Valparaiso (5-24, 3-13 Horizon)
at Detroit (6-23, 3-13 Horizon)
Game #30 - Monday, March 10 - 6 p.m.
Calihan Hall (8,295) - Detroit, Michigan
Next Up in Crusader Basketball: Valparaiso heads to Detroit for the second time in twelve days to open the Horizon League Conference Tournament. The Crusaders and Titans finished with identical 3-13 records in conference play, but Detroit’s win over Youngstown State granted them the tiebreaker and the right to host Monday night’s game. The winner will advance to face the 14-time defending Horizon League champion Green Bay Phoenix in Wisconsin Wednesday night.
Last Time Out: Several offensive records fell Saturday at Wright State as the Raiders defeated Valpo 101-80 at the Nutter Center. The Crusaders shot 59.6% from the floor - the 7th best shooting performance in school history - but committed 28 turnovers. Charae Richardson recorded a career high in assists with nine while Sharon Karungi’s 9-for-10 night from the floor (90%) put her in a tie with Tabitha Gerardot for the fourth best individual shooting game by a Crusader.
Following the Crusaders: Audio - WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso) - Brandon Vickrey (PxP) 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 (16-44) 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: Detroit leads the all-time series 12-7 over Valpo. The Crusaders won the most lopsided game in series history earlier this season when they defeated the Titans 85-44 at the ARC. Detroit exacted revenge in the teams’ last meeting, however. Valpo led by as many as 17 points in the first half before the Titans rallied back for an 81-79 in Michigan on February 26th.
Storylines...
- The Crusaders and Titans have met only once in the postseason (2011).
- The Titans won a 57-50 tilt at Calihan Hall, a game in which they battled back from a six-point halftime deficit.
- Megan Hatter and Senee Shearer are the only two active players on either roster that participated in that March 7th game.
- Valpo has won its first game in the Horizon League Tournament each of the past two years (Milwaukee, 2012; UIC, 2013).
- The Crusaders are 0-3 on Mondays this season.
@Detroit_Titans
- After entering their last meeting with Valpo winners of one of their last 15 games, @Detroit_Titans have won twice in their last four games.
- Senee Shearer leads the @Detroit_Titans in scoring with 19.5 PPG..
- Shearer’s 19.5 PPG average is third in the HL, 44th in the nation. Her 3.12 three-point field goals per game mark ranks 11th.
- Shearer has attempted more three-point field goals (276) than any individual Crusader has overall field goal attempts except Jessi Wiedemann (297).
- Opponents hold a 119-49 advantage in blocks over @Detroit_Titans.
- Autumn Rademacher is in her sixth season as head coach of the Titans.
- Rademacher graduated from Detroit where she is the third-leading scorer in school history.
- Rademacher spent time as an assistant coach at Green Bay and Western Michigan before returning to Detroit.
Jessica Carr
- Dished out a career-high seven assists at Wright State on Saturday.
- Set career-highs in scoring in back-to-back games last month (16 vs. Oakland on 2/22, 21 at Detroit on 2/26).
- Tallied seven steals versus Detroit on 1/23/14.
- 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
- Day-to-day (illness).
- 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.
- 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
- Has missed more than one free throw in a game only twice this season.
- Her 84.2% FT 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
- Distributed a career-high nine assists at Wright State Saturday.
- Posted a career-high 24 points in Valpo’s 94-80 win over Milwaukee (3/5).
- Valpo’s leading scorer (11.6 PPG).
- Tallied 23 points versus Montana State.
- Dished out seven assists at Tennessee Tech.
- Leads team in total assists (98) and steals (38).
- 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 converted on ten straight attempts from the foul line.
- 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 (40.8%)
- Has scored exactly 15 points in four of her last eight games.
- 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
- Tied Tabitha Gerardot for the 4th-best shooting performance in school history after a 9-for-10 (90%) afternoon at Wright State.
- Secured a career-best 16 rebounds last 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 eight tilts.
- 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 sixteen games for the Crusaders.
- Has made multiple three-pointers in 13 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.
