OVC & MVC Regular Season Ends
(St. Louis, MO) – The regular season came to a dramatic conclusion for the Missouri Valley and Ohio Valley Conferences. Some losing streaks were snapped, fresh injuries occurred, a conference champion was crowned and some new players broke out in big ways.
Both of our valley conferences begin their post-season tournaments this week.
Missouri Valley Conference
Evansville’s Shamar Givance helped Evansville end a seven-game losing streak and nabbed a fifth seed for Arch Madness. Givance scored 21 points during Friday’s loss to Missouri State, then the 5’10 junior poured in 22 points to help UE upset the third-seeded Bears. This week’s ‘Player of the Week’ sparked the Purple Aces’ rise to an Arch Madness, first round bye.
Northern Iowa is playing its best basketball of the season and one of the reasons is the play of freshman guard Bowen Born. The 5’11 rookie led the Panthers to a weekend sweep of Illinois State. He scored 19 points during Saturday’s double-overtime win, which secured head coach Ben Jacobson’s 300th career win. Born is the Valley’s ‘Newcomer of the Week‘.
Ohio Valley Conference
Jr Clay – ttusports.com
Tennessee Tech’s Jr. Clay helped the Golden Eagles end a three-game losing streak and finish the season with a two-game winning streak. Clay averaged 25.5 points and six rebounds during the sweep of Austin Peay and Murray State. This week’s ‘Player of the Week’ is Tech’s only weekly award honor this season.
Darian Adams has secured a spot on the OVC’s ‘all-newcomer’ team. The Jacksonville State senior earned his fourth ‘Newcomer of the Week’ award by averaging 21 points, five rebounds and three assists as the Gamecocks also swept APSU and Murray.
Two players locked up their places on the league’s ‘all freshman’ team. Morehead State’s Johni Broome and Eastern Kentucky’s Wendell Green are this week’s ‘Co-Freshmen of the Week’. The two outstanding rookies are the top contenders to be named THE ‘Freshman of the Year’.
Broome earned his eighth weekly honor and Green has picked up five. The 6’10 Broome averaged a double-double while he and Green sparked their individual teams to historically successful seasons. EKU’s 15 OVC wins are the most in program history. Morehead’s 17 conference victories established a new Eagles’ record.
Tournaments
The OVC championships begin on Wednesday and the Valley’s tips on Thursday.
Do Good
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So Illinois dropped its investigation due to no evidence... At least they won a bunch of games.
Buckley’ big @ufc win reminds us that St. Louis’ Jesse Finney finds and helps develope top talent.
While you're all stirred up about @MissouriStBears leaving the @MVCsports you can get to know @UIC_MBB new coach @RobEhsan who is building the Flames' basketball program.
Since 2000, Missouri State's football team is 101-164. They've accumulated 5 winning seasons, with ONE being better than 6-5. They've accumulated SEVEN seasons of at least 8 losses. Not knocking them for struggling, but to move up for THAT sport has to come with some very good $
