This week’s Valley schedule has four more opportunities against Power Five opponents. The Valley currently sits 0-3 vs. the ACC, 2-10 vs. the Big Ten, 1-2 vs. the Big 12 and 1-2 vs. the SEC entering this week’s schedule.
One opponent is also ranked in the AP Top 25 this week. The Valley is currently 1-8 vs. AP Top 25 teams this season with the win being Drake over #22 Nebraska.
Wednesday: Northwestern at UIC
Friday: Murray State at Kentucky
Saturday: Belmont at Georgia
Sunday: UNI at #12 Iowa
NET Update
The NCAA NET Report (Dec. 12) has five Valley teams that rank in the top-100, including seven of the 12 sitting in the top 150. Drake leads the way at No. 46 with UNI (78), Murray State (88), Belmont (96) and Illinois State (97), rounding out the schools in the Top 100. The Valley ranks 12th as a league.
Team NET
Drake 46
UNI 78
Murray State 88
Belmont 96
Illinois State 97
Missouri State 140
UIC 143
Southern Illinois 197
Evansville 225
Indiana State 262
Valparaiso 303
Bradley 327
BEL: Tough Road Continues
The Bruins’ non-conference strength of schedule is currently ranked as the 17th-most difficult in the nation. Belmont’s average opponent NET ranking is the sixth-highest in the country.Six of Belmont’s first nine games have been against top-70 NET teams.
Following an 11-day break from game action, the Bruins return to the hardwood for competition this weekend at Georgia (Saturday, Dec. 17). The Bruins picked up road wins at SEC schools each of the last two seasons, defeating Ole Miss 62-50 last November and upending Auburn 78-57 in 2020-21.
BU: Road Win
Bradley picked up a road win at Eastern Illinois. The Braves took down the Panthers who were #24 in the Mid-Major Poll from College Insider. This was also Bradley’s first win on the road since February 5th, 2021.
Friday’s game vs. Miami (OH) will be the 1,300th game in Bradley Women’s Basketball history. The program is sitting at 595 wins all-time and is closing in on 600.
DU: Bringing Out the Best
The 5-3 Bulldogs’ non-conference slate has been winding down. After annihilating South Dakota 83-54 on the road (12/6), Drake overcame a 17-point fourth quarter deficit to take No. 18 Creighton to the wire in Omaha. In the Bulldogs’ two ranked defeats to Creighton and No. 4 Iowa this season, they have lost by a combined 10 points including an overtime decision to the Hawkeyes. Drake’s non-MVC schedule will conclude with another road tilt at current No. 10 Iowa State.
UE: Forces in the Post
Evansville has relied on four rim protectors this season in senior Abby Feit, redshirt juniors Barbora Tomancova and Celine Dupont, and fifth-year guard A’Niah Griffin. The group has combined for 23 of Evansville’s 28 blocks on the season and has helped UE to average four blocks per contest this year, the 77th-best average in the nation. Feit’s team-high nine blocks this season gives her 114 in her career and puts her just 17 from moving into third in program history in the category.
UIC: Historic Start
The Flames are currently at 8-1 going into Wednesday’s game vs. Northwestern, tied for the best start in program history in the first nine games. They tie both the 1976-1977 and the 2014-2015 season, reaching this mark. They can tie the 1976-77 team with a win for best record in the first ten games. Currently sitting on a five-game win streak, this is the Flames largest win streak since they won 11 back in 2013-2014.
ILS: Successful Non-Con
Illinois State has already surpassed its non-conference win total from 2021-22, with one final non-conference game on deck next Sunday. As the Redbirds finished 2021-22 4-7 in non-conference play, the 6-3 record so far allows Illinois State to hold its most non-con wins to start a season under Kristen Gillespie since 2019-20 when ISU would go 8-3 against non-MVC foes. ISU wraps up its non-conference slate when they return to CEFCU Arena for a battle with the Horizon League’s Green Bay on Sunday, Dec. 18.
INS: Coming Out Hot
Indiana State’s first quarter at Western Michigan was by far the best start the Sycamores have had on the offensive end this season. The Trees were 10-for-15 from the field in the opening quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers, finishing with 27 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. Indiana State’s 27 points in the first quarter were its most in an opening quarter in head coach Chad Killinger’s tenure and marked the third time this season that the Sycamores scored 20-plus points in the first quarter.
MOST: Power Play
With their win over TCU last week, Missouri State has recorded at least one victory over a Power Five school in 10 consecutive seasons, with 18 such wins over that span. The Lady Bears are 10-8 against such teams since the beginning of the 2019-20 season.
MUR: Rivalry Time
Murray State will close out the home portion of its non-conference schedule Tuesday when it takes on Austin Peay in a Popeyes Battle of the Border matchup. Murray State and Austin Peay will meet for the 106th time Tuesday with the Racers holding a one-game advantage in the series between arch-rivals, 53-52. Murray State snapped a five-game skid to the Govs last season in Murray, where they have now won 35 of 51 all-time meetings.
UNI: 2nd Quarter Explosion
The Panthers tied their record for most points scored during the second quarter in the win over North Dakota State. UNI put up 30 points in the second frame with almost half of their points coming off the bench. The Panthers also put up 30 points in the second quarter against St. Thomas last season.
SIU: 100 Points Again
Southern has hit the century mark in scoring in back-to-back games for the first time in program history after beating Tennessee State 100-72 last week. The Salukis have scored 215 points and dished out 62 assists in their last two games.
VU: Setting Career Highs
A pair of Valpo juniors smashed their previous career bests on Friday at Western Illinois. Jayda Johnston surpassed her career high of six points in the second quarter and ended the night with a team-best 16 points. Then, after being held scoreless in the first half, Ava Interrante easily passed her previous high of five points in the third quarter and ended up scoring a total of 15 points in the second half.
HerHoopStats Stat of the Week
In their win at South Dakota on December 6th, Drake had seven players score at least seven points, grab three rebounds, and record two assists. That is only the second time a team has achieved that in Division I this season. Oklahoma also did so at Arkansas State on Nov. 22.
