Grace Berg

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Graduate forward Grace Berg punctuated the Bulldogs’ 3-0 opening week with the first MVC Player of the Week award of the season.

The start to Berg’s 2023-24 season exemplifies exactly why she opted to return to Drake for her final season. The veteran wing has led the Bulldogs in scoring with an average of 19.0 points per game while shooting .514 from the field and .538 from three-point territory. Berg is also averaging 5.7 rebounds and two assists per contest.

She opened the year with 18 points against St. Thomas before scoring 17 and snagging a season-best nine rebounds at Saint Louis. Berg’s week ended with her best performance of the young season with 19 points on 4-of-8 shooting from deep as the Bulldogs took down Big 12 foe Iowa State.

Bradley transfer Kaylen Nelson earned the MVC Newcomer of the Week award and Belmont guard Jailyn Banks took home the first MVC Freshman of the Week honor of the season.

Cyclones’ Sama named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week

IRVING, Texas — Abu Sama III has been named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, the league office announced Monday. It is the first weekly honor of his career and Sama is the fourth Cyclone to be recognized by the conference this season.

Sama put on a show in Iowa State’s 45-13 victory at BYU Saturday night with 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns on eight carries — good for an average of 13.8 yards per touch. His 110 yards and two scores were both career bests.

The Des Moines native had a pair of highlight-reel touchdowns from distances of 13 and 59 yards. His 59-yard score in the fourth quarter was the longest of his career and the longest rushing touchdown by ISU since Breece Hall against TCU in 2021 (80 yards).

Sama’s 100-plus yard performance, the first of his career, was the first by an ISU running back since Jirehl Brock last season (vs. Iowa) and the first by a Cyclone freshman since Hall did so against Texas in 2021.