After breaking a school record and posting a career high over the last two games, Missouri State freshman guard Jarred Dixon (Kansas City, Mo.) has been named Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, the league announced Monday.
Dixon had a breakout week for the Bears, posting a career-high 19 points in the mid-week game at Indiana State and then taking over down the stretch to help MSU topple Illinois State in overtime on Saturday. His 6 steals against Illinois State — including 2 in the final two minutes of regulation — were a new MSU freshman single-game record and matched the third-best effort in program history.
The Lee’s Summit West High School product took over the final two minutes of the win over Illinois State — draining a 3-pointer, drawing a charge, and scoring the go-ahead bucket with 71 seconds left in OT to give MSU an 82-81 lead. Dixon then snagged two critical rebounds in the final minute of overtime and iced the win with a pair of free throws with 2.3 seconds left in the extra period. His final line against the Redbirds was 14 points, 5 assists, 6 steals and 7-for-9 from the line.
For the week, he averaged 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 2.5 assists and converted 78 percent (14-of-18) at the free throw line. Among all Valley freshmen, he ranks second in scoring in league games (9.4 ppg), and has scored in double figures four straight games – all starts.
This season, Dixon is averaging 7.3 and 2.0 rebounds per game with 10 starts in 22 appearances.
Dixon and the Bears return to action Tuesday at 7 p.m., when they take on the Bradley Braves at JQH Arena in Springfield. The Bears are 5-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference, just one game out of fourth place in the Valley standings.
