ST. LOUIS - Sara Rhine of Drake and Clayton Custer of Loyola have been selected Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Week, presented by Enterprise Bank and Trust Company, Commissioner Doug Elgin announced today. The two athletes were honored for their performances during the period of March 12-March 18.
To qualify for Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week laurels, student-athletes must carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20, completed at least one academic year at a Valley institution and must be at least a sophomore in academic standing.
Redshirt freshmen and first-year junior college transfers are not eligible. In addition to the academic qualifications, student-athletes are evaluated on their athletic performance during the one-week period.
Clayton Custer, Loyola, Jr., Basketball, Finance, 3.52 GPA
Custer, a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, added to an incredible season by helping Loyola reach the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time since 1985. The redshirt junior contributed 12.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in two NCAA tournament games last week, shooting 60 percent (9-for-15) from the field and 75 percent (6-for-8) from three-point territory, as the 11th-seeded Ramblers took down Miami and Tennessee on last-second shots. In a 64-62 win over No. 22 Miami, Custer totaled a team-high 14 points and added four assists, a rebound and a steal, going 4-for-6 from three-point land. Two days later, the point guard went for 10 points, two boards and three assists and hit a shot that sent Rambler fans into hysteria, draining a game-winning jumper with 3.6 seconds left to power Loyola to a 63-62 win over No. 13 Tennessee. For the season, Custer is averaging 13.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 4.2 apg and 1.5 spg and has helped Loyola to a program-record 30 victories.
Sara Rhine, Drake, So., Basketball, Elementary Education, 4.00 GPA
Rhine was nearly perfect for Drake with 22 points on 10-of-11 shooting In the NCAA first round game at Texas A&M, adding 10 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season. Rhine had the best field goal percentage of all-time in a Drake NCAA tournament game (90.9%), topping Carla Bennett’s previous top mark of 81.8 percent in 2001. Bennett also had the last NCAA double-double for a Bulldog before Rhine’s. The sophomore was named the 2018 MVC Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and MVC Sixth Player of the Year.
About Enterprise Bank and Trust Company
Enterprise Bank & Trust was founded nearly 30 years ago on the idea of serving the lifetime financial needs of privately-held businesses, their owner families and other success-minded individuals. That concept for Enterprise Bank & Trust has remained its unwavering and guiding vision. Enterprise Bank and Trust tailors its services to fit the needs of our clients and has all the capabilities of the largest financial companies with the personal relationship orientation of a community bank. Enterprise Bank and Trust offers a comprehensive array of banking, trust and financial advisory services. Member FDIC.