ST. LOUIS – Redshirt sophomore Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) of the Drake University women's basketball team has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season, the MVC announced Monday, Jan. 15 afternoon.
 
Rhine, a forward, helped Drake earn home wins over Indiana State and Evansville as the Bulldogs have won six straight games and sit in first place in the MVC standings. She averaged 23.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steal while shooting 56.2 percent from the floor (18-of-32) and 75 percent from the free throw line (9-of-12). In the win over Indiana State, Rhine scored a game-high 22 points behind a 9-of-17 shooting performance and made 6-of-7 free throws. She added 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season to go along with two blocks and two steals in just 20 minutes. She followed that with another near double-double with 22 points and eight rebounds in just 19 minutes. Rhine made 9-of-14 shots and added two blocks. She has scored 20-plus points in five games this season.
 
This season, Rhine is averaging a team-best 16.1 points per game, which is the second-best mark in the MVC to go along with 6.8 rebounds per game and she leads the league in field goal percentage at 56.1. Rhine was previously named MVC Player of the Week on Dec. 4.
 
Rhine and her teammates host UNI Friday, Jan. 19 with tipoff against the Panthers set for 7 p.m. The in-state game is the MVC's Game of the Week on ESPN3.