Indiana State's Ashli O'Neal averaged 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in wins over Loyola and Valparaiso, earning her first career MVC Player of the Week honor. O'Neal is the first Sycamore to win a Player of the Week award since March 10, 2014 when Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir earned the honor.
Loyola freshman Abby O'Connor averaged 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as the Ramblers split weekend home games with Indiana State and Evansville, earning her second Newcomer of the Week honor.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Ashli O’Neal, So., G, Indiana State
Indiana State sophomore Ashli O’Neal recorded back-to-back 20-plus point performances for the first time in her career and led the Sycamores to a second-straight conference weekend sweep. The sophomore shot 52.0 percent from the field, was an impressive 12-for-12 from the free throw line, and added 10 rebounds in the two wins. She tied a career-high with 22 points in ISU’s 67-54 win at Valpo Sunday and had a 21-point performance in a win at Loyola on Friday.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Abby O’Connor, Fr., G/F, Loyola
Loyola freshman Abby O’Connor continued her impressive debut campaign with the Maroon & Gold over the weekend, averaging 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds. O’Connor led the Ramblers against Indiana State with 17 points to go along with four rebounds and an assist. The South Bend, Ind. product went on to chip in 12 points, five rebounds, an assist and two steals as Loyola raced past Evansville in an 82-63 triumph. O’Connor, who has now reached double figures in scoring a team-high 11 times this season, currently ranks as the Ramblers’ leading scorer (10.9 ppg) and rebounder (5.5 rpg).
Noteworthy - In addition to the league's player and newcomer of the week selections, several conference players had notable performances, and they include:
Anneke Schlueter (BRAD) - Schlueter averaged 10.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.5 steals per game in a pair of home contests. She collected six points, five rebounds and one steal Friday against Northern Iowa. In her 100th career start Sunday against Drake, Schlueter had 15 points, eight boards, two assists and a pair of steals as she broke the Renaissance Coliseum career scoring record previously held by former teammate Leti Lerma. The fifth player in school history with 100 career starts, Schlueter had 11 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal in the second half against the Bulldogs to help Bradley rally from as many as 19 points down to pull within three points in the fourth quarter. She also moved up two spots on Bradley’s career scoring list into 21st.
Sara Rhine (DU) - Rhine averaged 15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 block while shooting 50.0 percent (9-of-18) from the floor and 80.0 percent (12-of-15) from the free throw line, all in just 19.0 average minutes, to help Drake earn wins over Illinois State and Bradley. Friday at Illinois State, she scored 16 points, going 5-of-11 from the floor and making 6-of-8 at the free throw line with four rebounds, two blocks and one assist in just 19 minutes. In Sunday’s victory at Bradley, Rhine finished with 15 points, going 4-of-7 from the floor, including knocking down 1-of-2 three-pointers along with making 6-of-7 from the free throw line. She added seven rebounds and one assist in just 19 minutes. This season, Rhine leads the MVC in shooting percentage at 54.9 while averaging 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while averaging just 21.2 minutes per contest. Her scoring average ranks fourth in the league while her rebounding average is fifth. Rhine is shooting an impressive 81.9 percent from the free throw line and has made the second most free throws (77-of-94) in the MVC, behind her teammate Becca Hittner (85-of-98). She has scored double figures in 16 of the 19 games played for her this season.
Kerri Gasper (UE) - In a pair of conference road games, Kerri Gasper led the Aces, averaging 16.5 points, and stuffing the stat sheet with 5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. On Friday night against Valparaiso, Gasper battled foul trouble throughout the contest, finishing with 18 points, tied for the game-high, three boards, and two assists in just 27 minutes in the loss. Gasper followed up Friday’s performance with 15 points, seven rebounds, and six assists to lead the Aces in an 82-63 loss at Loyola on Sunday. The Olmsted Township, Ohio native sits first in the MVC in assists (4.0), eighth in scoring average (11.5), and 15th in rebounding (5.3).
Katie Salmon (LUC) - Loyola senior Katie Salmon averaged a team-best 15.5 points in the Ramblers’ two games over the weekend. The Wauwatosa, Wis. native scored a season-high 16 points to go along with six rebounds in Friday’s tilt with Indiana State. She went on to hit on seven of her nine attempts from the field in Sunday’s 82-63 win over Evansville en route to finishing with 15 points, two rebounds and a block. Salmon has averaged 7.7 points since the start of league play, while operating at a blistering 55 percent clip from the field.
Brice Calip (MSU) - Brice Calip threatened a double-double with 10 points, a career-high nine rebounds, and four assists in MSU’s only game last week. Calip played 34 minutes at Southern Illinois and committed only two turnovers, which allowed her to take over the MVC lead in assist-to-turnover ratio in league contests with 29 helpers against 11 giveaways.
Ellie Howell (UNI) - Ellie Howell scored in double figures twice to lead UNI past Bradley and Illinois State on the road over the weekend. The redshirt junior scored 16 points against the Braves on Friday night, combining for 18 of UNI’s 25 second-half points alongside sophomore Megan Maahs. Howell also earned five rebounds and dished out two assists against the Braves. On Sunday, Howell scored 10 points to push the Panthers past the Redbirds, while grabbing three rebounds and handing out three assists. Howell has scored in double figures a team-high 11 times, with seven of those coming in MVC play.
Brittney Patrick (SIU) - Patrick scored a career-high 15 points in SIU’s 71-69 overtime win over Missouri State in Southern’s only game of the week. Patrick was 4-of-5 from the field in the win, including 7-of-9 from the free throw line to go along with five assists and just two turnovers in 23 minutes off the bench. Patrick was instrumental in the Salukis putting away the game in overtime, as she was 5-of-6 from the charity stripe in the extra period. Patrick set career highs in field goals made (4), free throws made (7), free throws attempted (9) and points (15) in the win over the Lady Bears and it marked the first time in 47 career games that the Bolingbrook, Ill. native has scored in double figures.
Dani Franklin (VALPO) - Averaged a double-double this week with 14.5 points per game and 11.0 rebounds per game over two contests against in-state foes, including Valpo’s convincing 101-59 win over Evansville on Friday night. Matched a career-high with 16 rebounds on Sunday against Indiana State, becoming the first player in The Valley to pull down 16 boards in a conference game this season. Also notched her second double-double of the year against the Sycamores and has now scored in double figures 16 times this year. Ranks second in The Valley in scoring at 16.1 points per game and is the only player in the conference averaging 16 or more points and six or more rebounds per game.
Gabi Haack (BRAD) - Haack averaged 10.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game in the first two games of a season-long four-game home stand. She matched a season-best with 10 rebounds Friday against Northern Iowa to go with four points and one assist. Sunday against league-leading Drake, Haack connected on five three-pointers and finished with 17 points. She also snagged four boards and had an assist as she helped Bradley rally from 19 points down to pull within three points in the fourth quarter scoring 11 of her 17 points in the second half. The sharp shooter tied the longest streak of consecutive games with a three-pointer by a freshman in school history at 10 and is shooting 52.9 percent from beyond the arc in her last five home games.
Kierra Isaiah (INS) - Kierra Isaiah shot 63.6% from the field and was perfect from behind the arc and from the free throw line … Led the Sycamores to their first (and second) road wins of the season and a second straight conference weekend sweep … Credited with four steals and three assists and averaged 8.5 ppg.
Nicole Kroeger (UNI) - Nicole Kroeger played a crucial role in both of UNI’s road wins over the weekend, as the Panthers downed Bradley and Illinois State. Kroeger earned a rebound and dished out one assist against Bradley on Friday, before scoring nine points off the bench to propel the Panthers to a win against Illinois State on Sunday. All nine points for Kroeger came in the second half of Sunday’s game, helping the Panthers break a halftime tie and extend their lead to 22 points. Kroeger also hauled in one rebound, while swiping a pair of steals against the Redbirds.
Makenzie Silvey (SIU) - Silvey scored nine points and snagged five rebounds in SIU’s 71-69 overtime win over Missouri State in Southern’s only game of the week. Three of Silvey’s five rebounds came on the offensive end, which was a career-high for the Glen Carbon, Ill. native.
Ella Ellenson (VALPO) - Poured in a career-high 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting in Friday’s win over Evansville. Also grabbed five rebounds and went 3-for-3 at the free-throw line in that game. Averaging 7.5 points per game this week.