ST. LOUIS – Kierra Collier (Kansas City, Mo.) and Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) of the Drake University women's basketball team swept the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball weekly awards, the MVC office announced Monday, Feb. 24.
 
Collier was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week for the first time in her career while Rhine was selected the MVC Player of the Week for the second time this season and the 11^th in her career. The pair helped Drake go 2-0 during its final homestand with victories over Bradley and Illinois State.
 
Collier, a redshirt sophomore, averaged 16.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 46.2 percent (12-of-26) from the floor and making all 7-of-7 (100.0 percent) from the free throw line in the Bulldogs' pair of home wins. She scored 22 points in the Bradley win, including a dominating stretch where she scored seven-straight points late in the fourth quarter to help secure the victory. Collier added four rebounds, two assists and one steal. In the Illinois State win, she scored 10 points, handed out four assists and nabbed three steals, including a critical one late in the game. In her first season as a Bulldog, Collier averages 9.0 points and 2.9 assists per game.
 
Rhine recorded double-doubles in each win, averaging 22.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 block per game while shooting a blistering 66.7 percent (14-of-21) from the floor, 66.7 from three (2-of-3) and 83.3 percent (15-of-18) from the free throw line. Rhine started the week with 17 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and one block against the Braves. She followed that with a game-high 28 points and 10 rebounds in the victory over the Redbirds. She has eight double-doubles this season, which is the second-most in the league and 32 in her career, a total that ranks 22nd among active Division I players. Rhine leads the MVC in field goal percentage at 66.3 percent, is No. 2 in scoring at 18.0 points behind teammate Becca Hittner and ranks fifth in rebounding at 7.8.
 
Drake starts its regular season-ending three-game road trip at Loyola on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. The game in Chicago will be streamed on ESPN+.