ST. LOUIS – After helping the Redbirds to a pair of wins last week, Illinois State's Doneelah Washington and Kya Hurt both earned weekly player honors from the Missouri Valley Conference on Monday. Washington was named the MVC Player of the Week, while Hurt was tabbed as the MVC Freshman of the Week by the league office.
Washington delivered a dominant two-game stretch last week, averaging a double-double with 13.0 points and 13.5 rebounds to lead Illinois State to a pair of wins. The sophomore forward from Lincoln, Nebraska, opened the week with 11 points and a season-best 13 boards against Loyola Chicago, then followed it with a career-high 14 rebounds and 15 points in a victory over Saint Louis.