SMS sophomore Kari Koch has been named the Missouri Valley’s most valuable player. Koch leads the Lady Bears in scoring with an average of 18.2 points per game. She also leads the team in assists and steals. Koch and teammate Jenni Lingor were named to the all-conference team, while Meg Tierney was given honorable mention. In addition, junior K.C. Cowgill was named the confernce newcomer of the year. SMS is the top seed in the Missouri Valley tournament, which opens Thursday in Springfield. The Lady Bears face Wichita State at 6:00.