ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- ST. LOUIS -- Missouri State junior Nathan Scheer has been selected Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Week, Commissioner Doug Elgin announced today (Jan. 3).

Scheer and Creighton women's basketball standout Sarah Nelson were honored for their performances during the period of December 24-30. Now in its 14th year of existence, The Valley’s Scholar-Athlete program honors its student-athletes for their athletic performance for a one-week period and academic success in the classroom.

The Bears' guard/forward was 5-for-5 from 3-point range and scored a career-high 15 points to lead the Bears past Southern Illinois in the Valley opener for both clubs on Sunday at JQH Arena. Scheer helped spark a 17-2 run by the Bears midway through the second half with a pair of 3-pointers that helped bring MSU from a three-point deficit to a 12-point lead.  He was part of an MSU reserve unit that finished 9-for-11 from the field and produced 28 points off the bench in the SIU game, the 80th of his career. Scheer also finished with 3 rebounds and an assist in 25 minutes.

On Wednesday at Evansville, Scheer continued his stellar play with a 30-minute stint off the bench. He went 4-for-8 from the field with 10 points, 5 rebounds and a pair of 3-pointers. He has now scored 10 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.

Scheer is a Construction Management major and holds a 3.78 grade-point average.

To qualify for Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week laurels, student-athletes must carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20, completed at least one academic year at a Valley institution and must be at least a sophomore in academic standing.  Redshirt freshmen and first-year junior college transfers are not eligible. In addition to the academic qualifications, student-athletes will be evaluated on their athletic performance for a one-week period.

Missouri State looks to bounce back from Wednesday's overtime loss at Evansville on Saturday (7:05 p.m.) when the Bears travel to Drake. The game will be featured on KCZ, The Ozarks CW and the Bears TV network, which also includes Charter Communications in St. Louis and Time Warner Metro Sports in Kansas City.