NOTEBOOK (PDF)
League Leaders
Drake’s 13-0 league start matches five others who have started with at least 13-straight league wins in 2017-18. Only 12 NCAA teams are still unbeaten in their respective leagues (through Feb. 11).
NCAA Teams With Perfect League Marks
15-0 Quinnipiac
14-0 Belmont
13-0 American, Baylor, Dayton, Drake
12-0 UConn, Central Michigan, Mississippi State
11-0 South Dakota
10-0 Bethune-Cookman, Mercer
Record Setting Win
Drake made an MVC-record 20 three-pointers, shot 69.1 percent (38-of-55) from the field and dished out 32 assists in Friday’s win at Evansville. Drake’s shooting percentage is the second-best single game mark in program history. and the highest by an MVC team since #16 ranked Missouri State shot 68% from the field vs. Creighton in 2001. The 32 assists are tied for fourth all-time in MVC history. Drake is just the third team in NCAA Division I to make 20 or more three-point field goals in a game this season (FGCU vs. Abilene Christian & South Florida vs. Southern).
Valley Streak Continues
Drake has the longest win streak in the MVC era for regular season MVC contests. With a road win at Missouri State on Jan. 5, Drake set the new all-time MVC era mark at 25, surpassing the Lady Bears record of 24-straight wins set in 2000. The impressive streak started Feb. 26, 2016 with a win over Loyola. The Bulldogs are currently two wins shy of tying SIU’s 37 game streak from 1985-1987 during the Gateway era.
Consecutive MVC/Gateway Wins
37 - Southern Illinois (Mar. 6, 1985-Dec. 30, 1987)
35 - Drake (Feb. 26, 2016-present)
Current Conference Win Streaks (NCAA)
82 - UConn (Dec. 29, 2013-present)
35 - Drake (Feb. 26, 2016-present)
Can’t Miss
Drake’s Becca Hittner has made 44 consecutive free throws dating back to a miss at Missouri State on Jan. 5. The 44-straight makes are a Drake school record and tied for the second-best streak in Valley history.
Consecutive Free Throws Made
1. 53 - Katie Miller, UNI 2000
2. 44 - Kelsey Luna, Indiana State 2009-10
44 - Kim Wypiszynski, UNI 2009-10
44 - Mallory Ladd, Evansville 2012-13
44 - Becca Hittner, Drake 2017-18
Under 40 is Good Enough
Illinois State and Southern Illinois’ combined 75 points Friday are tied for the fewest points scored in an MVC contest. The Redbirds join Indiana State as the only two league teams win on the road scoring less than 40 points. Indiana State also beat Southern Illinois (38-37) in Carbondale during the 1989-90 season.
Fewest Points (Both Teams, Conference Games)
1. 75, Indiana State 38, Southern Illinois 37 (1989-90)
75, Wichita State 44, Evansville 31 (2015-16)
75, Illinois State, 39, Southern Illinois 36 (2017-18)
Sharing the Rock
Over the past four seasons, Drake has ranked in the top 10 every season in the NCAA in assists per game. The Bulldogs are once again sharing the basketball as they enter the week leading the nation averaging 23.0 assists per contest, while also leading the way in total assists (574).
Assists Per Game
1. Drake 23.0
2. UConn 22.7
3. Iowa 21.6
4. Baylor 21.4
5. DePaul 20.8
Sharing Leads to Success
Last season, Drake set the MVC record for assists in a single season with 712 total assists, averaging 21.6 assists per game. The 2017-18 Bulldogs are on pace to break last season’s mark and already appear 8th on the list with five regular season games and conference tournament remaining. Five of the previous top seven teams went on to win the MVC regular season title with the other two finishing second in the standings.
Assists In A Single Season
1. Drake (2016-17)*^ 712
2. Missouri State (1991-92) *^ 695
3. Illinois State (1989-90)* 634
4. Drake (2015-16) 624
5. Creighton (1993-94) 619
6. Missouri State (2000-01)*^ 611
7. Illinois State (2007-08)*^ 580
8. Drake (2017-18) 574
* Won Regular Season MVC Title
^ Won MVC Tournament
Elite Defense
Illinois State is ranked 9th nationally in scoring defense, allowing 54.5 points per game and sits 7th in field-goal percentage defense (34.7%). The Redbirds join top ranked UConn, Green Bay and Navy as the only teams to be ranked top 10 nationally in both categories.
Double Your Pleasure
UNI’s Megan Maahs leads the league in double-doubles this season with nine and is almost averaging a double-double with 9.3 points and a league-best 10.0 rebounds per game. The nine double-doubles is the most by any Panther since Alex Cook earned 10 in 2004-05. The past three seasons, an MVC player has finished the season averaging a double-double.
Year Player, Team PPG, RPG #DD
16-17 Leti Lerma, Bradley 11.7, 10.8, 13
15-16 Dyana Pierre, SIU 12.3, 11.2, 15
14-15 Dyana Pierre, SIU 14.6, 11.8, 16
100 Wins at “The Q”
Missouri State earned its 100th win at JQH Arena on Sunday in the building’s 10th season. The Lady Bears are 100-45 (.690) in JQH, and the 2017-18 campaign will end with MSU’s ninth consecutive season with at least eight home wins and a record at least two games above the .500 mark.
Approaching 200 Wins
UNI’s all-time wins leader Tanya Warren currently has 199 victories for her career, only one shy of a milestone 200 for her stellar coaching career. Warren has posted eight-straight seasons with at least 17 wins, while earning three seasons with at least 24 victories.
RPI Update
The latest installment of the NCAA RPI Report (Feb. 12) has four Valley teams that rank in the top-170, led by Drake at No. 85, Missouri State at No. 108, UNI at 144 and Southern Illinois at 164.
Scheduled Tough
Drake leads the league with a non-conference strength of schedule of 13. Three other league schools, including Missouri State (No. 19), UNI (No. 37) and Southern Illinois (No. 67), also have schedules that rank in the top-70. The Valley is one of seven leagues to have at least four teams appearing in the Top 70, joining the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Pac 12, SEC and Southland.
Mid-Major Top-25 Poll
Drake appeared in the latest (Feb. 6) CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25. The Bulldogs remained 14th for the third-straight week in the rankings, while Missouri State is receiving votes in the poll. Green Bay ranks first in the poll, followed by Belmont.