Wednesdays in the Valley (2/21)

The Final Push

(St. Louis, MO) – Missouri State came up big last night and who will come up big tonight in the Missouri Valley Conference? During this final week of the regular season, there is still so much at stake for these Valley teams. Wednesdays in the Valley has never been more meaningful.

The regular season title is up for grabs. Four first round byes are there for the taking and Arch Madness seeding will be determined this week.

Missouri State Breaks the Tie

Missouri State and Murray State’s seasons have mirrored one another. Each team had to completely remake its roster during the offseason and have struggled to find consistency. Coming into last night the Bears and Racers had each split their last ten games and had league marks of 10-and-8.

Donovan Clay had everything working in this one. The Bears earned a home win, as Clay scored 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out a team high seven assists. Missouri State led by twelve at the half (46-34), but after Murray opened the second stanza with seven quick points, the Bears found another gear and pulled away. On the strength of a 16-0 run the Bears earned its tenth home victory (84-69).

With the outcome, both teams are 15-14, and the Bears move into sole possession of sixth place.

Wednesdays in the Valley – Highlight Game

Indiana State (20-9, 13-5) @ Belmont (19-10, 12-6) – 6:30 pm – ESPN+

The Sycamores still have an outside shot at claiming a share of the Valley regular season title. Indiana State trails Bradley and Drake by one game and one of those teams will lose on Sunday. If the Trees are to stay in the hunt, they not only have to earn a win at the Curb Event Center, where Belmont is 11-2, but they’ll have to do so without team leader Cameron Henry who is out with a concussion.

Belmont is fighting with the Sycamores and Southern Illinois for a first round bye at Arch Madness. The Valley’s top four teams earn that pass into the quarterfinals. Belmont is one of four NCAA teams to have won at least 19 games over the last 18 seasons and if they secure a twentieth win, they will have hit that number for thirteen straight seasons.

Sycamore newcomer Courvoisier McCauley is a shoe in to win the Valley’s ‘Newcomer of the Year’ and Belmont’s Ben Sheppard will be a first team, all-conference player and is a contender for the league’s ‘Player of the Year’ trophy.

This is the only meeting of the year between the two contenders.

Battling for a Bye

Northern Iowa (13-15, 9-9) @ Southern Illinois (20-9, 12-6) – 7 pm – ESPN+

The Salukis are 12-2 at home and are part of that three-way battle to finish in the Valley’s top four. SIU’s home loss to Bradley on Sunday ended its title hopes, but are still hoping to avoid playing a game next Thursday in St. Louis.

With a win, UNI would move into a tie for seventh place with Murray State. Player of the Year candidates reside on each team. UNI’s Bowen Born and SIU’s Marcus Domask are the unquestioned leaders of their teams, but their individual games couldn’t be more different. Born is a scoring guard (18.04 ppg) who will have the ball in his hands at all times.

Domask is a 6’6 wing that does it all for the Salukis. He scores (16.8 ppg), rebounds (5.9) and distributes (3.9). The senior ranks among SIU’s career leaders in multiple departments. Who contributes beyond these two all-conference players will determine who wins this game.

Domask’s fellow senior, Lance Jones has been in a shooting/scoring slump. If he breaks out of that slump, SIU is a dangerous team that could capture the Arch Madness title. UNI is one of the youngest teams around. While Born is a third year sophomore, true sophomores and freshmen are the rest of the major contributors for Ben Jacobson’s Panthers.

Tytan Anderson leads the Valley in rebounding and will land on the league’s ‘most improved team’. Michael Duax will also earn his way on to the Valley’s all-freshman team.

Leaders Try to ‘Hold Serve’

Bradley (21-8, 14-4) @ Valparaiso (11-18, 5-13) – 6 pm – MVC TV

Bradley and Drake are playing in those proverbial ‘trap games’. While tied for first place with a showdown on Sunday looming, both the Braves and Bulldogs could look beyond tonight’s opponents.

Bradley has won eight straight and boast of the league’s best defensive team (61.2 ppg). Brian Wardle’s team is the deepest in the Valley. Eight players average at least 5.7 points and play at least 17 minutes per game. The Braves front line is the league’s best and guards Duke Deen, Connor Hickman and Zek Montgomery give Wardle plenty of perimeter offense. (See our feature on Hickman)

Valpo’s disappointing season has seen the Beacons lose numerous tightly contested games. After losing by one point on Sunday, Matt Lottich’s team has lost five of its last six games. The Beacons are 0-and-3 in conference, overtime games.

Valpo’s Ben Krikke is on a tear. This week’s ‘Player of the Week is leading the Valley with a 19.6 points per game scoring average.

Illinois State (10-19, 5-13) @ Drake (23-6, 14-4) – 7 pm – ESPN+

Drake has won nine straight and has earned at least twenty victories during all five of head coach Darian DeVries’ seasons in Des Moines. The Bulldogs are the Valley’s most experienced team and it is senior night at the Knapp Center. Roman Penn, D.J. Wilkins and Garrett Sturtz will be playing their final home games.

Penn is the program’s all-time assist leader. Wilkins is its three-point record holder and Sturtz owns its rebounding mark. Those three have been the heart and soul of Drake basketball for the last five seasons.

Teammate Tucker DeVries and Penn are ‘Player of the Year’ candidates.

Illinois State has used 13 different lineup during Ryan Pedon’s first season coaching the Redbirds. With two regular season games left and at least one in St. Louis, Pedon is still hoping to find something to build on for next season.

Wednesdays in the Valley – Avoiding the Basement

Illinois Chicago (11-18, 3-15) @ Evansville (5-24, 1-17) – 7 pm – ESPN+

Evansville’s slim chances to avoid the Valley’s basement begins tonight. The Purple Aces lost their first 14 conference games, but if they sweep the final two, they could force a tie with UIC’s Flames.

UIC has been playing short-handed and Luke Yaklich’s team is the MVC’s youngest squad. The Flames’ one-point win over Valpo ended a three game losing streak. Yaklich’s team played Sunday’s contest with just seven players. Guard Jalen Jackson is the Valley’s reigning ‘Newcomer of the Week’.

All twelve teams play on Sunday with the final regular season game being played at Bradley between the Braves and Drake, for the Valley title. Then Arch Madness begins a week from tomorrow.

As the league website says #ItBeginsHere. March Madness begins with Arch Madness.

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