SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — For the third consecutive week a Missouri State Lady Bear earned State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week recognition Monday, as junior Casey Garrison picked up the award after turning in a career-high 36 points Saturday at Drake in leading MSU to its first road win over the Bulldogs in six years.
For Garrison—who averaged 30.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in two games last week—the honor is her fourth player of the week award this season. The Bolivar, Mo., product earned the same honor in consecutive weeks in November and again on January 17 to begin the Lady Bears’ current string of weekly Valley awards. Christiana Shorter was tabbed for the same honor last week after her 21-point, 14-rebound performance against Wichita State.
Garrison was at her best Saturday in a 90-61 win at Drake, tallying 14 straight points for MSU to spark the Lady Bears’ decisive 29-8 scoring run that turned a one-point halftime deficit into a runaway victory. Garrison’s 22 second-half points was more than any other player totaled over the course of the entire game. In addition, she handed out a game and season-high seven assists, while recording career bests for field goals (13) and three-point field goals (5).
That performance followed a 24-point effort at Creighton Thursday in which Garrison scored 18 points in the second half and finished with a game-high eight rebounds to go along with four assists.
The honor for Garrison is the 12th weekly MVC citation of her career, including eight player of the week awards. She was named MVC Newcomer of the Week four times in 2008-09 en route to capturing the league’s Freshman of the Year honor. Last year, she was selected as player of the week three times on her way to receiving the Jackie Stiles MVC Player of the Year award as the league’s most valuable player.
The Lady Bears (16-5, 7-2 MVC) return home Friday (Feb. 4) to kick-off the second half of the MVC season against the Bradley Braves. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at JQH Arena.
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