ST. LOUIS -- Missouri State women’s basketball freshman Casey Garrison has been named the Missouri Valley Conference’s Newcomer of the Week for the third time in 2008-09. The 5-11 guard led Missouri State to a pair of wins and its top two offensive performances of the 2008-09 season in the Caribbean Classic in Cancun, Mexico, this past weekend.

Garrison posted averages of 17.0 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 4.5 apg. and 1.5 spg. to help the Lady Bears close out the non-conference portion of the schedule on a three-game win streak. She led all scorers with 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field in Saturday’s (Dec. 20) 77-68 win over Chattanooga. Her three-pointer with 7:02 to play in the opening half started a 21-6 run and her second trey with 4:47 to go gave MSU a lead it would never relinquish. Garrison, who scored 18 points in the first half, would add two more baskets before the end of the period to help the Lady Bears take control of the game for good. The Bolivar, Mo., product would also finish with five rebounds, four assists and three steals.

On Friday (Dec. 19), Garrison was one of five Lady Bears to finish in double figures with a 10-point, 5-assist, 4-rebound performance in an 82-63 victory over Stephen F. Austin.

Through the first 11 games of the season, Garrison is the MVC’s third-leading scorer (15.8 ppg.) and leads the Lady Bears with averages of 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.1 steals per contest.

The Lady Bears return home to open the conference season following a 13-day break. MSU will welcome the UNI Panthers to JQH Arena Jan. 2 for a 7:05 p.m. contest to open MVC play.