Generational Players and Huge Games

Gigantic Matchups in Women’s Hoops

(St. Louis, MO) – Incredible opportunities await Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball fans. This weekend we have generational players and huge games on display. There may have been more storied times in Valley women’s hoops, but these players and these rivalries are so intriguing.

Northern Iowa at Drake and Murray State at Belmont. Are you kidding me? These are great rivalries and the games are huge in the standings and significant in the legacy leaving by some of these generational players.

We are privileged to enjoy such great theatre.

Generational Players – Iowa Version

Northern Iowa and Drake have endured some recent losses that we didn’t see coming and find themselves looking up at some other teams in the standings. But the Panthers and the Bulldogs aren’t out of contention.

UNI (10-10, 5-4) and Drake (12-8, 6-3) are one hot streak away from battling for a top spot or at least a first round bye in the conference tournament. The Bulldogs are the defending conference and tournament champions. Their tournament-clinching win was an overtime affair with the Panthers.

Coach Tanya Warren lost all-league forward Grace Bofelli to injury weeks ago and have been fighting to stay in the title hunt. During her 18^th season at the Panther helm, Warren’s generational player Maya McDermott has been brilliant.

The 5’6 guard is the Valley’s second leading scorer (19.7 ppg), is fourth in assists and leads in assist/turnover margin. McDermott’s 1,705 career points rank fifth all-time on the UNI scoring list and her 424 assists leave her one helper away from tying for fourth all-time on that list.

McDermott and teammate Kayba Laube are the top two three-point shooters (by percentage) and the point guard is the Valley’s top marksmen from the free throw line. The former all-freshman team, most improved team and first-team member is fifth on the UNI three-point shooting list (207) and if the season ended today, her scoring average would be the best in Panther history.

Drake’s generational player ain’t bad. Katie Dinnebier is enjoying one of the greatest seasons in Bulldog and MVC history. The Drake guard leads the Valley in scoring (20.4), assists (7.4), three-pointers (3.2 per game) and steals (2.9). Dinnebier’s 1,698 points find her fourteenth on the Bulldog all-time scoring list.

With 683 assists, the 5’8 guard is third on the Drake all-time chart. 244 career steals, sees her name listed sixth all-time. Dinnebier’s assist average is tied for first nationally.

Generational Players – First Place Battle

Murray State and Belmont are tied for the Valley’s top spot with 8-1 records. Each of the long-time rivals have NET ratings in the fifties, so this is a battle for Valley supremacy AND a quadrant one game for the traveling Racers and a quad two affair for the Bruins.

Murray State is first in the Valley and third nationally in scoring offense (88.8 ppg) and employ three of the Valley’s top nine scorers. Katelyn Young (19.3) is third behind Dinnebier and McDermott and is Murray State’s all-time leading scorer with 2,660 points! Her 1,115 rebounds place her second on the Racer all-time ladder and first place Jackie Mounts is within view. Young is a four-time all-conference player.

Rechelle Turner’s team (14-4) is well on its way to its third twenty-win season in the last four campaigns. The Racers and Bruins have met 46 times with the Bruins winning 24, including the last four meetings.

While Belmont (13-7) has won seven straight games, the Racers have captured six straight. Head coach Bart Brooks has collected six conference championships during his seven season coaching stint. Brooks has claimed three league tournament titles.

Generational players seem to abound in this league. Belmont’s Tuti Jones shouldn’t be overlooked. The 5’6 guard is second on the Bruins’ all-time steals list (310) and her 346 assists have her flirting with top-ten status in that category. Jones’ 1,260 career points are extremely respectable.

During her four-plus seasons at Belmont, the Bruins have won 106 games, two league titles and two tournament trophies.

Generational Players and Huge Games

This is round one of a two-game show down between these pairs of rivals, and don’t forget Missouri State and Ilinois State. The Lady Bears (15-4, 7-1) and the Redbirds (12-7, 6-2) are in the mix and have outstanding individual players. Illinois State’s Maya Wong deserves to be in this conversation. She is one of the Redbirds’ all-time assist leaders.

Those two meet on Sunday. In this conference, the huge matchups just keep showing up. Next weekend the Redbirds take the Iowa swing to visit Drake and Northern Iowa. Buckle up, generational players and huge games are an everyday thing in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Do Good