Valparaiso (3-17, 1-6 Horizon)
at Green Bay (12-7, 5-2 Horizon)
Game #21 - Monday, February 3 - 7 p.m.
Kress Events Center (4,018) - Green Bay, Wis.
Next Up in Crusader Basketball: Valparaiso wraps up its tour through Wisconsin with a Monday night tilt versus Green Bay. The Phoenix may not be the invincible squad they’ve represented in recent years, but they’re still an upper echelon team in the Horizon League. The Crusaders will aim to do something they haven’t done in over two decades: beat Green Bay on the road. The Phoenix currently sit one game out of first place and have been winners of four straight.
Last Time Out: Valpo dug itself into an 11-0 hole in the onset of its game Saturday versus Milwaukee. Panther forward Avyanna Young stole the show with a 15-for-19 night from the floor as the sophomore racked up 36 points, a Horizon League high this season. Five Crusaders finished in double figures for the first time in 2013-14, but a near six-minute field goal drought in the second half proved costly for the Brown and Gold.
Following the Crusaders: Audio - Valpo Sports Radio Network (WVUR, 95.1 FM Valparaiso) - Renee Turpa and Brandon Vickrey.
Video - Horizon League Network. Links for the video and live stats are 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 (14-37) 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 possesses a dominating 28-4 edge over Valparaiso in a series that started in 1986. The Phoenix were either ranked or receiving votes in eight total meetings including a #10 ranking just two seasons ago. The Kress Center has caused headaches for a multitude of Horizon League teams as evidenced by Green Bay’s 53-5 home record since 2010.
Storylines...
- The Phoenix have lost five games at home since the 2010-11 season. Four of those five losses have come this season.
- After Monday’s game versus Green Bay, Valpo will have seven days off before it takes the court again.
- Elizabeth Hamlet was 19 days old the last time the Crusaders won in Green Bay (March 9th, 1991).
- Green Bay’s Megan Lukan averaged 15 points per game versus the Crusaders last year in the season series.
- The Phoenix have not lost a game in which they scored at least 70 points.
- Green Bay has recorded more assists than turnovers in eleven of its 19 games.
- The Crusaders have three players with exactly 203 points scored.
@gbphoenixwbb
- @gbphoenixwbb possesses the best defense in the HL (59.3 PPG).
- @gbphoenixwbb has won 15 consecutive Horizon League regular season titles.
- @gbphoenixwbb draws the largest crowds in the conference (1,986 average attendance).
- @gbphoenixwbb has a +148 scoring difference versus opponents in the first halves of games.
- Kaili Lukan leads the @gbphoenixwbb with 13.3 points per game.
- Kaili Lukan, Breannah Ranger, Tesha Buck, and Megan Lukan have started all 19 games for @gbphoenixwbb.
- Kevin Borseth is in his first season as head coach of the Phoenix.
- Borseth coached at Green Bay from 1998-2007 before serving as head coach at Michigan from 2007-2012.
Jessica Carr
- 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 in just her second game of the season.
- 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
- Has finished in double figures in each of the last four games.
- Poured in a career high 20 points and six steals vs. Detroit on 1/23/14.
- Has knocked down five field goals in eight different contests.
- Has started every game for the Crusaders.
- 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
- Tallied 13 assists to five turnovers during the Toledo Invite.
- Scored a career-high 18 points vs. Tennessee Tech on 11/24/13.
- Owns best assists/turnover ratio of any Crusader (32:30).
- 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
- Has recorded at least one steal in each of the last eight games.
- Has scored 13 or more points in seven contests.
- Scored a career-high 23 points versus Montana State on 12/1/13.
- Dished out a season-high seven assists at Tennessee Tech.
- Leads team in points/game (11.1) and total assists (57).
- 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
- Has scored 14 or more points in four straight games.
- Made five of six three-point attempts en route to a career-high 20 points at Tulsa on 1/4/14.
- 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 (41.9%) and in total FG% (49.0%)
- Has 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
- Shot a season-best 80% (8-10) from the floor vs. WSU on 1/18/14.
- Scored a career-high 21 points in her first HL game (1/9/14).
- Leading rebounder (7.0) for the Crusaders.
- Averaging 9.6 points per game.
- 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 against 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
- Scored a career-high 21 points vs. Cleveland State last Monday.
- On a streak of six games where she’s handed out multiple assists.
- Named to Toledo Invite All-Tournament Team after scoring 15 versus Chicago State and 14 against Toledo.
- Has made multiple three-pointers in eight games in 2013-14.
- 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.
