The following "Starting Five" points offer a quick look inside GLVC women's basketball action this week:
STARTING FIVE
[1 | league play returns to cross-divisional contests]
A big week of GLVC women's basketball is upcoming this week, as teams
return to cross-divisional play that includes a top-25 contest between West leader and No. 12 Drury (19-2, 11-0 GLVC) at No. 11 Bellarmine (17-3, 9-2 GLVC) on Thursday night before Drury visits East leader Southern Indiana (18-3, 10-1 GLVC) Saturday afternoon. Indianapolis (14-7, 8-3 GLVC), fresh off its upset win over Bellarmine, will be traveling to Truman State (10-10, 5-6 GLVC) – both fourth-place in the East and West, respectively – Thursday night, while West second-place Rockhurst (12-6, 7-4 GLVC) welcomes East's third-place Lewis (16-5, 8-3 GLVC) Saturday afternoon.
[2 | same story, different week]
For the third week in a row,
an upset was recorded in a GLVC women’s basketball game. This week, it came from Indianapolis in an 80-65 home win against then-No.11 Bellarmine. UIndy used a season-high 66 percent (33-for-50) shooting from the field behind Nicole Anderson’s record-setting performance. She was a perfect 11-for-11 from the floor that set a single-game record for most field goals in a game without a miss. Anderson, along with Martha Burse, scored a game-high 25 points in the victory. Additionally, it was the first time in three years the Greyhounds took a win against a ranked opponent. It’s worth noting that Southern Indiana – the current leader in the East Division – visited UIndy Saturday after its Thursday upset win and took a W of its own, 58-47, to spoil the celebrations from two days prior.
[3 | two ranked, four represented in wbca poll]
The Great Lakes Valley Conference is represented by four teams in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA)
NCAA Division II Poll, it was announced Tuesday (Jan. 31). Drury (19-2, 11-0 GLVC) finally cracked the top 10 this week at No. 9, following another undefeated week of games in the GLVC. Bellarmine (17-3, 9-2 GLVC) dropped from No. 11 to No. 15 after going 1-1 with an upset handed to them by Indianapolis, and both Southern Indiana (18-3, 10-1 GLVC) and Lewis (16-5, 8-3 GLVC) continue to receive votes.
[4 | another 1,000-point plateau produced]
Three players have joined the 1,000-point club so far this season, including the latest standout in Southern Indiana’s Tanner Marcum during last week’s road win at Indianapolis. She became the 16th player in program history to surpass the mark with a 21-point performance. The two others to reach the mark during 2016-17 were Bellarmine’s Sarah Galvin and William Jewell’s Maddie Nelson. In fact, Nelson also collected her 500th rebound and 300th assist earlier in the season to become the first player in program history to reach all three of those milestones in their career.
[5 | glvc ranks among ncaa statistical leaders]
In Monday’s
NCAA statistical report, five teams find themselves in the top 10 in 13 different categories while six players claim the same accolades. Drury takes over the top spot for GLVC teams in the top 10 with a mark in five different categories. The Panthers’ highest mark is sixth in field-goal percentage (47.3), while they rank ninth in three categories, including scoring margin (19.2), turnover margin (6.86) and three-point field-goal percentage (39.7). The fifth top-10 mark for Drury comes in the win-lost category as it holds a 90.5 percent for 10th. Southern Indiana follows with four top-10 spots with its best position at No. 4 with 115 blocked shots. USI’s 5.5 blocked shots per game ranks eighth, while its 10.9 rebound margin ranks fifth. Lastly, the Screaming Eagles are No. 7 in scoring margin (20.7). Bellarmine follows with two top-10 rankings that include a No. 8 spot for free throws made (353) and the 10th position in free throw attempts (486). Lewis has the highest national ranking of all teams with a 48.7 field-goal percentage, which makes them the second-best shooting team in Division II. Rounding out the contingent of league representatives is Maryville, as its 24.3 three-point field-goal defense ranks fifth in the nation. Of the six players who rank among the 10 best in D-II, Lewis’ Jessica Kelliher boasts two different top-10 rankings to include the best field-goal percentage of 70.0. She is also third in field goals made with 177. The next highest mark comes from William Jewell’s Maddie Nelson, claiming second for minutes played (38.00). Missouri-St. Louis’ Jordan Fletcher gives the GLVC two top-10 players in field-gal percentage with her No. 4 clip of 61.9 percent. Kelliher’s teammate Jamie Johnson is seventh in free-throw percentage (89.8), and Drury’s Paige Wilson comes in at No. 9 for three-point field-goal percentage (64.0). USI’s Tanner Marcum finishes the list with her 62 steals that’s good for 10th nationally.