers. Drake scored 97 points against the Hawkeyes and followed that with 99 points against Minnesota. It was the most points ever scored in the series with Minnesota that was last played in 2004 and helped the Bulldogs earn their first win over the Gophers since 1988.
Upcoming Top 25 Matchups
MVC teams have a pair of opportunities to claim an AP Top 25 win this week. UNI will play host to No. 22 South Dakota State on Saturday, while Loyola will travel to No. 24 DePaul.
Missouri State won the league’s only other Top 25 matchup this season, beating Maryland when they were No. 12 in the AP poll.
The MVC finished 1-4 vs. AP Top 25 teams last season. UNI’s last win over an AP Top 25 team was on Dec. 22, 2016 vs. No. 24 Kansas State. Loyola’s last Top 25 win was on Dec. 21, 2015 at No. 16 DePaul.
Home Cooking
During the first two weeks of the non-conference schedule, MVC programs only played eight of the 26 games at home. The league still holds a winning record at 15-11 overall despite playing 18 games away from campus with 9 of the 10 programs sitting at .500 or better.
This week, 8 of the 12 scheduled games will be played at home. Currently MVC teams are 5-3 at home this season. Last year, The Valley posted an impressive 39-9 (.813) record at home during non-conference play.
Home Streak on the Line
Missouri State looks to extend it’s 15-game home win streak Monday night against Lincoln. Already the longest winning streak since the Lady Bears moved to JQH Arena, a win would tie for the sixth-best overall home streak in school history. MSU won its 15 home games last season by an average score of 81.3-60.7.
Last Second Win
Megan Maahs hit a contested layup with 2.2 seconds remaining to give UNI a 93-91 lead and a double-overtime road win over Wichita State Sunday. UNI has now won six straight against Wichita State and has not lost to WSU since the Shockers left the MVC.
Nine Months Later
Illinois State finally took the court on Sunday, almost nine months to the day since their last game, to open the 2020-21 season with a 98-53 win over NAIA opponent Saint Xavier at Redbird Arena. Four different Redbirds reached double-digit scoring in the victory and ISU has now won their home opener every year in head coach Kristen Gillespie’s tenure.
SIU COVID Update
The Salukis did not play this past week due to a positive COVID test within the program. Southern recently added a contest to its schedule, as it will take on Saint Louis University in a non-conference clash inside Banterra Center on Friday, Dec. 11 at 1 p.m.
Offense Engage
With their 84-80 victory over Murray State on Saturday, Indiana State has now scored 80 points in back-to-back games for the first time since March 10-11, 2011. It is the Sycamores’ first time scoring 80 points in consecutive games in the regular season since accomplishing the feat three times from Dec. 29, 2006- Jan. 4, 2007 against Drake, Creighton and Evansville.
Efficient Shooting
The Aces shot 55.8% from the field in the win over Purdue Fort Wayne, hitting 24 of their 43 attempts from the field. The shooting performance was the Aces fourth-best shooting performance from the field under head coach Matt Ruffing and best since shooting 63.8% against Austin Peay last season.
Home Front
Bradley is 12-1 in its last 13 non-conference home contests and 15-2 at home against non-conference foes since the last time Northern Illinois visited Renaissance Coliseum on Dec. 2, 2016. Bradley opens a two-game home stand Sunday against the Huskies before hosting Summit League preseason favorite South Dakota Dec. 17. The Braves own a 17-5 home mark at home in non-conference contests under fifth-year head coach Andrea Gorski.
Red Line Rivalry
After opening its season with a 70-57 win over Chicago State on November 28, Loyola returns to action this Sunday when it makes the short trip south to battle DePaul. The Blue Demons, who opened the season ranked in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches Poll, have had the upper hand in the series of late, winning 25 of the last 26 meetings. Head coach Kate Achter’s team gave DePaul all it could handle last season, erasing a 14-point first-half deficit before dropping an 83-76 decision.
Moving Up
Owning 219 career three-pointers, Bradley’s Gabi Haack currently sits two three-pointers from catching Jackie Stiles for 25th in MVC history in three-point makes.
MVC Career Three-Pointers
Rank Name (Years) 3FGM
23. Kristi Cirone, ILS (2005-09) 229
24. Katie Broadway, ILS (2008-12) 225
25. Jackie Stiles, MSU (1998-01) 221
Gabi Haack, Bradley (2017-present) 219
Polling
Missouri State remains at No. 21 in Monday’s AP Top 25 poll after enjoying a week off last week. The Lady Bears will face Lincoln and Missouri this week.
MSU appeared No. 25 in the preseason USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll. With their inclusion in the preseason poll, the Lady Bears have appeared in 19 consecutive releases of the coaches’ rankings, tying a school record set by the 2000-01 team. The next Coaches Poll will be released tomorrow (Dec. 8).
This week's Missouri Valley Conference Player and Newcomer of the Week are Valpo's Grace White and Drake's Grace Berg.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Grace White, Sr., G/F, Valparaiso
White was named College Sports Madness National High-Major Player of the Week after leading Valpo to a historic week, pacing the Crusaders in a pair of wins on the road at Big Ten programs. White tallied a game-high 17 points and nine rebounds in the win at Illinois, scoring a basket with 1:39 to play to bring Valpo within one and then assisting on the go-ahead basket with 42.8 seconds to play. Then, in the win at Purdue, White matched her career best and led all scorers with 20 points while adding eight rebounds as well. White scored baskets on back-to-back possessions in the final 75 seconds to push a one-point lead out to five points. White has now led Valpo in scoring in five straight games dating back to last year. The win over Illinois was the first in program history, while the win over Purdue was just the second in program history, as Valpo had entered the week winless against Big Ten teams since 2012.
Other Notable Performances: Gabi Haack (BRAD); Kierra Collier (DU); Abby Feit (UE); Mary Crompton (ILS); Caitlin Anderson (INS); Megan Maahs (UNI)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Grace Berg, R-So., F, Drake
Drake redshirt sophomore Grace Berg continues to make an immediate impact for Drake with two more great games last week. Against Iowa, Berg, who was named the MVC’s first newcomer of the week last week, had career-highs in points with 26, rebounds with nine and assists with four. She followed that effort with 12 points and four rebounds in the big win over Minnesota. Berg led the MVC in scoring per game (20.0 ppg) going into the Minnesota game and has scored in double figures in all four games in her first season as a Bulldog.
Other Notable Performances: Rylie Stephens (UE); Terrion Moore (ILS); Essy Latu (INS); Maya McDermott (UNI)