Valparaiso (2-1, 0-0 Horizon)
Game #4: Monday, November 19 - 6 p.m. CT
at Butler (1-2, 0-0 A-10)
Hinkle Fieldhouse (10,000)
Next Up in Crusader Basketball: Valparaiso plays its second straight game in Indianapolis on Monday evening, as the Crusaders take on former Horizon League rival Butler at 6 p.m. CT. The game is the second in a stretch where Valpo will play eight out of nine on the road.
Last Time Out: A 13-3 run in the late stages of the second half by IUPUI was too much for the Valparaiso women's basketball team to overcome on Saturday afternoon, as the Crusaders fell by a final score of 75-69 to the Jaguars in Indianapolis, Ind. Tabitha Gerardot paced Valpo with 16 points and nine rebounds in the losing effort.
The Road Ahead: The Crusaders face perhaps their toughest test of the season next time out, traveling to Durham, N.C. to face perennial top-ten squad Duke Friday evening. Valpo then faces another former conference rival on Tuesday, Nov. 27 when it travels to Macomb, Ill. to take on Western Illinois.
Following the Crusaders: Monday night’s game will be broadcast live on WVUR, 95.1 FM, Valparaiso, with Joey Basil and Renee’ Turpa on the call. Live video will be available through Butler’s website for a fee. Links for the live audio, as well as live stats, will be available through www.valpoathletics.com
Head Coach Tracey Dorow: Tracey Dorow was named the seventh head women’s basketball coach in Crusader program history in April of 2012. Dorow arrived at Valpo after spending 14 seasons as the head coach at Ferris State University, guiding the Bulldogs to four NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) North Division championships, and four 20-win seasons. In her 14 seasons at Ferris State, Dorow compiled a 232-163 (.587) record, including a 23-7 mark in 2011-2012 while guiding the Bulldogs to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Series Notes: The series between the Crusaders and Bulldogs, former Horizon League foes, saw a 6-4 advantage in favor of Butler while both teams were in the Horizon and a 20-7 advantage to the Bulldogs overall. But the Crusaders won both meetings last season, including most recently a 72-59 victory in Indianapolis on Feb. 11, 2012.
Scouting Butler: Butler enters Monday night’s contest at 1-2 this season, winning at Ball State in between losses at Marquette and at home against Fairfield. Daress McClung leads the Bulldogs, averaging 19.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, while point guard Taylor Schippers has tallied 17.7 points per game and is 16-of-17 from the free throw line.
Winning Her Debut: Head coach Tracey Dorow made her regular season debut a winning one on Friday, Nov. 17 by defeating Indiana. Dorow became just the second coach in Crusader women’s basketball history to win their Valpo debut on the sidelines, joining Dick Briars, whose 1983-1984 squad downed Hillsdale 71-67 in its season opener. With the win over Purdue Calumet, Dorow became the first Crusader women’s coach to win each of her first two games.
Taking the State: Valpo’s loss against IUPUI on Saturday was the Crusaders’ first in the last two seasons against a school from the state of Indiana. Dating back to the start of the 2011-2012 season, the Crusaders had not suffered defeat against a fellow Indiana team, now 7-1 over that stretch. Already this season, Valpo owns two victories against in-state opponents, with another Indiana school awaiting the Crusaders on Monday.
Downing the Big Ten: Valpo’s win over Indiana was just the second in program history over the Hoosiers, both of which have come at the ARC. The Crusaders previously defeated IU on Dec. 7, 1999 by a final of 64-60. Valpo’s last victory against a Big Ten team also came at the ARC on Dec. 10, 2008 over Purdue.
Roster Makeup: In her first season, Dorow is leading a squad which features eight returning letterwinners, including a trio of starters from last season. Five players are donning the Crusader uniform for the first time alongside the eight returnees as well.
Gerardot Named Preseason Second Team: Leading the returning starters is junior forward Tabitha Gerardot, a preseason Second Team All-League choice. Gerardot, an All-Newcomer Team selection following her freshman season, led the Crusaders and finished tenth in the league in scoring at 13.0 points per game in 2011-2012. Gerardot also averaged 6.8 rebounds per contest, second-best on the team
More Returning Experience: A pair of seniors join Gerardot as returning starters entering the 2012-2013 season. Forward Gina Lange is back for her final year after posting 8.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a junior. Meanwhile, guard Laura Richards led the Horizon League in minutes played (37.5
mpg) and finished second in the league in steals (2.8 spg) en route to a spot on the All-Defensive Team.
A Tough Schedule: The Crusaders have put together a challenging slate for the 2012-2013 campaign, including five contests against NCAA Tournament
teams from a season ago. Highlights include the season opener at the ARC against Indiana, a game at perennial top-ten program Duke, and contests on the road versus 2012 NCAA Tournament qualifiers Michigan and Louisville.
Hitting the Glass: Valpo owned a +24 rebound margin in its exhibition victory, but really showcased its ability on the glass in the season opener against the Hoosiers. Facing a front line which had numerous players check in at 6’0” or taller, the Crusaders were undaunted, finishing the night with a 41-29 edge on the boards, including 13 offensive rebounds out of 31 chances. Then, on Wednesday, the Crusaders posted a +26 rebounding margin (58-32) over Purdue Calumet, including 23 offensive rebounds they turned into 27 second-chance points. Valpo was out-rebounded for the first time this season in the loss at IUPUI, including giving up 18 offensive rebounds on 38 chances.
Sharing is Caring: Seemingly every single Crusader got into the mix in Wednesday’s win over Purdue Calumet when it came to handing out assists. Valpo totaled 19 assists on its 29 field goals in the win over the Peregrines, but no player tallied more than three helpers. Richards, Gina Lange and Charae Richardson all tied for team-high honors with three assists, while in all, 11 of the 13 Crusaders who played picked up at least one assist. This came after a regular season opening win over Indiana which saw Valpo tally 16 assists on 23 baskets, eight of which came from Richards. Last time out, Valpo totaled 18 assists on 25 buckets at IUPUI, led by four assists from Richardson.
Earning League Honors: Sophomore Shaquira Scott showed little rust on the basketball court after playing just 10 games last season due to injury. Scott was named the Horizon League Player of the Week this past Monday after leading the Crusaders with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting in the win over IU. The sophomore was Valpo’s first player to earn weekly honors from the league office since Ashley Varner on Dec. 28, 2009.
Doubling Up: Junior Tabitha Gerardot started the regular season with an 11-point, 7-rebound effort in the win over Indiana. Then on Wednesday, Gerardot picked up her first double-double of the season and 14th of her career, leading all players with 18 points and 12 rebounds in the victory over Purdue Calumet. Gerardot again paced the Crusaders in both categories against IUPUI, going for 16 points and nine rebounds. Last season, Gerardot led the Crusaders in scoring and finished second on the team in rebounding.
Getting Back in the Groove: After having to sit out last season, redshirt junior Charae Richardson registered her first double-figure scoring output as a Crusader last time out at IUPUI. Richardson went for 12 points in Saturday’s contest while also adding four rebounds and four assists. The redshirt junior currently ranks third on the team in rebounding and second in assists.
Career High Kind of Night: Junior Liz Horton surpassed her career highs in both points and rebounds in the Crusaders’ win over Purdue Calumet. Horton hit five of her eight field goal attempts and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line for a career-high 14 points, easily surpassing her previous career best of nine points. The junior also hit the boards for a career-high six rebounds.
Filling the Stat Sheet: Senior Laura Richards scored just five points in Valpo’s win over Indiana, but contributed mightily in a couple of other ways. Richards led all players with nine rebounds, just two shy of her career high in the category. She also matched her career-best output wtih eight assists in the victory.
