Two of the league's hottest teams will square off on Fox Sports Midwest on Friday, Feb. 10 at 7:00 p.m. when Wichita State heads to Springfield, Mo., to take on Missouri State.  The Shockers have won 10 of their last 12, while the Lady Bears are winners of five straight.

VALLEY MINI-SERIES
The third Valley women’s basketball telecast of the season will hit the air on FOX Sports Midwest, FOX Sports Indiana Plus and FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX College Sports, ESPN3 (outside the leauge’s six-state footprint, on Friday, Feb. 10 at 7:00 p.m. CST when Wichita State heads to Springfield, Mo., to take on Missouri State.  Scott Warmann and Laura Leonard will have the story from JQH Arena, as the Lady Bears (8-3 MVC, T-2nd) will look to avenge their road loss to the Shockers (9-2 MVC, 1st) last month.

ESPN3 SHOWCASE
The Drake at Evansville contest on Sunday, February 12 will be cleared live on ESPN3 (70 million unique users nationally and 21 million unique users on college campuses and military bases). Scott Warmann and Laura Leonard will once again call the 2 p.m. contest from the brand new Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.

STREAK FOR THE CASH
Missouri State is currently riding a five-game hot streak just past the mid-point of the conference season.  Below is a list of the longest winning streaks of the season.

2011-12 Longest Winning Streaks
Wichita State - 10 (D9 – J21)
Missouri State - 5 (J21 – present)
Bradley - 5 (N30 – D21)
Drake - 4 (D1 – D18)
Indiana State - 4 (D30 – J12)
Creighton - 3, twice (J12 – J20; J27 – F2)
Illinois State - 3, twice (N26 – D2; J20 – J27)
UNI - 3, three times (N25 – D1; D31 – J7; J29-present)

VALLEY HOME WINNING STREAKS
Illinois State currently holds the longest active home winning streak in Valley contests at 20, dating back to Jan. 21, 2010.  The Redbirds were a perfect 9-0 at home in league play last season, and have won their five home contests so far in 2011-12.  Below is a look at the longest home Valley winning streaks of all-time (minimum of 10 consecutive wins):

Valley Home Winning Streaks
66 – Missouri St. (Mar. 3, 1989 – Jan. 20, 1997)
28 – Creighton (Feb. 2, 2001 – Feb. 13, 2004)
21 – Illinois State (Jan. 21, 2010 – Present)
20 – Missouri State (Feb. 15, 2003 – Mar. 3, 2005)
20 – Illinois State (Jan. 30 1988 – Feb. 28, 1990)
20 – Illinois State (Feb. 4, 1985 – Jan. 1, 1988)
19 – Drake (Feb. 3, 1996 – Jan. 17, 1998)
18 – Southern Illinois (Jan. 21, 1995 – Jan. 5, 1997)
15 – Missouri State (Feb. 18, 2000 – Jan. 31, 2002)
14 – Missouri State (Jan. 9, 1999 – Feb. 5, 2000)
12 – Wichita State (Feb. 25, 1999 – Jan. 18, 2001)

STREAK OF A DIFFERENT SORT
Illinois State’s 67-65 victory at Bradley on Jan. 6, 2012, was its 12th consecutive win over the Braves, marking the Valley’s longest active winning streak against a conference opponent – Illinois State looks to extend its streak over Bradley when it hosts the Braves this Sunday, Feb. 12.

Longest Winning Streaks vs. MVC Opponent (From 1983-84)
27 - Southern Illinois over Bradley (1983-95)
25 - Missouri State over UNI (1989-00)
21 - Illinois State over UNI (1984-94)*
20 - UNI over Wichita State (2000-09)
20 - Drake over Southern Illinois (1997-05)
19 - Drake over Bradley (1996-04)
19 - Missouri State over Southern Illinois (1997-06)
19 - Missouri State over Wichita State (1988-97)
18 - Creighton over Bradley (1997-05)
17 - Drake over UNI (1987-95)
17 - Southern Illinois over UNI (1984-92)
16 - Missouri State over Bradley (1992-97)
13 - Illinois State over Bradley (2006-Present)
11 - Creighton over Wichita State (2007-2011)
*ILS won 22-straight in the series; SIU won 17-straight over MSU from 77-89

20-SOMETHING
Drake’s Rachael Hackbarth currently leads the league in scoring at 19.5 points per game, one season after former Bulldog Kristin Turk led the league in scoring at 20.0 ppg.

Just three times in Valley history has the league featured two teammates that averaged 20.0 points or more in back-to-back seasons, including – 

Missouri State’s Kari Koch (20.2 ppg in 2005-06) and Jenni Lingor (20.0 ppg in 2004-05);
Drake’s Wanda Ford (30.6 ppg in 1985-86) and Julie Fitzpatrick (23.1 ppg in 1984-85); and
Drake’s Wanda Ford (24.2 ppg in 1984-85) and Lorri Bauman (28.2 ppg in 1983-84). 

Should Hackbarth break the 20.0 ppg barrier at season’s end, she and Turk will become the fourth pair of teammates to average better than 20 points a game in back-to-back seasons.

RARE AIR
Drake’s Rachael Hackbarth currently leads the league in both scoring (19.5) and rebounding (10.8), a feat that has only been accomplished three times before in league history.

If Hackbarth finishes the season at the top of both categories, she will join Southern Illinois’ Amy Rakers (20.7 ppg, 10.5 rpg in 1989-90) and former Bulldog Wanda Ford (30.6 ppg, 16.9 rpg in 1985-86 and 24.2 ppg, 17.8 rpg in 1984-85).

STILL HANGING WITH THE BIG DOGS
A total of six leagues, including the Valley, can boast at least 80-percent of its teams with an RPI of 150 or better.  The other five leagues are the top-five rated RPI conferences, all BCS leagues. 

The Valley is above one BCS league, the ACC, which has only nine of its 12 teams (.750) with an RPI of 150 or better.

Below is a breakdown of those leagues with at least 80-percent of its teams with an RPI of 150 or better:

RPI, League, #of Teams with 150 RPI or Better
1. Big 12 10 of 10 (1.000)
5. Pac-12 12 of 12 (1.000)
4. Big Ten 11 of 12 (.917)
2. Big East 14 of 16 (.875)
3. SEC 10 of 12 (.833)
10. Valley 8 of 10 (.800)
6. ACC 9 of 12 (.750)

THE RPI REPORT
For the eighth straight week, the Missouri Valley Conference holds steady at the No. 10 position in the latest (Feb. 6) Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report.  As a league, The Valley hangs onto the 10th-best strength of schedule, matching its best rank of the season.

THREE REMAIN IN THE TOP 100
Three Valley teams rank in the RPI’s Top 100, led by Missouri State (50).  Creighton (79) and Wichita State (91) also represent the MVC among the nation’s top teams in the RPI.