Illinois State's Simone Goods averaged 26.5 points and 9.5 rebounds, while shooting 57.5% from the field, in home wins over Evansville and Indiana State, earning her first MVC Player of the Week honor of the season and second Newcomer of the Week honor.
Sweeping the Honors
For the sixth time in MVC history and the second time this season a player has swept the weekly awards since the Newcomer of the Week began during the 2003-04 season.
Year Player, School Date
2005-06 Kristi Cirone, Illinois State (Dec. 19)
2007-08 Kelsey Woodard, Creighton (Feb. 4)
2008-09 Casey Garrison, Missouri State (Jan. 19)
2017-18 Hannah Noe, Evansville (Jan. 13)
2017-18 Abby Brockmeyer, Southern Illinois (Jan. 2)
2017-18 Simone Goods, Illinois State (Feb. 19)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER/NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Simone Goods, Jr., F, Illinois State
Simone Goods led the Redbirds to two-straight victories at home this weekend racking up a career high on Friday night with 29 points, going 12-for-24 from the field. The junior forward added a double-double Friday with 10 rebounds and snuck away with a career high of five steals. Simone also grabbed her 100th career rebound on Friday, averaging 6.5 a game this season. On Sunday, Goods led the Birds to their highest score this season adding 24 points and was just shy of a double-double grabbing nine boards.
Noteworthy - In addition to the league's player and newcomer of the week selections, several conference players had notable performances, and they include:
Vanessa Markert (BRAD) - Markert averaged team highs of 18.5 points and 6.5 rebounds to go with 1.0 assists and 2.5 blocks per game, while shooting 61.5 percent from the field in a pair of home contests. In just 20 minutes against Evansville, she scored 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting and had four boards, one assist and four blocks as she posted just the third back-to-back 20-point scoring efforts by a Brave in the last five seasons. Markert came a rebound short of her second double-double in three outings with 16 points and nine rebounds Sunday against Indiana State. She added one assist and a block against the Sycamores as she moved into 10th in career blocked shots at Bradley.
Sammie Bachrodt (DU) - Sammie Bachrodt helped lead Drake to a 72-67 win at UNI Friday night in the team’s lone game of the week. Bachrodt poured in a game and season high 20 points on a 6-of-11 shooting performance, including making three-of-five behind the three-point line. She added four rebounds, two assists and one block. This season, Bachrodt is averaging 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game and has made a team-best 49 three-pointers.
Kerri Gasper (UE) - Junior guard Kerri Gasper averaged 19.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and a steal per game, while shooting 46.7% (14-30) from the field and 44.4% (4-9) from three in two road contests. Against Bradley on Friday night, Gasper led the Aces with 17 points, adding five rebounds, two assists, and a pair of steals in the 92-47 loss to the Braves. On Sunday afternoon at Illinois State, the Olmsted Township, Ohio native scored a team-high 21 points, 16 of which came in the second half, while chipping-in six rebounds and two assists.
Ashli O’Neal (INS) - Averaged 17.5 points per game and was a nearly perfect 12-for-13 from the free throw line … A 5-5 point guard that still averaged 5.5 rebounds per game … Dished out five assists, swiped four steals … Shot 37.0% from the field (10-for-27) … Led Indiana State to a season sweep of Bradley, 74-70, after the Sycamores trailed by 15 points mid-2nd quarter.
Jessica Cerda (LUC) - Jessica Cerda averaged an impressive 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists as the Ramblers split a pair of games over the weekend. In Friday’s 69-58 loss to Missouri State, Cerda scored a team-high 16 points, a mark aided by four makes from beyond three-point arc, to go along with four rebounds and a career-high five assists. The Streamwood, Ill. product followed up that performance by leading all scorers with a season-high tying 19 points, again knocking down four threes, as part of a gritty 62-53 win over in-state rival Southern Illinois.
Alexa Willard (MSU) - Alexa Willard averaged 15 points, 4.5 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game on 54 percent shooting in a pair of road wins. Friday at Loyola, Willard shot 9-for-13 from the field for 19 points with a career-high six assists, adding two rebounds and a steal. Sunday, the sophomore finished with 11 points, three rebounds and three assists in a win at Valparaiso.
Megan Maahs (UNI) - Sophomore Megan Maahs turned in a sensational effort against Drake on Friday, scoring 16 points and grabbing 16 rebounds, for her league-leading 10th double-double of the season. The 16 points and 16 rebounds matched a career-high for Maahs in each category. Maahs was also an extremely efficient 7-of-10 from the floor, while dishing out one assist against the Bulldogs. Maahs currently sits third all-time at UNI for most rebounds in a season (257), while her 10 double-doubles is the most for any Panthers since 2004-05.
Kylie Giebelhausen (SIU) - Giebelhausen averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, a block and a steal in SIU’s split over the weekend. Giebelhausen finished a rebound shy of a double-double in Southern’s double overtime win at Valparaiso, as she tallied 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal in a career-high 48 minutes in the win. She followed with nine points, four boards, two assists and a steal against Loyola on Sunday. Giebelhausen’s 22 points in the win over the Crusaders marked the eighth time in her career that she has scored 20-plus points and her 48 minutes played in the win were the most by a Saluki since 1983.
Dani Franklin (VALPO) - Dani Franklin averaged a double-double of 24.0 ppg and 11.0 rpg this week, helping Valpo to competitive games against two of the conference’s top four teams. The Crusaders took Southern Illinois to overtime on Friday night before falling by only six points to Missouri State on Sunday. Franklin exploded for a season-high 31 points on Friday, her third career game of 30+ points. That marked the second-highest single game scoring output by a Valley player in conference action this season. Franklin followed with her fourth double-double of the season on Sunday, scoring 17 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.
Gabi Haack (BRAD) - Haack averaged 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while connecting on 50 percent of her shots and 6-of-13 three-pointers (46.2 percent). She notched nine points, four rebounds, four assists and tied a season-best with three steals in Friday’s victory over Evansville. On her birthday Sunday against Indiana State, Haack scored a team-high 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, and grabbed eight rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Alexis Delgado (INS) - Was an impressive 5-for-7 beyond the arc at Bradley, helping ISU rally back from a 15-point deficit for a 74-70 win … Averaged 8.5 ppg, brought down six total rebounds and dished out six assists … Credited with two steals.
Brice Calip (MSU) - Brice Calip filled the stat sheet once again with averages of 6.5 points, 3.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals in two road victories. Calip shot 50 percent in two games, going 3-for-5 with eight points, two steals, three boards, five assists and no turnovers in Sunday’s win at Valparaiso. Friday, she had five points, two rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block at Loyola.
Karli Rucker (UNI) - Karli Rucker scored eight points off the bench, while matching her career-high in assists (5) and rebounds (3) against Drake. The freshman shot 3-of-6 from the floor, while knocking down both 3-pointers she attempted to led UNI’s bench scoring on Friday night.
Abby Brockmeyer (SIU) - Brockmeyer averaged 12.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 blocks in SIU’s split over the weekend. The Raymond, Ill. native was also 10-for-10 from the free throw line, including 8-for-8 from the charity stripe in SIU’s double overtime win over Valparaiso Friday night. Brockmeyer had 17 points, six rebounds and three blocks in a career-high 41 minutes in the Salukis win over the Crusaders, and followed with seven points and six rebounds at Loyola on Sunday.