Valparaiso (8-18, 4-11 Horizon)
at Youngstown State (16-9, 7-7 Horizon)
Game #27 - Thursday, February 25 - 4:15 p.m. CT
Beeghly Center (6,500) - Youngstown, Ohio
Next Up in Crusader Basketball: Valpo’s final swing trip of the season takes it to Northeast Ohio for showdowns with Youngstown State and Cleveland State. Sophomore Sarah Cash and the Penguins seek out revenge on the Crusaders after the Brown and Gold handed them a 65-60 setback at the ARC back on January 23rd.
Last Time Out: Green Bay’s trademark defense secured its spot atop the Horizon League leaderboard as the visiting Phoenix defeated Valpo 71-35 at the Athletics-Recreation Center last Saturday afternoon. Green Bay forced 22 turnovers to maintain a perfect road record. Sophomore Jasmyn Walker registered a team-high 11 points while Lexi Miller was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field to finish with eight points. The Crusaders honored Miller, Abby Dean, and Jessi Wiedemann during Senior Day festivities.
Following the Crusaders: Audio: WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso) - Brandon Vickrey (PxP), Parker Gatewood (Color), Renee’ Turpa (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 (31-86) 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: Youngstown State leads the all-time series, 23-15. The Crusaders defeated the Penguins 65-60 at the Athletics-Recreation Center last month to interrupt a stretch of nine YSU victories in the previous ten meetings. The Penguins are 13-4 all-time at home versus Valpo, having won five straight at Beeghly Center. The Crusaders last beat YSU on the road in January of 2010.
Storylines
- A win would give Valpo its first within the confines of Ohio since Dec. 7th, 2013 (at Toledo).
- Thursday represents Youngstown State head coach John Barnes’ 300th career game on the bench.
- Sophomore Jasmyn Walker is 20 boards shy of joining Valpo’s Top 10 for rebounds in a single season for the second consecutive year.
- Six of the seven Horizon League tilts played at Beeghly Center this season have been decided by single digits.
- The Crusaders shot 30% or higher from beyond the arc ten times in their first 12 games. They’ve eclipsed that mark once in their previous eight contests.
@ValpoWBB
- In its 44th season, @ValpoWBB is 510-605 all-time (as of Feb. 24th).
- @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.
- @ValpoWBB reached the eight-win mark for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
- Last season, @ValpoWBB did not record its fifth win until February 5th. It did so on Dec. 30th this season.
@ValpoWBB in the @HorizonLeague
- Since joining the Horizon League in 2007-08, @ValpoWBB is 48-105 (as of Feb. 24th).
- @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).
- @ValpoWBB’s win at Northern Kentucky on Dec. 30th gave it its first road win in a Horizon League opener since becoming a member.
@YSUWomensHoops
- @YSUWomensHoops enters Thursday’s tilt with a 16-9 overall record, and a 7-7 mark in Horizon League play.
- @YSUWomensHoops opened the season on a six-game winning streak, a year after beginning 2014-15 with victories in its first ten.
- @YSUWomensHoops leads the Horizon League - and is ninth in the nation - in three-pointers made per game (9.0).
- @YSUWomensHoops has made at least 200 triples in each of the last six seasons.
- Conversely, @YSUWomensHoops limits its opposition to a league-best 26.5% mark from beyond the arc (14th in the country).
- @YSUWomensHoops has committed a league-low 350 turnovers on the season.
- @YSUWomensHoops has outscored opponents by just six points in the 1st-3rd quarters. They own a +66 point-differential in the 4th period alone.
- @YSUWomensHoops is 4-1 on Thursdays in 2015-16, and 10-4 all-time on that day under head coach John Barnes.
- Sarah Cash’s 14.9 points and 7.5 rebounds lead @YSUWomensHoops.
- Cash’s 63.1% FG percentage checks in at No. 4 in the country.
- The sophomore is on pace to destroy the @YSUWomensHoops’ single-season field-goal percentage mark of 58.2% set back in 1978-79.
- Cash also leads @YSUWomensHoops in blocks (34) and steals (36).
- Indiya Benjamin is atop the HL leaderboard in assists (5.2/game).
- Benjamin averaged 13 points and six assists per game in two contests versus the Crusaders in 2014-15.
- Nikki Arbanas has attempted 173 three-pointers this season, the third-most tries in the Horizon League.
- Arbanas (36.4%) and Benjamin (38.8%) both are in the league’s Top 10 in three-point field goal percentage.
- Kelsea Newman is two treys shy of joining YSU’s all-time Top 10.
@CoachJohnBarnes
- @CoachJohnBarnes is in his third season as head coach of the Penguins.
- For his career, @CoachJohnBarnes is 208-91 as a bench boss, 52-36 at Youngstown State.
- @CoachJohnBarnes owns as many wins in the Horizon League Tournament (2) as Youngstown State recorded from 2001-2013.
- @CoachJohnBarnes led last year’s squad to a berth in the WNIT, its second in three seasons.
- @CoachJohnBarnes’ previous experience as head coach came at Michigan Tech (2003-10), where he led the Huskies to two Elite Eight showings.
- @CoachJohnBarnes was named Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Coach of the Year three times.
- Following his seven-year stay in Houghton, @CoachJohnBarnes served as an assistant coach at Wisconsin and Michigan.
- @CoachJohnBarnes was associate head coach at Green Bay during the 2012-13 season.
Meredith Hamlet
- Went off for 22 points at Oakland (Feb. 11) thanks to a season-high six three-pointers.
- Finished in double figures 11 times in her first 14 games, but has done so just once in her last eleven tilts (9.9 PPG this season).
- Exploded for 29 points at NKU (Dec. 30) on 10-of-11 shooting, the third-highest single-game FG percentage in program history.
- Started in all 26 contests this season.
Hannah Schaub
- Team leader in assists (78) and steals (27).
- Speared a season-high eight rebounds at Detroit on Feb. 13th.
- Had a 25-game assist streak snapped last time out vs. Green Bay.
- 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).
Abby Dean
- Scored a season-high 21 points (9-of-13 FG) vs. YSU on Jan. 23rd.
- Averaged 16.0 PPG from Jan. 16th-23rd thanks to a 17-for-25 (68.0%) shooting performance during that span.
- Logged the most minutes (2,450) of any Crusader on the roster.
- Has shot over 80% from the charity stripe and started 27 games each of the last two seasons.
Annemarie Hamlet
- Has not appeared yet this season.
Georgi Donchetz
- Corralled a career-high five rebounds vs. IU-Northwest on Dec. 12th.
Lexi Miller
- Team leader in assists (78) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4).
- Owns 17 assists opposite 9 TOs in six career games vs. the Penguins.
- Recorded her 200th career field goal last time out vs. Green Bay.
- Tied a career high in assists (8) at Wright State on Jan. 1st.
Imani Scott-Thompson
- Hit back-to-back 3-pointers vs. YSU in the team’s previous meeting.
- Tossed in 13 points (3-5 3FG) vs. Milwaukee (Feb. 18).
- Went off for a game-high 12 points versus Louisville on Dec. 5th.
- Set the NJCAA record for three-pointers in a single season (143) last year at Dakota College at Bottineau.
Amber Lindfors
- Has rejected at least two shots in eleven consecutive contests, including five versus UIC and Wright State each.
- Second in the Horizon League in blocks per game (2.3).
- Currently in 3rd place in program history for blocks in a season (55).
- Swatted six shots on two different occasions this year.
- Accumulated 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
- Valpo’s leading scorer away from the ARC (11.6 PPG).
- Squeezed her 100th rebound of the season Saturday vs. Green Bay.
- Matched a career high in points (25) at Oakland on Feb. 11th.
- Has not missed a free-throw on the road since 3/5/15 (25 for last 25).
- After shooting 50% or higher from the field just once in the first six games of the season, Franklin did so in 12 straight from Dec.7-Jan. 21.
- Named to Preseason All-Horizon League Second Team.
- Has led the team in scoring on six different occasions this year. She did so 12 times last season.
- Reigning HL 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 at Green Bay (2-2 FG, 1-1 3FG) on Jan. 14th.
Jasmyn Walker
- Valpo’s leading scorer (12.1 PPG) and rebounder (8.5 RPG).
- Averaging just under a double-double in HL play (12.5 PPG, 9.1 RPG).
- Currently in 19th place in career rebounds at Valpo with 472.
- Led the Crusaders in rebounding 18 times this year.
- Cradled a career-high 16 boards vs. Detroit on Jan. 7th.
- Possesses seven double-doubles this season, and five in her last 11 games (N. Colorado, Miami, UDM, Oakland, CSU, YSU, WSU).
- Has started all 56 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
- Finished in double figures at Detroit (10 pts on 4-6 FGs) on Feb. 13th.
- Posted a career-high 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the Crusaders’ 63-62 win over Cardinal Stritch on Dec. 7th.
Jessi Wiedemann
- Poured in 14 points (5-9 FG, 3-5 3FG) in 12 minutes off the bench at Butler.
