ST. LOUIS – The Missouri Valley Conference announced today that ESPN has made its selection for the final MVC regular-season women’s basketball production for The Valley on ESPN.

The Missouri State at Illinois State women’s basketball game on Thursday, February 27, will be the featured production on ESPN+.

No. 19/24 Missouri State (18-3, 8-1 MVC) will travel to Illinois State (13-7, 5-4 MVC) in a 7:30 PM (CT) contest at Redbird Arena in Normal, Illinois.

Missouri State took the first meeting between the two schools on Sunday, February 2, when the Lady Bears posted an 87-74 win in Springfield. Missouri State’s Alexa Willard scored 16 points in the win, while Illinois State’s Lexi Wallen led all scorers with 25 points and six rebounds. 

The selection of this game marks the sixth year that ESPN has used a “Wildcard” process to determine one of its MVC women’s basketball productions for The Valley on ESPN. 

Using the Wildcard Weekend model, the league -- through its television partners ESPN, CBS Sports Network, FOX Sports Midwest and NBC Sports Chicago -- reserves clearance windows for late February and March dates in the fall of each academic year and waits until the midpoint of the men’s and women’s basketball seasons to determine its final regular-season telecasts.