Detroit (5-8, 1-1 Horizon)
at Valparaiso (5-8, 1-1 Horizon)
Game #14 - Thursday, January 7 - 7:00 p.m. CT
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) - Valparaiso, Ind.
Next Up in Crusader Basketball: Horizon League women’s basketball makes its 2015-16 debut at the ARC Thursday night when Detroit visits Valparaiso in a showdown of 5-8 clubs. The 7:00 pm tilt represents head coach Tracey Dorow’s 500th career game as bench boss.
Last Time Out: Dani Franklin and Jasmyn Walker carved out season watermarks in points as the two sophomores combined for 40 points on New Year’s Day at the Nutter Center, but Wright State pulled away late for an 80-63 win over the Crusaders in Dayton. Valpo, which trailed by as many as 20 points in the third quarter, cut the deficit to five points with 4:30 remaining in regulation, but connected only twice on its final 11 field goal attempts. Freshman Emily Vogelpohl led the Raiders with 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and five steals en route to Horizon League Freshman of the Week honors.
Following the Crusaders: Audio: WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso) - Brandon Vickrey (PxP), Renee’ Turpa (Color), Jordan Morandini (Color). Video: ESPN3. Links for the audio, video, and live stats are available at ValpoAthletics.com. In addition, follow @ValpoWBB on Twitter for in-game updates and a behind-the-scenes look at the Crusaders throughout the season.
Head Coach Tracey Dorow: Tracey Dorow (28-76) is in her fourth season at the helm of the Valparaiso women’s basketball program in 2015-16. She collected her 250th career victory on November 14th, 2014 after a 91-57 defeat 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 2002-03.
Series Notes: Detroit leads the all-time series, 13-9, in a matchup that launched in 1989. The Crusaders have won four of the last six contests after snapping a four-game losing streak to the Titans in March of 2013 (the play-in game of the Horizon League Championships). Detroit is 6-4 all-time at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
Storylines
- Thursday is head coach Tracey Dorow’s 500th career game (105th at Valpo).
- Detroit attempts just fewer than 25 treys/game. Valpo has limited opponents to 29.4% shooting from beyond the arc this season.
- The Titans are in search of their first road win of the 2015-16 season.
- A Crusader victory would match Valpo’s season total for wins in both 2013-14 and 2014-15.
@ValpoWBB
- In its 44th season, @ValpoWBB is 507-595 all-time (as of Jan. 6th).
- @ValpoWBB has made two NCAA Tournament appearances (2002-03, 2003-04) and earned one WNIT berth (2001-02).
- @ValpoWBB closed out the 2014-15 season slate with a 6-24 overall record, 2-14 in the Horizon League.
- @ValpoWBB was picked to finish 10th in the Horizon League in the 2015-16 Preseason Poll.
- @ValpoWBB’s Dani Franklin was a Preseason Second Team All-Horizon League selection.
- @ValpoWBB returns its three leading scorers (Franklin, Jasmyn Walker, Lexi Miller) in addition to its two top rebounders (Walker, Franklin).
- @ValpoWBB brings back 1,469 points, 767 rebounds, and 4,304 minutes played from the 2014-15 squad.
- This season is the fastest head coach Tracey Dorow has gotten to five wins (previously Jan. 5th of 2012-13 season).
- Last season, @ValpoWBB did not record its fifth win until February 5th. It did so on Dec. 30th this season.
- @ValpoWBB is averaging 6.2 steals/game this season, compared to 3.7/tilt in 2014-15.
@ValpoWBB in the @HorizonLeague
- Since joining the Horizon League in 2007-08, @ValpoWBB is 45-95 (as of Jan. 6th).
- @ValpoWBB has had one First Team All-League selection (Launa Hochstetler, 2008-09) and two Second Team All-League players (Agnieszka Kulaga, 2007-08; Tabitha Gerardot, 2012-13).
- @ValpoWBB also boasts four representatives on the All-Newcomer Team (Lauren Kenney, 2008-09; Gerardot, 2010-11; Dani Franklin, 2014-15; Jasmyn Walker, 2014-15), an All-Defensive Team member (Laura Richards, 2011-12), one Freshman of the Year (Franklin, 2014-15), and one Sixth Player of the Year (Franklin, 2014-15).
- Last Wednesday’s win at Northern Kentucky gave @ValpoWBB its first road win in a Horizon League opener since becoming a member.
- @ValpoWBB last recorded a win in its league home opener in 2012-13 (Youngstown State).
- @ValpoWBB was last 2-1 in Horizon League play in 2009-10.
@Detroit_WBB
- @Detroit_WBB enters Thursday’s tilt with a 5-8 record.
- @Detroit_WBB was picked to finish 7th in the Horizon League Preseason Poll.
- @Detroit_WBB does not have a senior on its roster.
- @Detroit_WBB attempts, on average, 24.5 three-pointers per game. An opponent hasn’t shot over 33.3% from the perimeter against Valpo in the last seven contests.
- @Detroit_WBB is 0-7 when held under 40% shooting from the field. They’re 4-0 when holding opponents under that plateau.
- @Detroit_WBB boasts three (H. Ristovski [36.0], Reynolds [34.1], Urbanick [34.0]) of the top six in minutes played in the Horizon League.
- Nicole Urbanick paces @Detroit_WBB in scoring (15.7 PPG).
- Urbanick, a sophomore, leads the Horizon League in three-pointers/game (3.0). She’s 16-of-27 from downtown (59.3%) over her last three tilts.
- Urbanick has taken 106 attempts from beyond the arc through 13 games, one more than Meredith Hamlet and Hannah Schaub combined.
- Urbanick, who is coming off a 24-point performance vs. Cleveland State on Monday, scored a career-high 32 points against EMU on Dec. 30th.
- @Detroit_WBB’s Rosanna Reynolds (15.2 PPG) was a First Team Preseason All-Horizon League selection entering this season.
- Reynolds and Urbanick were high school teammates at Divine Child High School in Dearborn, Michigan.
- Reynolds is 7th in the league in scoring (15.2 PPG) and 3rd in assists (4.7 APG).
- @Detroit_WBB’s Brianne Cohen’s 54.2% FG percentage is third-highest in the Horizon League.
- Only three players in the HL have secured more rebounds than @Detroit_WBB’s Haleigh Ristovski (108).
- Of those 108, just nine have come on the offensive end.
@UDMCoachScott
- @UDMCoachScott is in his first season as head coach of the Titans.
- @UDMCoachScott enters Thursday’s contest with a 5-8 record.
- @UDMCoachScott was an assistant coach for 15 years before being named Detroit’s bench boss on May 5th, 2015.
- Detroit is @UDMCoachScott’s third stop on the sidelines at a Horizon League school.
- @UDMCoachScott was most recently the associate head coach at Cleveland State.
- @UDMCoachScott spent two seasons as recruiting coordinator at Youngstown State (2008-10).
- @UDMCoachScott helped the University of Dayton snap a five-season losing streak in 2006-07 while with the Flyers.
- Following a two-year run at Dayton, @UDMCoachScott worked a season at University of Arizona.
- @UDMCoachScott got his coaching feet wet at Toledo.
- @UDMCoachScott was a member of the Rockets’ coaching staff for four seasons, one of which culminated in a MAC regular season title and a WNIT berth.
Meredith Hamlet
- Exploded for 29 points at NKU (Dec. 30) on 10-of-11 shooting, the third-highest single-game FG percentage in program history.
- Has scored in double figures nine times this season (12.1 PPG).
- Made no fewer than two field goals in her first 13 career games.
- Third Hamlet to play for head coach Tracey Dorow.
Hannah Schaub
- Team leader in assists (44) and steals (20).
- Twleve of her 13 games have been multi-assist affairs.
- Led a second-half charge vs. Northern Colorado, scoring 12 of her team-high 15 points from the 3rd quarter on (4-5 second half 3FG).
- Has over 2,600 followers on Twitter (@xoxolouise21).
Abby Dean
- Logged the most minutes (2,081) of any Crusader on the roster.
- Averaging 4.8 APG over her previous five contests.
- Enters Thursday’s game with 592 career points.
- Has already surpassed her 2014-15 steals total of 13.
- Has shot over 80% from the charity stripe and started 27 games each of the last two seasons.
Annemarie Hamlet
- Has not appeared in any of the first thirteen games of the season.
Georgi Donchetz
- Corralled a career-high five rebounds last time out vs. IU-Northwest.
- Spent much of her rookie campaign rehabbing from a knee injury.
Lexi Miller
- Distributed 20 assists in her last four games.
- Connected on 14 of her last 27 FG attempts (51.9%) this past month.
- Has logged multiple assists in eight of her last nine games played.
- Finished in double figures eight times last season, including a career-high 21 points at Milwaukee on Jan. 21st.
Imani Scott-Thompson
- Went off for a game-high 12 points versus Louisville on Dec. 5th.
- Nailed a pair of threes at San Diego (Nov. 27).
- Set the NJCAA record for three-pointers in a single season (143) last year at Dakota College at Bottineau.
- Averaged 22.4 PPG for the 2014-15 Ladyjacks.
Amber Lindfors
- Leads the Horizon League in blocks per game (2.1).
- Swatted six shots on two different occasions this year.
- Six blocks shy of cracking Valpo’s top 10 for rejections in a season.
- Amassed more blocks through ten games (22) than any Crusader in an entire season over the past eight years.
- At 6’4’’, she is the tallest Crusader since Stefanie Lang (2010-12).
Dani Franklin
- Has scored in double figures in six straight tilts.
- After shooting 50% or higher from the field just once in the first six games of the season, Franklin has done so in each of her last seven.
- Needs just one point to reach 500 for her career (41 games).
- Her 1.71 +-/40 rating is highest on the team.
- Named to Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team.
- Led Valpo in scoring against Miami (Ohio) for the first time this season with 18 points. She did so 12 times last season.
- Reigning Horizon League Freshman of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year.
- Valpo’s top scorer (13.0 PPG) and field-goal shooter (47.3%) last season.
- Finished in double figures 21 times last season including five tilts of 20 points or more.
- Shot a team-high 85.7% (42-49) from the foul line as a freshman.
Allison Schofield
- Scored five points in Valpo’s 88-22 win over IU-Kokomo (Dec. 21).
- Made her first appearance in a Crusader uniform in the season opener at Butler.
Jasmyn Walker
- Valpo’s leading rebounder (7.8 RPG) and second-leading scorer (11.8 PPG).
- Set a career high in field goals (8) last time out at Wright State.
- Has two double-doubles on the season (13 pts, 13 rebs vs. Northern Colorado; 11 pts, 11 rebs vs. Miami [Ohio]).
- Has started all 43 games since arriving to Valparaiso.
- Recorded most rebounds ever by a freshman (250) and the sixth-most ever in a single season in program history.
- Amassed nine double-doubles in Horizon League play in 2014-15.
- Elected to 2014-15 Horizon League All-Freshmen Team.
- Named HL Freshman of the Week three times last season.
- Collected team watermark in rebounds in 14 contests.
Haylee Thompson
- Rejected two shots, a career-high, in Valpo’s 61-60 win at NKU last Wednesday.
- Posted for a career-high 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the Crusaders’ 63-62 win over Cardinal Stritch on Dec. 7th.
Jessi Wiedemann
- Reverted to 2013-14 form in the season opener at Butler, pouring in 14 points (5-9 FG, 3-5 3FG) in 12 minutes off the bench.
- Missed 23 games last season due to a back injury.
