ST. LOUIS – Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) of the Drake University women's basketball team is the first Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week this season, the MVC office announced Monday, Nov. 11. It marks the second-straight year, Rhine, has won the league's weekly honor to start a season
 
Rhine picked up right where she left off from last season, helping Drake to a 2-0 opening weekend with wins over pair of NCAA Tournament teams, South Dakota State and Iowa State. She averaged 24.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 block and 1.0 steal while shooting a blistering 71.3 percent from the field, 75.0 percent from deep and 81.3 percent from the free throw line in the home victories.
 
Against the Jackrabbits, Rhine finished with a game-high 25 points and added seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks. She scored eight key points in the final period to help off the 2019 NCAA Sweet 16 squad. Rhine followed that great performance with another one against the Cyclones in the annual in-state contest. She led all scorers with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting to go along with a game-high nine rebounds. Rhine connected on 3-of-4 three-point tries (matching her career-high for makes).
 
This is the 10^th career MVC Player of the Week for Rhine, which ties her with former Drake legend Wanda Ford for the fourth most selections in MVC history. Rhine won the award six times last season and three times during the 2017-18 season.
 
Rhine and her teammates play another 2019 NCAA Tournament team in South Dakota on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in Vermillion, S.D.