MVC/OVC Weekly Awards

Stunning Week 12 Performances

(St. Louis, MO) – Stunning performances highlight the MVC/OVC weekly awards. While the conference race is heating up, so are the players. Thirty-point games, double-doubles, large rebound and assist totals flew across our computer screen all week.

Historic numbers were eclipsed and big wins punctuated this week’s games in the Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley Conferences.

Ohio Valley Conference

For the second straight week, Southern Indiana’s Jacob Polakovich shares the ‘Player of the Week‘ award with another player. The 6’9 forward recorded two more, 20-rebound games and his second 20-20 game (20 points and twenty-four rebounds) of the season. His five contests with 20 or more rebounds is the national leader, and he is the only player to have multiple 20-20 games. The Screaming Eagles (13-10, 6-4) split their two games, with the loss coming in overtime behind the play of the nation’s second ranked rebounder (13.1 per game).

Polakovich has won three, player of the week awards.

Morehead State’s Mark Freeman scored 25 (against Little Rock) and 28 points (against Southern Illinois Edwardsville) during the Eagles’ 2-and-0 week. The 5’11 senior is Morehead’s (14-9, 7-3) second winner of the ‘Player of the Week’ award. Alex Gross grabbed the honor after the third week of the season. Freeman ranks in the OVC’s top four in scoring (15.9 ppg), assists (3.6) and free throw percentage (.884).

UT Martin (15-8, 7-3) earned a pair of narrow victories and this week’s ‘Newcomer of the Week‘ was a key part of the Skyhawks’ recipe for success. Jordan Sears scored a career high 32 points during Saturday’s overtime win against Southern Indiana. The Gardner-Webb transfer added 16 points earlier against Lindenwood.

We’re starting to call the ‘Freshman of the Week‘ award the Eastern Illinois, Freshman of the Week award. Cameron Haffner claimed the honor this week (for the second time) and EIU rookies have grabbed six of the twelve freshman weekly honors. Haffner averaged 11 points per game, while scoring a season high 17 against USI.

Other players of note include, Phillip Russell and Ray’Sean Taylor who each topped the thirty-point mark. K.J. Simon recorded two, double-doubles. During one game, Tennessee State’s Jr Clay scored 26 points and handed out 14 assists.

Missouri Valley Conference

Valparaiso’s Ben Krikke is riding a wave of success. Valpo (10-13, 4-8) has won four of its last five games and Krikke has been on fire. The senior forward recorded scoring performances of 22 and 30 points and rebounding numbers of eight and nine. This week’s ‘Player of the Week‘ also moved into sixteenth on the Beacons’ all-time scoring list with 1,391 points.

Krikke’s scoring average has risen to 18.1 points-per-game and he has accumulated double digit scoring performances during 21 of Valpo’s 23 games.

Illinois State’s forward Seneca Knight’s break out week came just at the right time. With leading scorer Darius Burford injured, Knight rang up 24 points Sunday as the Redbirds knocked off Southern Illinois. That performance came on the heels of his 19-point game against arch rival Bradley earlier in the week.

The Valley’s ‘Newcomer of the Week’ has scored over 1,200 career points during a career that has seen him play at BYU, San Jose State and with the Redbirds.

This week Drake’s Garrett Sturtz became the program’s all-time career rebounding leader (858).

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