ST. LOUIS — Missouri State forward Dalen Ridgnal (Kansas City, Mo.) has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, the league announced Monday (Jan. 2).
The senior transfer from Georgia led the Bears to a 2-0 week, including a victory over the MVC preseason favorite Drake and a rare road win at UNI. For the week, Ridgnal averaged 16.0 points and 7.5 rebounds, both team highs, while squaring up 7-of-14 3-pointers (.500) and 11-of-19 (.579) field goals.
He began the week with a game-high and career-high 24 points at UNI on Wednesday to give the Bears just their fifth win ever at McLeod Center in Cedar Falls. He also snagged a game-high 11 rebounds in the victory at UNI for his first career double-double and just the second by a Bear this season. He finished 5-of-9 (.556) from 3-point range and 8-of-13 (.615) overall from the field with a block, a steal and an assist in 34 minutes.
Ridgnal followed the UNI game with another solid effort in MSU’s win over Drake on Sunday, igniting MSU’s early double-figure lead against the Bulldogs with a pair of first-half 3-pointers and a steal/dunk as part of an early 7-0 run. He finished the low-scoring 52-49 victory with 8 points, 4 rebounds, a pair of threes, a block and a steal.
Ridgnal is the first Missouri State player to be honored by the Missouri Valley this season.
Missouri State puts its three-game win streak on the line Wednesday at 7 p.m. when the Bears welcome Evansville (4-11, 0-4 MVC) to Great Southern Bank Arena.
