Drake's Becca Hittner averaged 19.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, while shooting 58.3% from behind the arc, in wins over Bradley and Illinois State to lock up an outright MVC title, earning her second MVC Player of the Week honor of the season. Loyola freshman Abby O'Connor averaged 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game as the Ramblers claimed a split against Evansville and Indiana State, earning her third Newcomer of the Week honor.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Becca Hittner, So., G, Drake
Hittner averaged 19.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game to help Drake beat Bradley and Illinois State to lock up the Bulldogs’ second consecutive outright MVC regular season title. Against Bradley, Hittner poured in a game-high 24 points behind a 7-of-14 shooting performance, including knocking down a career-high five three-pointers on just eight attempts. In the win over Illinois State, she scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including making a pair of three-pointers. She added four assists and three rebounds in the win. In MVC play this season, Hittner is averaging the second-best scoring mark in the league at 15.5 points per game.
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK:
Abby O’Connor, Fr., G, Loyola
Loyola freshman Abby O’Connor averaged 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists as the Ramblers split a pair of games in the state of Indiana this past weekend. In Friday’s 60-47 win over Evansville, O’Connor overcame early foul trouble to finish with a team-high 18 points to go along with three rebounds, two blocks and three steals. The South Bend, Ind. product followed up that performance by adding 15 points and six rebounds as part of a performance against Indiana State that also included an assist, a block and a steal. O’Connor, who has now reached double figures in scoring in a team-best 17 times this season, leads all Valley freshmen in scoring at 10.9 ppg. She’s upped her game to another level during conference play, upping that average to 12.1 ppg, a mark that also leads all Valley freshmen.
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 team highs of 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, while shooting 56 percent from the field in the final two road games of the season. She had 17 points on 8-for-12 shooting along with seven rebounds, one assist, two blocks and a steal in Bradley’s near upset of league champion Drake Friday. She followed it up with a game-high 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting along with five boards and one rebound Sunday at Northern Iowa for her fifth consecutive game with 16 or more points. Markert moved into ninth in career blocks at Bradley with her 87th career rejection and is the first Brave to have 15+ points in five consecutive games since fellow Mt. Sterling, Ill., native and her former neighbor Leah Kassing did so as a senior in 2011-12.
Kerri Gasper (UE) - Following up a stellar weekend a week ago, junior guard Kerri Gasper continued to lead the Aces in a pair of home MVC contests this weekend. Taking on Loyola and Valparaiso inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse, Gasper averaged 18 points, 7.5 rebounds, and a pair of steals per game, team-bests in all three categories. Against Loyola on Friday night, the Olmsted Township, Ohio native recorded the second-highest scoring performance of her career, going for 23 points, eight rebounds, two steals, an assist, and a block, while hitting all seven of her opportunities from the charity stripe, in a 60-47 loss to the Ramblers. In Evansville’s home finale on Sunday afternoon against Valpo, Gasper finished with a team-high 13 points to go along with seven rebounds, two steals, and an assist in the Aces’ 67-54 loss. Gasper has led Evansville in scoring in nine-straight games becoming the first Ace since at least the 2004-05 season to accomplish the feat.
Hannah Green (ILS) - Hannah led all scorers in Sunday’s game, tying her career high of 22 points. The senior forward averaged 16.5 points per game this weekend, shooting 56.5 percent from the field, and secured her 500th career point. Green also dished out three assists and grabbed seven rebounds for the Redbirds.
Wendi Bibbins (INS) - Wendi Bibbins averaged 13.5 points per game as the Sycamores swept the weekend and clinched the team’s best finish in The Valley in four years. Bibbins totaled 16 rebounds (8.0 rpg), registered 6 steals and four assists while blocking two shots. She was perfect from the free throw line (3-for-3) and shot an impressive 50 percent from the field (12-for-24).
Alexa Willard (MSU) - Alexa Willard finished with 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting, five rebounds and an assist in Missouri State’s Friday victory against Southern Illinois. Willard also went 6-for-6 at the foul line, and tallied 16 points in the first 20 minutes to lead the Lady Bears to a 20-point halftime lead.
Megan Maahs (UNI) - Sophomore Megan Maahs posted back-to-back games in double-figures for the Panthers as UNI swept Illinois State and Bradley at home. Maahs scored a career-high 18 points against the Redbirds on Friday night, while grabbing five rebounds and recording two blocks. Against the Braves on Sunday, Maahs scored 14 points and came within one rebound of her league-leading 11th double-double, while recording two blocks. Maahs has climbed up the all-time leaderboards at UNI for rebounds, ranking third for most rebounds in a season after securing 271 on the year.
Nicole Martin (SIU) - Martin finished with 10 points and eight rebounds in SIU’s lone game at Missouri State last week. The Jefferson City, Mo. native was 4-of-5 from the field and tied a career-high with six offensive rebounds. She also scored in double figures for the 12th time in her last 13 games and the 20th time overall this season.
Dani Franklin (VALPO) - Franklin turned in 24 points in a victory over Evansville on Sunday to lead all scorers. She had 10 rebounds on Friday at Indiana State, her fourth double-figure rebounding performance in a seven-game span. Over the last eight games, Franklin is averaging a double-double of 15.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. She played in her 117th career game on Sunday, advancing into a tie for seventh in program history. Franklin also moved into sixth in program history in career rebounds and surpassed the 400-point mark for the season this weekend.
Gabi Haack (BRAD) - Haack averaged 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, while shooting 44 percent from three-point range in the final two road games of the season. She scored a team-best 22 points Friday in Bradley’s upset bid of league champion Drake, making 6-of-12 three-point attempts. Haack also had five rebounds, two assists and a steal against the Bulldogs. She had five points and three boards Sunday at Northern Iowa as she pushed her season three-point total into a tie for seventh among Bradley marks. Haack joined Lizzy Wendell as the only MVC freshman since 1996-97 with 55 three-pointers and at least 165 rebounds, while her 288 points this season ranks seventh among Bradley freshman totals.
Maddie Monahan (DU) - Monahan averaged 6.5 points and 3.5 assists and missed just one shot in the two games. Against Bradley, she scored five points and handed out two assists while making both of her shots, including one three-pointer, in 21 minutes. She followed that performance with eight points and five assists in the win over Illinois State. She went 3-of-4 from the floor and made both of her free throws in 19 minutes. On the season, Monahan averages 5.1 points per game and 3.1 assists per game.
Ty Battle (INS) - Ty Battle averaged 8.0 ppg and 7.5 rpg as Indiana State swept the weekend and clinched the team’s best finish in The Valley in four years. She scored 16 points overall and had 15 rebounds on the week, was 40 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point land and blocked two shots.
Brice Calip (MSU) - Brice Calip had seven points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal in 24 minutes in Friday’s win against SIU. Calip shot 2-of-4 from the floor and 3-for-4 at the foul line, and improved her assist-to-turnover ratio for the season to 1.66, the 11th-best in school history based on a minimum 70 assists.
Nicole Kroeger (UNI) - Nicole Kroeger filled the stat sheet in two games for UNI, aiding the Panthers with a weekend sweep over Illinois State and Bradley. Kroeger scored five points against the Redbirds, while earning six rebounds and dishing out four assists. Against the Braves, Kroeger scored five points once more, while adding three rebounds and one assist.
Makenzie Silvey (SIU) - Silvey scored 18 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists in SIU’s lone game at Missouri State last week. Silvey was 6-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-9 from behind the arc, in 26 minutes Friday night. It marked the 15th time this season that the Glen Carbon, Ill. native has reached double figures in scoring.
Ella Ellenson (VALPO) - After matching a career high with seven rebounds on Friday at Indiana State, Ellenson shattered that watermark on Sunday with nine boards. With three players sidelined by injuries and another player limited, Ellenson stepped into a larger role off the bench for the Crusaders. She made key contributions to Sunday’s win over Evansville and averaged 5.5 points and 8.0 rebounds for the week.