TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State freshman Jake LaRavia picked up his first weekly conference honor today (Jan. 6) as he has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer Of The Week following his standout performances against Southern Illinois and at Drake to open league play.

LaRavia, a native of Indianapolis, Ind., averaged 16.5 points and led the team with 7.5 rebounds per game as the Sycamores split in the opening week of league play against Southern Illinois and Drake. For the week LaRavia was 15-of-23 from the field (65.2 percent) and added four assists and two blocked shots.

He scored a career-high 21 points and pulled down six rebounds against the Bulldogs on the road. He was an impressive 9-of-12 from the field. In the MVC opening win over Southern Illinois, LaRavia tallied 12 points and narrowly missed his first career double-double with a career-best nine rebounds. He added four assists and a blocked shot as the Sycamores opened league play with a 1-0 record and extended their winning streak out to eight games.

The Sycamores will look to return to their winning ways on Tuesday, January 7 when they travel to Northern Iowa. Tip-off from Cedar Falls is set for 8:00 p.m. (ET) and the game will be televised live nationally on ESPN+.