96.9 The Jock ESPN Radio Springfield Missouri
By: Ben Adamson
St. LOUIS – Missouri State junior forward Jasmine Franklin was honored as the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week Monday for the first time this season and third in her career.
Franklin led Missouri State in scoring and rebounding in the Lady Bears’ two victories at Illinois State, averaging 15.5 points, 8.5 boards, 2.5 assists, 2.5 steals and one block per game while shooting 6-for-11 in each contest and 78 percent at the foul line.
Friday, the Fayetteville, Ark., native collected her 20th career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, adding three assists, two steals and two blocks. Saturday, the junior had a team-high 15 points with seven boards, three steals and two assists to help the Lady Bears to their ninth consecutive road victory. Franklin also drew a team-high 11 fouls from ISU in the two-game set.
Missouri State has now had a player earned the league’s top weekly award following each of its four Valley weekends this season, with senior Brice Calip collecting the previous three.
The Lady Bears (13-2, 9-0 MVC) are one of five teams nationally with a combined 11 Quadrant 1 & 2 wins according to the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), joining Stanford, South Carolina, Louisville and Texas A&M on that list. Additionally, only Stanford (10) exceeds MSU’s total of eight such road wins, and only the Lady Bears are at least 8-0 in Q1/2 road games this season.
Missouri State is one of three Division I teams with at least eight road victories without a loss and is ranked 25th by the Associated Press and 23rd in the Coaches Poll.
The Lady Bears are home Feb. 19 and 20 to host Bradley in a pair of 7 p.m. games. Tickets are available at MissouriStateBears.com/tickets or at the Old Missouri Bank Box Office at JQH Arena, (417) 836-7678, during regular box office hours.
