Murray State's Katelyn Young averaged 32.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 61.7% from the field as the Racers earned a road split at Missouri State and Southern Illinois. The award is the fourth MVC Player of the Week honor of her career.
Missouri State freshman Jade Masogayo averaged 12.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 43.5% from the field as the Lady Bears split with Murray State and Belmont, earning her first Newcomer of the Week honor.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Katelyn Young, Jr., F, Murray State
Katelyn Young scored 30-plus points in each of Murray State’s road games this weekend, while also tallying a double-double in each contest as the Racers split at Missouri State and Southern Illinois. The junior averaged 32.5 points and 11.0 rebounds over a 1-1 week that included a double OT loss at Missouri State. Young shot 61.7-percent from the floor on the week, going 15-for-25 Friday and 14-for-22 on Sunday. In addition, she also added three three-point field goals, three steals, two blocks and two steals.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Jade Masogayo, Fr., F, Missouri State
Freshman Jade Masogayo averaged a double-double off the bench last week as Missouri State split contests against Murray State and Belmont. Masogayo averaged 12.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game in just 60 total minutes (29.8/game) on the floor. She also added three blocks and owned a .435 (10-23) field goal percentage on the week. In Friday night’s win against Murray State, Masogayo logged a career-high 19 points and five steals, while tying her career-high mark with 11 rebounds, including five offensive boards, in the double-double effort. With three blocks against the Racers in a career-high 32 minutes played, Masogayo moved into a tie for 9th place in MSU program history in single-season blocks with 39 on the year. In Sunday’s loss to Belmont, Masogayo tallied six points and nine rebounds, consisting of three offensive and six defensive boards, while adding an assist and a steal against the Bruins. According to HerHoopStats.com, Masogayo’s became the first freshman in NCAA Divison I this season and just the seventh player in all of NCAA DI to post at least 19 points, 11 rebounds, five steals and three blocks in a single game with her performance against Murray State.
Noteworthy - In addition to the league's player and newcomer of the week selections, several conference players had notable performances, and they include:
Destinee Wells (BEL) - Reigning MVC Player of the Week Destinee Wells was once again spectacular over the weekend as she helped lead the Bruins to yet another pair of victories. Tying a game-high in both of Belmont’s road wins at Southern Illinois and Missouri State, Wells recorded back-to-back 19-point outings. In the two games, Wells averaged 19 points on 58.3 percent (14-of-24) shooting, 4.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and a steal. She went 2-for-4 on three-pointers and connected on eight free throws. Against the Salukis Friday evening, Wells went 6-for-10 from the floor including 1-for-1 from behind the arc, dished out four assists and scored seven of the Bruins’ first 16 points of the contest. In Springfield, Missouri, Sunday, Wells hit eight of her 14 shots, distributed a game-high five assists, collected four rebounds, and came up with a pair of steals. Wells scored seven of Belmont’s first nine points in the second quarter and had 11 by halftime.
Maggie Bair (DU) - Senior forward Maggie Bair was instrumental in the Bulldogs’ 2-0 weekend with a pair of blowout wins over Bradley (2/16) and league-leading Illinois State (2/18). Bair continued her consistent effort in all facets of the game, posting back-to-back double-doubles with an average of 14.5 points and 14 rebounds in both games. She began the weekend with 15 points, 14 board, 4 assists, and a career-best 7 made free throws in 10 attempts in Drake’s 81-49 win over Bradley. Bair followed her first performance with another 14-point, 14-rebound afternoon with three assists, two blocks, and an 8-of-12 showing from the field. The Drake senior now leads the MVC and ranks eighth nationally with a .608 field goal percentage. She also in the top five of The Valley rankings in scoring, rebounding, and blocks.
Abby Feit (UE) - In another split of MVC contests, senior guard/forward Abby Feit turned in a pair of consistent performances to help power the Aces. On the week, Feit averaged 23 points and 9.5 boards, going for 20 points in each contest, highlighted by a 26-point effort in the Aces 68-65 win over UIC on Friday night. Against Valpo on Sunday, Feit tallied her sixth double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 boards.
Jaida McCloud (UIC) - Jaida McCloud has hit her stride late in the season, now having scored in double figures in the past eight consecutive games. She secured her second double-double of the season in the Flames win over Indiana State, scoring 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. She now averages 11.8 PPG and 6.4 RPG for the Flames.
Aniya Thomas (MOST) - Fifth-year senior Aniya Thomas once again paced the Lady Bears as Missouri State split contests against Murray State and Belmont last week. Thomas averaged a team-high 21 points per game, while adding 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. She also went 13-for-14 (.929) from the free throw line and tied for the team lead with five three-point field goals with a team-leading .385 percentage from behind the arc. In Friday night’s double overtime victory against Murray State, Thomas scored a team-high 23 points, marking her fifth 20-point outing of the season. She also pulled down six rebounds, dished out six assists, knocked down a team and season-high four triples and went 7-for-8 from the charity stripe in a career-high 49 minutes on the floor against the Racers. In Sunday’s loss to Belmont, tied for the game-high with 19 points and went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line. She also tallied three rebounds, four assists and a steal in 40 minutes on the floor versus the Bruins. Thomas leads MSU with 14.8 points per game this season and that number grows to 16.3 points per game against Valley opponents.
Grace Boffeli (UNI) - Boffeli led the Panthers in scoring for the 13th game this season as UNI cruised to a 20+ blowout of Bradley on Saturday afternoon. Along with a team-leading performance against Bradley, Boffeli picked up her 10th double-double of the season against Illinois State on Thursday, leading the Panthers with 10 rebounds. She also continued her double-digit scoring streak to five games with 16- and 17-point performances over the week. Boffeli led UNI in another category in their game against Bradley, tying her career-high in assists with five recorded in 25 minutes against the Braves. For the week, Boffeli averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3 assists as the Panthers were 1-1 in MVC action.
Olivia Brown (VU) - Coming off the bench, Brown averaged 16.0 points/game on 66.7% shooting from the field as Valpo swept the road swing through Indiana State and Evansville last weekend. In the win at Indiana State, Brown led all players with 16 points - 12 of which came in the second half - on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor, including 2-of-4 from the 3-point line, and 4-of-5 from the foul line. She followed with another 16-point effort Sunday at Evansville, pacing the Beacons as she shot 5-of-7 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from the 3-point line. Brown’s 5-of-8 line from 3-point range for the weekend bumped her season 3-point percentage to .435, second-best in the Valley.
Josie Filer (UIC) - Josie was pivotal in the Flames win over Indiana State Sunday, scoring 15 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, getting three assists and steals. She leads the Flames in points (12.3 PPG) and rebounds (6.8 RPG). She also has a team leading four double doubles this season.
Taryn Wharton (UNI) - Wharton continues to grow as a point guard as the Panthers come towards the end of the regular season. Wharton put up crucial minutes against Illinois State in a battle for first place on Thursday evening, grabbing three rebounds and a steal that led to fast break points for UNI. Wharton had her best game of the week on Saturday against Bradley, scoring nine, adding three assists, and recording only her second block of the season. On the week, Wharton averaged 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists.
Emma Tecca (VU) - Tecca averaged 8.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last weekend to help Valpo to their pair of road victories. She opened the weekend with seven points and three rebounds in the Beacons’ win at Indiana State, and followed with nine points and a pair of boards at Evansville. After scoring just 11 points over Valpo’s first 21 games of the season, Tecca has scored 33 over the last four games.