Betsy Adams (Monticello, Ind./Twin Lakes H.S.) scored 20 points for the fifth time
this season, but was the lone Crusader in double figures on Thursday night as
Valparaiso dropped a 61-55 decision to Youngstown State at the
Athletics-Recreation Center.
Adams hit four of
nine triples while finishing with 20 points in the contest but the Crusaders
committed 19 turnovers which led to 25 Penguin points. Valpo fell behind by double figures in the
game’s first five minutes but were able to close within two during the second
half as Youngstown State also grabbed 17 offensive rebounds in the contest.
“I felt we got beat
in two areas tonight,” head coach Keith
Freeman said. “Our guards turned the
ball over way too much and we lost points off turnovers by 15 (25-10). Also, their two posts (Brandi Brown and
Tieara Jones) got 14 offensive boards between them. Our lack of an ability to box those two out
along with handling the ball with sureness cost us.”
An early 11-0 run by
Youngstown State gave the Penguins a 16-3 lead as Brown scored nine points for
the visitors in the first five minutes.
The Crusaders
battled back, utilizing a 10-0 run of their own to cut the deficit to three,
18-15, at the 6:40 mark as the Valpo defense held the Penguins scoreless for
four-and-a-half minutes.
Youngstown State
pushed the lead back to eight again before, 28-20, before the Crusaders made
another late run, closing to within 30-26 at the break following an Adams
triple.
Valpo cut the
deficit to two, 32-30, at the 17:01 mark of the second half after four straight
points from Tabitha Gerardot (Fort
Wayne, Ind./Canterbury H.S.)., but that would be as close as the Crusaders
would get the rest of the way.
Six straight points
gave the Penguins an eight point lead again, and the advantage stayed between
five and seven for most of the second half.
A layup inside by Gina Lange
(Wyoming, Minn./Forest Lake H.S.) brought Valpo within three for the final time
with 6:14 to play before Youngstown State against scored the game’s next four
points.
Brown finished with
29 points and 18 rebounds for Youngstown State (3-13, 1-4 Horizon) while Kenya
Middlebrooks added 13 points. Jones had
five offensive boards as part of her seven rebound night.
“There were lots of
possessions, even off of missed free throws, where they got two or three
offensive rebounds,” said Freeman.
Gerardot and Lange
both had eight points for the Crusaders, with Gerardot also pulling down nine
rebounds.
The Penguins made
20-of-35 from the free throw line while Valpo was just 5-of-7 for the night.
“We fouled a lot
which is a result of bad defense,” Freeman added. “I felt like we were the second aggressor. We don’t get fouled because we avoid contact
and shoot fadeaways.”
Valparaiso (3-13,
0-4) will remain at home on Saturday afternoon as the Crusaders host Cleveland
State. Tip-off is set for 1:35 p.m. at
the ARC.
Game Notes: Adams has scored 15 or more points in 11 of
16 games this year and is now averaging a team-leading 14.4 points per night …
Adams now has 119 career three-pointers, moving into a tie for 10th
all-time at Valpo with Amy Cole (1987-1991) … Adams played all 40 minutes for
the second time this year … Youngstown State leads the all-time series 15-13 …
Valpo is 9-5 against the Penguins at the ARC.