ST. LOUIS – Junior Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) of the Drake University women's basketball team won her league-leading fifth Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week award while freshman Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) won her league-leading fourth MVC Newcomer of the Week award, the league announced Monday, Feb. 29.

Wendell had a great weekend in helping to lead Drake to big wins over Loyola and Bradley. She averaged 25.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 1.5 assists while shooting 59 percent from the floor and 42 percent from beyond the arc.

Wendell started the weekend on Friday with a game-high 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting, including hitting 3-of-5 from behind the three-point line, adding five steals, four rebounds and two assists in just 24 minutes in a 30-point win over Loyola. She followed that with a game-high 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting, adding five rebounds, two steals and one assist in 26 minutes in a blowout win over Bradley on Sunday.

Wendell, the MVC's Preseason Player of the Year, leads the Valley in scoring at 20.6 points per game. She has previously won the MVC's top player of the week award on Nov. 16, 23, 30 and Feb. 1.

Rhine continues to post impressive numbers in her first season as a Bulldog. Rhine averaged 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals in just 18.0 minutes per game behind a blistering 75.0 percent shooting mark in Drake's wins over Bradley and Loyola.

This season, Rhine is averaging 12.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while leading the MVC in field goal percentage at a 62.9 clip. Rhine has previously won the MVC's newcomer of the week award on Jan. 4 & 11 and Feb. 8.

Drake closes the regular season with a two-game road trip starting at Evansville on March 3 at 7 p.m. and ending at Southern Illinois on March 5 at 2 p.m. Both contests will broadcast online via The Valley On ESPN3.