#12 Louisville (6-0, 0-0 ACC)
at Valparaiso (3-2, 0-0 Horizon)
Game #6 - Sunday, November 30 - 1:35 p.m. CT
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) - Valparaiso, Ind.
Next Up in Crusader Basketball: Valparaiso hosts a ranked opponent for the first time in nearly three years Sunday when the 12th-ranked Louisville Cardinals fly into town for a matinee. Louisville is coming off a 2013-14 campaign that yielded a 33-win season highlighted by an Elite Eight appearance. The Cardinals lost three starters from that star-studded squad, but they haven’t missed a beat as a handful of high-end freshmen complement an experienced roster.
Last Time Out: The Crusaders shot just 20-of-70 (28.6%) from the field in a 100-65 loss at Akron on Tuesday. Freshman Dani Franklin amended her season-high in points as she finished with 16 to go with eight rebounds. However, the Zips’ combination of Sina King (19 points, 17 rebounds) and Anita Brown (21 points on 10-of-12 shooting) helped spur a 59-point second half for the home team.
Following the Crusaders: Audio - Valpo Sports Radio Network (WVUR, 95.1 FM, Valparaiso) - Brandon Vickrey (PxP), Renee Turpa (Color). Links for the audio 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 (20-47) is in her third season at the helm of the Valparaiso women’s basketball program in 2014-15. She collected her 250th career victory on Friday, Nov. 14th after a 91-57 walloping of Butler. 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: Valparaiso and Louisville met for the first time in history two seasons ago at the KFC Yum! Center in Kentucky. The Cardinals won a 96-40 contest on December 8th, 2012.
Storylines...
- The Crusaders have never allowed 100 points or more to a ranked team on their home court.
- The Cardinals reached triple digits for the first time in their last game (102 vs. Lafayette).
- Of the 13 players on Louisville’s roster, eight are 6’1’’ or taller.
- Louisville is the first team from the state of Kentucky to play Valpo at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
- Notre Dame’s 2008-09 squad was the last team to visit the ARC with a higher national ranking than Louisville. The Irish were #8.
@ValpoWBB...
- @ValpoWBB shot 77.6% from the free-throw line in 2013-14, the highest percentage ever in school history.
- @ValpoWBB was picked to finish eighth in the Horizon League in the 2014-15 Preseason Poll.
- @ValpoWBB returns 1,287 points, 732 rebounds, 244 assists, 4,132 minutes played from 2013-14.
- @ValpoWBB has shot better from the free-throw line than all five of its opponents so far.
- @ValpoWBB has failed to register a steal in two of its last three contests.
- @ValpoWBB has drained 53.8% of its three-point attempts in wins. In losses, they’ve put up a 30.4% mark.
@UofLWBB
- @UofLWBB finished 2013-14 with a 33-5 overall record, and a 16-2 mark in the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
- In its last 52 games, @UofLWBB has played in front of fewer than 1,000 fans just twice (906 at Temple on 1/1/14, 708 at UCF on 2/4/14).
- Of @UofLWBB’s 38 tilts last season, 18 appeared on cable TV.
- In its first six games, @UofLWBB has collected wins by margins in the 10’s, 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, and 60’s.
- @UofLWBB is led in scoring by a pair of freshmen: Mariya Moore (15.3 PPG) and Myisha Hines-Allen (14.2).
- Three @UofLWBB players have as many or more steals than the Crusaders do as a team (Moore 13, Bria Smith 15, Jude Schimmel 19).
- @UofLWBB forces an average of 26 turnovers per game.
- Teams average just 22 first-half points versus @UofLWBB.
- @UofLWBB has gone with the same starting five in each of its first six games: Moore/Schimmel/Hines-Allen/Smith/Hammond.
Jessica Carr
- Collected her 200th career assist at Akron this past Tuesday.
- Recorded game highs in points (16) and assists (6) to lead Valpo to a 79-61 win versus Tennessee Tech..
- Drained a career-high six three-pointers in Valpo’s season finale at Green Bay.
Abby Dean
- Registered a career-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting Friday.
- Finished in double figures 12 different times in 2013-14.
- Led the Brown and Gold in free-throw shooting (85.2%) last year.
Annemarie Hamlet
- Scored 11 points in her Crusader debut last Friday.
- Has knocked down at least one triple in each of the first five tilts.
Anne Hamilton
- Was a perfect 2-for-2 from the field vs. Butler in her Crusader debut.
Lexi Miller
- Owns the fifth-best turnover ratio in the Horizon League (2.1).
- Finished a point shy of her career-high last Thursday as she guided Valpo with 17 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range.
Dani Franklin
- Named Horizon League Freshman of the Week Monday after averaging 12.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in three games last week.
- Recorded her first career double-double Thursday (13 pts., 12 rebs) at NIU.
- In her first five games, she has scored 11, 12, 13, 14, and 16 points.
Sharon Karungi
- Tallied eight double-doubles in 2013-14.
- Posted a career-high 25 points at Cleveland State on 2/13/14.
Jasmyn Walker
- Has started all five games to open her Crusader career.
- Ripped down 14 rebounds to go with nine points at NIU last Thursday.
Haylee Thompson
- Recorded ten points (4-8 FG) in Valpo’s season-opening tilt over Butler, her first game since the 2012-13 year with Utah State.
- Secured ten boards at Akron.
Jessi Wiedemann
- Has appeared in all 67 games since arriving to Valparaiso.
- Canned multiple three-pointers in 13 games last season.
- Registered a career-high 21 points vs. Cleveland State on 1/27/14.
Roster Breakdown
- Valpo welcomes four new faces (all freshmen) to its team this season.
- Valparaiso boasts players from eight different states and two countries.
- The Crusaders possess five players 6’0’’ or taller.
