Power Conference Encounters Abound
(St. Louis, MO) – MTE action hits high gear for women’s basketball teams from the Missouri Valley Conference. Thanksgiving Day is just the beginning, but like ‘Turkey Day’ these are some tasty games. A more robust schedule starts up on Friday and over the next several days, Valley teams will face seven power conference teams and the nation’s number one ‘mid-major’ squad.
While Drake, Northern Iowa and Missouri State play games on Thursday and play again on Friday, Illinois State, Belmont and Evansville join in on Friday. Valparaiso joins in on Saturday.
Paradise Jam
Northern Iowa and Missouri State are playing in the US Virgin Islands. The Panthers and Lady Bears are participating in the absolutely loaded Paradise Jam. Thursday, UNI tangles with Auburn and Missouri State faces the nation’s top mid-major team Gonzaga.
UNI’s Maya McDermott is college basketball’s second leading scorer (26.0 mpg). McDermott and her teammates most recently defeated eighth ranked Iowa State. Auburn (3-2) is third nationally in three-point percentage (.452). After their encounter with the Tigers, UNI (3-1) faces Kansas on Friday and Pittsburgh Saturday. That is an SEC, Big Twelve, Big Ten gauntlet for Tanya Warren’s Panthers. UNI is ranked sixth in the latest CollegeInsider.com mid-major poll.
Missouri State’s road isn’t any easier. After their tilt with the Zags, the Lady Bears face Florida State (receiving votes), and Texas Tech. Florida State is the top scoring team in women’s basketball, averaging 100.7 points-per-game, led by the country’s most prolific scorer in. Aa’Niya Latson (26.8 ppg). Makayla Timpson is the nation’s second leading rebounder (12.7).
Drake’s Opportunities
While Drake carries an uncharacteristic three-game losing streak with them to San Juan, Puerto Rico, opportunities abound for the Bulldogs. Drake’s three-game skid has all come at the hands of power conference foes. Regional rivals, Creighton, Iowa and Iowa State have all outlasted Drake. The Iowa State loss was by a two-point margin.
Drake’s Katie Dinnebier (23.6 ppg) is the country’s sixth leading scorer and the Bulldogs open the San Juan Shootout against Wyoming. Friday the twelfth rated mid-major Bulldogs take on the 18th ranked Green Bay Phoenix and finish the tournament against Washington State.
Friday MTE Action
Illinois State plays Boise State in opening round of the Gulf Coast Showcase and Belmont battles Michigan at the Fort Myers Tip-Off. Valparaiso is in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for the Christmas City Classic and Evansville travels to New Orleans to participate in the Big Easy New Orleans Classic.
Belmont (16th in the MM Poll) faces a Michigan team that is 26th the Associated Press national poll.
The Purple Aces face Nichols on Friday and Delaware on Saturday. Evansville’s Maggie Hartwig is tenth nationally in rebounds (11.4 per game) and thirty-fifth in scoring (19.8). Her freshman teammate, Camryn Runner is twenty-fourth in scoring, contributing 20.6 points-per-game.
Valpo starts action on Saturday against North Dakota.
Do Good
Editor: Cover photo of Katie Dinnebier courtesy of godrakebulldogs.com.
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