Green Bay (17-8, 10-3 Horizon)
at Valparaiso (4-22, 2-11 Horizon)
Game #27 - Saturday, March 1 - 7:05 p.m.
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) -
Valparaiso, Ind.
Next Up in Crusader Basketball: Valparaiso will hold its Senior Day Saturday night at the ARC. Elizabeth Hamlet, Charae Richardson, and Liz Horton will each be recognized prior to the 7:05 pm tipoff. The Crusaders are currently nestled with Detroit in a tie for eighth place in the Horizon League standings. Valpo owns the tiebreaker by virtue of their win over Oakland last weekend. Green Bay enters Saturday night’s tilt atop the HL standings by one game.
Last Time Out: Valpo led Detroit for over 36 minutes inside Calihan Hall Wednesday night, but Senee Shearer’s 20 second-half points fueled an impressive Titan comeback in an 81-79 defeat of the Brown and Gold despite five Crusaders finishing in double figures. Jessica Carr amended the career-high in points she had set four days prior with a 21-point night. Sharon Karungi secured her eighth double-double of the year, scoring 15 and pulling down 15 boards. Jessi Wiedemann had 14, Charae Richardson tallied 13 while Lexi Miller added 10.
Following the Crusaders: Audio - WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso) - Brandon Vickrey (PxP) and Renee Turpa (color) will have the call. Video - Horizon League Network. Links for the audio, video and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com. In addition, ValpoGameday.com is a one-stop shop for live video, stats and social media interaction, all on the same page.
Head Coach Tracey Dorow: Tracey Dorow (15-42) is in her second season at the helm of the Valparaiso women’s basketball program in 2013-14. In her first season, Dorow led the Crusaders to eleven victories overall, including five in Horizon League play. Dorow arrived in Valparaiso after 14 seasons at Ferris State. She compiled a 232-163 record while with the Bulldogs. Furthermore, Ferris State posted the #1 grade point average in all of Division II for the 1999-2000 women’s basketball season as well as the #2 ranking in 2002-2003.
Series Notes: Green Bay has a 29-4 stranglehold on the all-time series over Valpo. The last Crusader victory came on January 19th, 2008 in a 90-88 overtime tilt at the ARC. The Phoenix have since won fourteen straight contests including a 70-42 victory over the Brown and Gold on February 3rd in Green Bay.
Storylines...
- The Crusaders led 28-26 at the break in their last meeting with Green Bay before the Phoenix burst out for a 46-16 second half edge.
- The 42 points scored by Valpo in that game were a season low.
- Green Bay rode a 23-4 points off turnovers advantage in that game.
- Liz Horton is five three-point attempts from qualifying for the Top 10 single season 3FG % at Valpo. If she makes two of her next five, she would be tied for 8th with Sarah Ott (.400).
- Valpo has yet to win a game this season when trailing at the half.
@gbphoenixwbb
-@gbphoenixwbb has been victorious in nine of their last ten games.
- @gbphoenixwbb possesses the best defense in the HL (59.6 PPG).
- @gbphoenixwbb has won 15 consecutive Horizon League regular season titles.
- @gbphoenixwbb is in the top 40 nationally in scoring defense (38th), assist-TO ratio (1.12, 35th), and turnover margin (3.72, 31st).
- @gbphoenixwbb has a +167 scoring difference versus opponents in the first halves of games.
- Kaili Lukan leads the @gbphoenixwbb with 12.1 points per game.
- Kaili Lukan (13.6), Breannah Ranger (10.8), Tesha Buck (10.5), and Mehryn Kraker (10.5) are all averaging double figures in HL play.
- Kevin Borseth is in his first season as head coach of @gbphoenixwbb.
- Borseth coached at Green Bay from 1998-2007 before serving as head coach at Michigan from 2007-2012.
Jessica Carr
- Has set career-high in scoring in back-to-back games (16 vs. Oakland on 2/22, 21 at Detroit on 2/26).
- Tallied seven steals versus Detroit on 1/23/14.
- Gave out a career-high six assists at UIC on 1/21/14.
- Scored 12 points and had four assists vs. South Dakota on 12/31/13.
- Made her season debut versus Western Michigan on Dec. 29th, where she scored five points and notched an assist, steal, and rebound.
Elizabeth Hamlet
- Scored a season-high 12 points versus her alma mater (Oakland) on Jan. 15.
- Shot 3-for-5 from the field in Valpo’s 63-61 defeat of Toledo at the Toledo Invite.
Abby Dean
- Averaged 14.0 PPG in a four-game stretch from 1/21 to 2/1.
- Poured in a career high 20 points and six steals vs. Detroit on 1/23/14.
- Has knocked down exactly five field goals in seven different contests.
- Only Crusader to start every game thus far.
- Tallied a then career-high 17 points at Tennessee Tech on Nov. 24th.
- Scored first collegiate points at Cameron Indoor Stadium on 11/23/12.
- Made collegiate debut on November 14th versus Purdue-Calumet.
- Tossed in 11 points in 19 minutes vs.Western Michigan last season.
Lexi Miller
- Her 82.4% free-throw percentage is second in the Horizon League.
- Scored 13 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting at Green Bay on 2/3.
- Tallied 13 assists to five turnovers during the Toledo Invite.
- Scored a career-high 18 points vs. Tennessee Tech on 11/24/13.
- Accumulated 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals (all career highs at the time) at Saint Louis on 11/10/13.
- Made collegiate debut against the Indiana Hoosiers 11/9/12.
- Made first start in Hinkle Fieldhouse versus the Butler Bulldogs.
- Scored 13 points in Valpo’s 88-62 victory over UIC on 2/16/13.
Charae Richardson
- Valpo’s leading scorer (11.5 PPG).
- Has scored 71 points over the last five games.
- Tallied a career-high 23 points versus Montana State.
- Dished out a season-high seven assists at Tennessee Tech.
- Leads team in total assists (84) and steals (35).
- Scored 15 points in the season opener at Saint Louis on Nov. 10th.
- Played in all 31 games for the Crusaders last season, including 28 starts.
- Carried an 84.1 free-throw percentage.
- Finished second on the team last season in 3-pointers (24) and assists (95).
Liz Horton
- Expected to return to the Crusader lineup after missing the last three games with a back injury.
- Made five of six three-point attempts en route to a career-high 20 points at Tulsa on 1/4/14.
- Snapped an eight-game three-point streak at Oakland on 1/15/14.
- Shot 23-of-45 from the field in December including 10-for-19 from behind the arc.
- Leads team in three-point field goal percentage (40%)
- Scored exactly 11 points on four different occasions this season (Illinois, #6 Notre Dame, Montana State, Toledo).
- Appeared in 30 games for the Brown and Gold a season ago.
- Named Crusaders’ Most Improved Player in 2012-13.
- Scored 19 points, including 3-for-3 shooting from behind the arc, at Western Michigan on Dec. 19th.
Sharon Karungi
- Secured a career-best 16 rebounds Saturday vs. Oakland in addition to pouring in 22 points for her first double-double since 12/7.
- Posted a career-high 25 points at Cleveland State on 2/13/14.
- Has finished in double figures in points in each of the last five tilts.
- Shot a season-best 85.7% (12-14) from the floor at CSU on 2/13/14.
- Scored a then career-high 21 points in her first HL game (1/9/14).
- Leading rebounder (7.6) for the Crusaders.
- Grabbed 14 rebounds in both games of the Toledo Invite en route to Most Valuable Player recognition.
- Scored the game-winning put-back with three seconds to play vs. Toledo.
- Registered 17 points and 14 boards versus FIU for her third double-double of the season.
- Tallied her second double-double at Tennessee Tech, scoring 11 points and collecting 10 rebounds.
- Recorded her first double-double at Illinois on Nov. 12th, throwing in 15 points and grabbing 12 boards.
Jessi Wiedemann
- Registered a career-high 21 points vs. Cleveland State on 1/27/14.
- Named to Toledo Invite All-Tournament Team after scoring 15 versus Chicago State and 14 against Toledo.
- Double figure scorer in fifteen games for the Crusaders.
- Has made multiple three-pointers in a dozen games this season.
- Snapped a season-starting 0-14 slump from behind the arc at #6 Notre Dame, nailing three treys in a nine-point game.
- Played all 40 minutes in the season opener at Saint Louis and set career highs in blocks (4) and steals (3) while scoring six points.
- Appeared in all 31 games including four starts as a freshman.
- Made collegiate debut versus Indiana.
- Scored 13 points off the bench versus Detroit on Mar. 9th, 2013.
Roster Breakdown
- Valpo welcomes six new players (two freshmen, four transfers) to its team this season.
- Haylee Thompson and Annemarie Hamlet will sit out this season per NCAA transfer eligibilty rules.
- The Brown and Gold boast players from six different states and two countries.
- Liz Horton is the only true senior on this year’s squad.
