SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — For the second consecutive week, a Missouri State Lady Bear has been named State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, as Christiana Shorter was selected for the honor by the league office Monday after helping MSU complete a perfect three-game home stand with a key MVC win over Wichita State last Friday.
Shorter helped power Missouri State to its eighth straight home victory with her fifth double-double of the season — a 21-point, 14-rebound performance — in the Lady Bears’ runaway 71-41 win over the Shockers. The 6-1 sophomore converted field goal tries on back-to-back possessions late in the first half to initiate a 23-0 scoring spurt for MSU.
Shorter would combine with Casey Garrison to score the first 21 points of the decisive run, paving the way for the Lady Bears’ first victory over the Shockers in nearly two years. In all, the Tulsa native recorded a pair of steals and went 7-of-10 from the floor and 7-of-9 from the foul line.
The award is the first MVC Player of the Week honor for Shorter and the fifth weekly Valley award of her career. Last year, Shorter was named MVC Newcomer of the Year four times en route to being voted MVC Freshman of the Year at the conclusion of the season.
Shorter’s award is the fourth player of the week citation for a Lady Bear in 2010-11. Garrison has been recognized as player of the week three times this season — including last week — giving MSU back-to-back winners for the third time over the last two seasons.
The Lady Bears (15-4, 6-1 MVC) will begin a two-game road swing Thursday (Jan. 27) with a 7:05 p.m., game against Creighton in at D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Neb.
-MSU-
