UNI's Grace Boffeli helped lead the Panthers to three victories in five days, improving to 8-2 in Valley action after double figure wins over Indiana State, Loyola and Valpo. Boffeli averaged 10.6 points, 14.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game during the busy week. The award is Boffeli's first career MVC Player of the Week honor.
Bradley freshman guard Caroline Waite led the Braves to a home split with Indiana State and Evansville over the weekend. Waite averaged 22.5 points per game during the week, earning her second Newcomer of the Week honor.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Grace Boffeli, So, F/C, UNI
In a packed week of MVC action for the Panthers, Boffeli helped lead the team to three straight wins at home. With the longest active win streak in the Valley at five wins, Boffeli added to UNI’s success with two separate double-doubles against Indiana State and Valparaiso. While starting in three games in five days, Boffeli played a total of 72 minutes to average 10.6 points, 14.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1 block. Boffeli also currently leads the conference in three separate categories. In league play, she is first in The Valley for rebounds per game, field goal percentage, and defensive rebounds, being one of only two players in the league to lead in two or more statistical categories.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Caroline Waite, Fr., G, Bradley
Bradley’s 5-foot-4 freshman guard helped the Braves to a weekend split against Indiana State and Evansville by averaging 22.5 points on 50 percent (14-28) shooting from the field and from three-point range (8-16), while knocking down 9-of-10 (.900) free throw attempts and snaring 3.5 rebounds per game. After scoring a team-high 23 points in 26 minutes off the bench Friday against Indiana State, Waite returned to the starting lineup Sunday versus Evansville and dropped 22 points on the Purple Aces for her fourth 20-point effort of the season. Included in Sunday’s highlights, Waite was nominated for SportsCenter’s Top Plays by beating the shot clock in the third quarter with a left-handed heave from the edge of the three-point line in front of the Braves bench. The 5’4” guard also grabbed a career-best six rebounds Sunday and dished two assists with no turnovers in her 40 minutes against the Purple Aces. Waite remains The Valley’s top-scoring underclassman at 12.6 ppg and she paces all Valley players and ranks second among the nation’s freshmen by averaging 2.71 three-pointers per game.
Noteworthy - In addition to the league's player and newcomer of the week selections, several conference players had notable performances, and they include:
Grace Berg (DU) - Berg led Drake in stats over the weekend as she averaged 16.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game in a win over Loyola and loss to Valpo. On Friday night against Valpo, she scored a season high 21 points against the Beacons. Sunday against Loyola she recorded 12 points and added four steals that were crucial for Drake throughout the game. The reigning MVC Newcomer of the Year recorded her 12th and 13th games this season scoring in double figures.
Abby Feit (UE) - It was another big week on the court for junior Abby Feit in her return to central Illinois. Feit sat right near her season averages on the weekend, averaging 16 points and eight boards against Illinois State and Bradley. On Sunday against the Braves, Feit exploded for a game-high 25 points, grabbing eight boards, and going a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line. On the season, Feit is second in the league in scoring and second in rebounding, just .1 boards per game away from averaging a double-double.
JuJu Redmond (ILS) - Illinois State guard JuJu Redmond averaged 20.5 points, 7.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds to help ISU pick up two victories at home and improve to 9-2 in Valley play. Redmond had a game-high nine assists in Friday’ victory over Evansville, also contributing 16 points and five rebounds on the night. The Chicago-native went on to lead all scorers with 25 points versus Indiana State in Sunday’s weekend finale, adding seven boards, five assists and two steals in 36 minutes on the court. It was Redmond’s sixth 20+ point performance this season and the fifth year currently sits at 981 career points as a Redbird, just 19 points away from joining ISU’s 1,000-point club.
Del’Janae Williams (INS) - Williams averaged 16 points, four rebounds and four assists per game across three games last week for the Sycamores. She had three or more assists in every game last week, while scoring in double-figures in each of the last two. Included in that was a career-high 27-point night in a win over Bradley. Williams added seven rebounds against the Braves, while she also had 14 points and six assists against Illinois State. She had seven points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals against Northern Iowa, and is among the conference leaders in scoring (fourth, 15.6), assists (fourth, 3.6) and steals (fourth, 2.1) during Valley play.
Sam Galanopoulos (LUC) - Loyola junior guard Sam Galanopoulos averaged a team-high 14.5 points and shot a red-hot 57.9 percent (11-for-19) from the field during the Ramblers’ two-game road swing through the state of Iowa. After opening the weekend with an 11-point (4-9 FGs, 1-3 3FGs, 2-2 FTs), two-assist effort in Friday’s matchup with UNI, Galanopoulos erupted for a career-best 18 points (7-10 FGs, 4-5 3FGs) afternoon against Drake, also adding two rebounds, three assists, and a steal versus the Bulldogs. The Skokie, Ill. native has scored in double figures six times this season and is operating at a 46.4 percent (13-for-28) clip from distance since the start of Valley play, a mark that is tied for third in the league.
Brice Calip (MSU) - Sixth-year senior Brice Calip paced the Lady Bears this weekend with 15 ppg and 3.5 rpg, while also shooting 56 percent from behind the arc, as Missouri State split the series against SIU. On Friday night in Carbondale, Calip recorded a team-leading 16 points and six rebounds, in addition to tying her career high with three blocks against the Salukis. Calip was also 3-for-6 from long range and dished out four assists in the first matchup against SIU. On Sunday evening at JQH Arena, Calip picked up her second double digit scoring performance of the weekend with 14 points to pair with six assists, which tied her season high. Calip shot 67 percent (2-for-3) from behind the arc and went a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line, the final two of which secured the one-point victory for the Lady Bears. Among MSU’s active players, Calip leads the team with 11.9 ppg and has recorded 14 or more points in the last three games.
Makenzie Silvey (SIU) - SIU graduate guard Makenzie Silvey averaged 17.5 points per game as the Salukis split a home-and-home series with Missouri State. On Feb. 4, Silvey led the Salukis with 20 points, scoring 14 in the second half as Southern won 65-49. Two days later, Silvey scored 15 points. Between the two games, Silvey shot 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. Silvey leads the MVC in scoring with 16.6 points per game and has scored 18.1 points per game in MVC play. The graduate guard is also tops in the Valley in free throw percentage (88%) and minutes per game (35.8).
Carie Weinman (VU) - Weinman averaged 11 points/game on 66.7% shooting as Valpo split the Iowa road trip over the weekend. She scored 15 points off the bench (4-5 FG, 2-3 3PT, 5-5 FT) in 21 minutes of action in Valpo’s first-ever road win at Drake on Friday. Weinman scored 12 of her 15 in the 4th quarter, helping Valpo overcome a 1-point deficit and outscore Drake 22-14 over the last 10 minutes. She then led Valpo in scoring on Sunday at UNI, along the way surpassing 1,000 points for her collegiate career.
Megan Meyer (DU) - Meyer continues to be a powerhouse from the arc for Drake. In her last two games, Meyer averaged 12.5 points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game. The junior guard who was backup to Caitlin Clark during her time at Iowa, has made a name for herself at Drake. Between her two games, she recorded six made three’s and marked her 12th game this season with at least one made shot from beyond the arc. She also went 5 for 6 from the free throw line over the weekend.
Je’Naiya Davis (UE) - In a pair of Valley games, junior Je’Naiya Davis returned to her high-scoring ways. The St. Louis, Mo. native reached double-figures in both weekend contests with a team-best 16 points against Illinois State and 13 points against Bradley, giving Davis double-digit scoring in all but three games this season.
Jennifer Ezeh (MSU) - Transfer Jennifer Ezeh made her collegiate debut this weekend for the Lady Bears. After more than two years of dealing with injuries, Ezeh finally made her way onto the court and made an immediate impact. Ezeh averaged 6.0 ppg and a team-leading 7.5 rpg in just 43 minutes on the floor in her first weekend of action. She also shot 50 percent from the field and went 4-for-6 from the free throw line as MSU split the series against SIU. On Friday night in her first-ever collegiate action, Ezeh went 1-for-1 from the field for two points, while grabbing four rebounds in just 15 minutes on the court. On Sunday evening against the Salukis, Ezeh earned her first career start and made the most of her opportunity. With a 10-point, 11-rebound performance against SIU, Ezeh recorded her first career double-double in her second career game. Ezeh had four fourth quarter points, all coming at the free throw line in a crucial one-point MSU victory over the Salukis.