Murray State's Katelyn Young averaged 30.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 61.0% from the field, including a 43-point performance at Drake. The award is the third MVC Player of the Week honor of her career.
Missouri State transfer Kennedy Taylor averaged 20.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 64.3% from the field as the Lady Bears split with Illinois State and Bradley, earning her second Newcomer of the Week honor.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Katelyn Young, Jr., F, Murray State
Katelyn Young averaged 30.0 points and 9.0 rebounds over an 0-2 weekend in Iowa which was fueled in large part by a 43-point, double-double performance against Drake. The junior shot 61.0-percent from the field (25 -41) on the week, 3-for-8 from 3-point range and 7-for-11 from the free throw line. The 19 field goals scored by Young against Drake tied a Murray State program record and the 43 points is the third-most by a Racer and most by a Valley player since Missouri State’s Liza Fruendt in 2017. The 19 field goals are the most by an NCAA Division I player this season and the most by a Valley player since Indiana State’s Melanie Boeglin in 2006.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Kennedy Taylor, So., F, Missouri State
Missouri State sophomore Kennedy Taylor turned in a dominating week for the Lady Bears as she averaged 20.5 points and 13.5 rebounds on the week while shooting 18-for-28 (.643) from the field as MSU split games with Illinois State and Bradley. In MSU’s narrow loss to Illinois State on Thursday, Taylor was the Lady Bears’ leader with 18 points and 14 rebounds, including six offensive boards, on 8-for-12 shooting from the field in just 25 minutes on the floor. In Saturday’s dominating victory against Bradley, Taylor tied her career high with 23 points, while pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds and seven offensive boards and shooting .625 (10-for-16) from the field in 24 minutes on the court. She also added a block and a steal against the Braves. The impact transfer has recorded three consecutive double-doubles, six consecutive double-digit scoring performances and leads the team with two 20-point games this season. Taylor ranks first in the MVC and 17th nationally with 3.9 offensive rebounds per game as she leads the way for a Lady Bears squad that ranks fifth nationally on the offensive glass.
Noteworthy - In addition to the league's player and newcomer of the week selections, several conference players had notable performances, and they include:
Kilyn McGuff (BEL) - Sophomore guard Kilyn McGuff was excellent in the Bruins’ first-ever MVC road victory Sunday afternoon at Northern Iowa, scoring a team-leading tying 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds. Her conventional three-point play in the final 25 seconds sealed Belmont’s 67-61 win and capped an 8-0 run in the closing two minutes of play. At Drake Friday evening, McGuff scored 13 points and snagged four boards. Across the two road outings, McGuff averaged 13.5 points on 57.9 percent (11-of-19) shooting and 5.5 rebounds. She came up with a steal in both contests and had an assist against the Bulldogs, averaging 32.8 minutes on court.
Sarah Beth Gueldner (DU) - Senior guard Sarah Beth Gueldner sparked the Bulldogs in a pair of MVC tilts over Des Moines’ Hometown Team Weekend. The Olathe, Kan. native averaged 20.5 points on .423 three-point shooting. The Drake sharp-shooter started her weekend by pouring in 23 points on 7-of-14 shooting from deep range, both new career-highs, in the Bulldogs’ 94-63 drubbing of Belmont (1/6). Gueldner continued her exceptional weekend with another 18-point performance on 7-of-16 shooting, including four triples, in Drake’s 80-67 victory over Murray State (1/8).
Abby Feit (UE) - In a pair of MVC games on the road, senior guard/forward Abby Feit led the team in scoring and helped the Aces to a weekend split. On the weekend, Feit averaged 18.5 points and seven boards with a high of 19 points at UIC and four blocks versus Valpo.
Paige Robinson (ILS) - Robinson averaged 18.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, and five assists over a pair of road wins for Illinois State last week against Missouri State and Southern Illinois Thursday and Sunday, averaging 35.5 minutes over the two games. Against the Lady Bears in Springfield, Robinson would lead all scorers with 22 points, adding five rebounds and five assists to her stat line while also going a perfect 3-3 from the free-throw line over 38 minutes of play. Following that performance up on Saturday, the Bethany native would once more lead all scorers with a 15-point performance in Carbondale against the Salukis. Robinson would score 13 of her 15 points in the second half, after being held to 2 points in the first half. The graduate guard would be the difference maker down the stretch, as she knocked down a pivotal three with 19.6 seconds remaining to give ISU a 57-56 lead before icing the game with a pair of free throws mere seconds later after an SIU turnover to secure the three-point win for the ‘Birds. Robinson added six rebounds and five assists to her Saturday stat line over 33 minutes of play as she has now led ISU in scoring for 10 of the 14 games so far, including three of the four MVC contests.
Del’Janae Williams (INS) - Williams had a season-high 25 points and three steals in Indiana State’s road win over Valparaiso, with 19 of those points coming in the second half. Williams made a season-high nine baskets against the Beacons and was also a perfect 6-for-6 from the line in the win. She added seven points, six rebounds and two assists in Indiana State’s win over UIC, converting a three-point play on the fastbreak inside the final minute to essentially put the game out of reach. Williams averaged 16 points, three rebounds, 1.5 assists and one steal per game in the Sycamores’ 2-0 road trip.
Emerson Green (UNI) - Green had her best week in a UNI uniform this season, averaging 17 points and 4.5 rebounds against MVC newcomers Murray State and Belmont. Green set season highs in her 36 minutes against Belmont for points, minutes, field goal attempts, rebounds and blocks. For the third time in her career, Green recorded two blocks in a game against the Bruins on Sunday.
Laniah Randle (SIU) - Southern sophomore guard Laniah Randle averaged 14.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg, including a huge 25-point, 11-rebound performance in SIU’s win over Bradley on Thursday. The double-double was Randle’s second of the season and the second of her career. Randle was 14-of-20 (70%) during the two-game stretch.
Barbora Tomancova (UE) - Continuing to be a force in the post for Evansville, redshirt junior center Barbora Tomancova helped the Aces to a weekend split. On the weekend, Tomancova nearly averaged a double-double against Valpo and UIC, going for eight points and 10 boards versus Valpo and eight points and eight rebounds against
Josie Filer (UIC) - Josie was instrumental in the Flames first win in program history in the Missouri Valley Conference against the Evansville Aces on Saturday, 57-53. The Graduate Transfer shot 50% from the field during the game, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. This is the second double-double for Filer this season and she currently leads the Flames in both stat categories (12.5 PPG, 7.1 RPG).
Chelsea Cain (INS) - Cain scored a season-high 21 points in 22 minutes in Indiana State’s road win over UIC, leading the Sycamores to their first road win of the season. She also added four rebounds and a season-high three blocks against the Flames. Cain followed that with eight points, two rebounds and one block in 18 minutes in Indiana State’s win at Valpo. Her scoring output has her just two points shy of reaching 1,000 for her collegiate career (857 in three seasons at Nicholls State, 141 at Indiana State) She averaged 14.5 points, three rebounds and two blocks in a pair of wins last week for the Sycamores.
Taryn Wharton (UNI) - Wharton continued to shine against Murray State this past week for the Panthers. Wharton put up nine points for the third time in her young collegiate career along with contributing two seals in UNI’s dominant win over the Racers. While she wasn’t able to score against Belmont, Wharton added one rebound and an assist. For the week, Wharton averaged 4.5 points and a rebound in two tough matchups for the Panthers.
Promise Taylor (SIU) - Southern Illinois junior center Promise Taylor averaged 10.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg as she went 8-of-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line as the Salukis started Missouri Valley Conference play 3-1 for the second year in a row. Taylor has continued her stellar shooting from the floor this season as she’s 56-of-96 (58%) on the year.