Drake's Sara Rhine averaged 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, while shooting 73.7% from the field, in road wins over Evansville and Indiana State, earning her third MVC Player of the Week honor of the season. Loyola freshman Ellie Rice poured in a team-high 17 points with five rebounds and five three-point field goals as the Ramblers dropped a home game to Valpo, earning her first Newcomer of the Week honor.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Sara Rhine, Jr., F, Drake
Drake junior Sara Rhine averaged 17.5 points and 7.5 rebounds, while shooting 73.7 percent (14-of-19) from the floor, including making 3-of-4 from behind the arc to help Drake win at Evansville and Indiana State. Rhine started the weekend with a game-high 19 points on a 7-of-8 shooting night, four rebounds and one block in a 101-50 win over the Purple Aces. She followed that performance against the Sycamores with her fifth double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 7-for-11 from the field.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Ellie Rice, Fr., G, Loyola
Loyola freshman Ellie Rice poured in a team-high 17 points in the Ramblers’ 63-53 loss to Valparaiso on Sunday afternoon inside Gentile Arena. The Austin, Texas native connected on a season-high five threes as she reached double figures in scoring for the fourth time in Loyola’s last six games. Rice, who also collected five rebounds, dished out two assists and came away with two steals, currently ranks fourth on the Rambler roster in scoring, averaging 7.3 points 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:
Vanessa Markert (BRAD) - Markert averaged 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in a pair of road contests, while shooting 57 percent from the field. Returning to the starting lineup for the first time in six games, Markert made 3-of-4 shots and finished with seven points, three boards and one block Friday at Missouri State. She followed it up with her best performance of the season as she notched her first double-double of the year with 21 points and a season-best 11 rebounds at Southern Illinois Sunday. Markert was 9-for-17 from the field and added one assist as she tied a career-high with 35 minutes vs. SIU.
Hannah Green (ILS) - Hannah Green led the Redbirds this weekend, averaging 14.5 points per game shooting 39 percent from the field. Green tied her career high in assists in Friday’s win over Southern Illinois, dishing out four. The senior forward denied six shots this weekend, continuing to lead the MVC averaging 2.1 blocks per game this season. Green was shy of a double-double in both competitions, grabbing eight and nine boards respectively.
Wendi Bibbins (INS) - Led Indiana State with 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game … Registered double figures against Drake for second time this season … Shot 44 percent from the field and tallied four blocked shots … Swiped two steals.
Liza Fruendt (MSU) - Liza Fruendt averaged 20 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in a pair of home wins last week, shooting 41 percent overall, 42 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent at the foul line. Friday, the senior posted her eighth 20-point game of the season against Bradley, finishing with 22 points, four boards and two assists. Her 3-for-6 effort from long range moved her past Jackie Stiles for fifth in school history in career 3-pointers. Sunday, Fruendt tallied a game-high 18 points against Illinois State, adding two rebounds and a season-high five assists while moving into 10th place in MSU’s career scoring list.
Megan Maahs (UNI) - In a pair of weekend wins on the road, sophomore Megan Maahs scored in double-figures twice to lead the Panthers to victory against Indiana State and Evansville. Maahs also posted her MVC-leading ninth double-double over the weekend, after scoring 15 points and earning 11 rebounds against the Sycamores. Maahs came just shy of another double-double on Sunday, after scoring 10 points and grabbing eight rebounds before the Panthers cleared the bench in the closing minutes against the Purple Aces. Maahs’ nine double-doubles are the most at UNI since Alex Cook collected 10 in 2004-05.
Kylie Giebelhausen (SIU) - Giebelhausen averaged 10.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals in SIU’s split over the weekend. Giebelhausen finished with eight points, two boards and two steals against Illinois State on Friday, and followed with 13 points, three assists, two steals and a block in SIU’s win over her hometown Bradley Braves. Giebelhausen improved to 8-0 in her career against the Braves with the win.
Meredith Hamlet (VALPO) - After being held scoreless for the first three quarters of Sunday’s game at Loyola, Hamlet caught fire in the fourth, scoring 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and 4-of-4 at the free-throw line. Her 19 points marked the most by a Valpo player in a single quarter since women’s basketball went to the quarters format before the 2015-16 season. Her performance helped Valpo climb out of a 12-point second-half hole to win by 10 in the team’s only game of the week. Hamlet also moved into the Top 10 in program history in career made 3-pointers with her effort on Sunday.
Gabi Haack (BRAD) - Haack averaged 10.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per outing in a pair of road contests last week. She scored in double figures for the fourth consecutive game and ninth time in 10 contests with a 13-point effort Friday at Missouri State. Haack, who was 5-for-6 from the free throw line, added two rebounds and one block in 34 minutes against the Bears. Sunday at Southern Illinois, she had seven points and four rebounds as she helped Bradley rally from 17 points down to pull within six points in the closing minutes.
Maddy Monahan (DU) - Monahan averaged 6.5 points and 6.0 assists per game in helping Drake defeat Evansville and Indiana State. She started the weekend with eight points and a career-high nine assists in the blowout win over Evansville. Monahan made a career-high two three-pointers in the big win. She followed that with five points and three assists against the Sycamores. In her first season, Monahan has started 23 of 25 games played. She averages 5.2 points and 3.2 assists per game, which ranks sixth in the MVC.
Paige Saylor (ILS) - Paige Saylor tied her career high in points on Friday and did not miss a shot, shooting 100 percent from the field going 3-for-3 behind the arc and 6-for-6 from the field. The freshman guard also dished out four assists this weekend and snuck away with three steals. Saylor continues to lead the conference in steals per game, averaging 2.5 per game.
Brice Calip (MSU) - Brice Calip filled the stat sheet once again with averages of 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals in two home wins. Calip shot 5-for-8 from the floor in Sunday’s win against Illinois State, finishing with 15 points, three steals, three assists and two rebounds. Friday, Calip handed out five assists against one turnover, adding five rebounds, a block, a steal and two points versus Bradley.
Nicole Kroeger (UNI) - Nicole Kroeger provided a spark for the Panthers against Evansville over the weekend, as the freshman led UNI in points after scoring 19 to tie her career-high. Kroeger sank five shots from beyond-the-arc, to lead UNI in 3-point shooting as well. In Friday’s win against Indiana State, the freshman found other ways into the stat book after grabbing three rebounds and one steal in UNI road victory over the Sycamores. Kroeger has scored in double-figures now four times this season.
Makenzie Silvey (SIU) - Silvey averaged 9.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in SIU’s split over the weekend. Silvey had a team-high 15 points on 60% shooting from both the field and three-point range and added four rebounds and two assists in Southern’s 62-53 win over Bradley on Sunday. The Glen Carbon, Ill. native scored in double figures for the 13th time this season, which is the seventh-most by a freshman in program history.
Nicole Konieczny (VALPO) - Konieczny reached double figures with 11 points including 5-of-6 at the free-throw line in Valpo’s come-from-behind 63-53 win over Loyola on Sunday, the team’s only game of the week. Konieczny made just one turnover in 29 minutes at point guard and racked up three steals, equaling a career high.