Bradley (2-7)
at Valparaiso (5-5)

Game No. 11 – Monday, Dec. 19, 2016 – 7 p.m. CT
Athletics-Recreation Central 5,000) – Valparaiso, Ind.

Next Up in Crusader Basketball: After a week away from game competition to focus on final exams, the Valparaiso University women’s basketball team returns to the court on Monday as Bradley comes to the Athletics-Recreation Center. With a victory in Monday’s nonleague finale, the Crusaders can finish with their highest nonleague win total since joining the Horizon League.

Last Time Out: The Crusaders are coming off an 87-58 loss to Indiana at historic Assembly Hall in Bloomington. The Crusaders were led by Dani Franklin, who scored 18 points. The fourth quarter was a bright spot, as Valpo outscored the Hoosiers 26-15.

Following the Crusaders: Live video of Monday’s game will be available on ESPN3, WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app. In addition, a live radio broadcast via UStream will be available. David Horak will handle play-by-play, while Renee’ Turpa and Kevin Huang provide color commentary. Links to live video, audio and stats can be found on ValpoAthletics.com.   

Head Coach Tracey Dorow: Tracey Dorow (38-95) is in her fifth season at the helm of the Valparaiso women’s basketball program in 2016-17. She collected her 250th career victory on Nov. 14, 2014 with a 91-57 win over Butler. In her first season, Dorow led the Crusaders to 11 victories, 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. Ferris State posted the No. 1 grade point average in all of Division II for the 1999-2000 women’s basketball season as well as the No. 2 ranking in 2002-03.

Series Notes: The Crusaders and Braves are set to face off for the first time since Nov. 28, 2006. The Crusaders prevailed in the most recent meeting 82-73, marking their first win over Bradley in program history. The Braves had prevailed in the first five meetings, with four of those coming between 1983 and 1986.  

Worth Noting

• Valpo already has five nonleague wins, the most since 2012-2013 and matching the most since joining the Horizon League. With a win in Monday’s nonleague finale, Valpo can secure its highest nonleague win total since 2006-2007, when it won six nonconference games in the final year in the Mid-Continent Conference. A win on Monday would also allow Valpo to equal its highest nonconference win total since 2002-2003, when it won seven nonconference games.
• With a victory on Sunday, the Crusaders would hold a winning record through 11 games for the first time since 2008-2009.
• Last week’s game against Indiana marked just the second time in 10 games this season that the Crusaders finished with a lower team field-goal percentage than their opponent.
• The Crusaders have not won the turnover battle against a Division-I team this season.
• As a team, Valpo has reached a double-figure steals total twice this season (Nov. 21 vs. IU Kokomo and Dec. 3 vs. Eastern Illinois) after reaching double figure steals just once in the last two seasons combined.
• The Crusaders made 20 free throws in back-to-back games (Nov. 19 at Illinois State, Nov. 21 vs. IU Kokomo) after making 20 free throws in a single game just twice in the last two years combined.
• Dani Franklin is 11 points away from 900 for her career. She currently has 889 career points and has moved into the Top 20 on Valpo’s all-time scoring list. She is seven points away from moving into a tie for 19^th with Heidi Diefenthaler (1992-1996).
• Last year, Valpo had eight different leading scorers in the first 10 games. This year, Franklin has been the leading scorer in nine of the 10 contests.

Historical Tidbits

• In its 45th season, Valpo is 517-612 all-time.
• Valpo has made two NCAA Tournament appearances (2002-03, 2003-04) and earned one WNIT berth (2001-02).
• The Crusaders have had more all-freshman team honorees in the last two years (3) than they did in the previous 12 seasons combined (2).
• Valpo reached double-figure wins for the first time since 2012-2013 a year ago with 10 victories. They also captured five league wins for the first time since ’12-13.
• Valpo has seven players on the roster listed at 6-foot or taller. The last time Valpo had that many players measure in at 6-foot or taller was the 2010-11 season.
• The five freshmen are also Valpo’s most since 2010-11.
• Valpo 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).
• Valpo also boasts five representatives on the all-newcomer team (Lauren Kenney, 2008-09; Gerardot, 2010-11; Dani Franklin, 2014-15; Jasmyn Walker, 2014-15; Meredith Hamlet 2015-16), 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).

Inside the Braves

• Playing its third game against a Horizon League team this year. Defeated Detroit 70-60 on Nov. 18, then fell to Green Bay 68-43 on Nov. 30.
• Playing its second of four games in the state of Indiana this season. Also played at Butler and will play Indiana State and Evansville. The four games are Bradley’s most in the Hoosier state since 2006-2007.
• The Braves went 9-22 last season, 4-14 in the Missouri Valley Conference. They were picked to finish seventh in this year’s MVC preseason poll after finishing ninth a year ago.
• Bradley’s men’s coach is former Green Bay coach Brian Wardle.
• Bradley is coming off an 83-64 loss to Western Michigan on Saturday afternoon. The Braves were led by Shareece Burrell, who finished with 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting.
• Bradley is led in scoring by Vanessa Market, who averages 12.1 points per game. Anneke Schlueter also averages in double figures at 11.3 points per game.

Bradley Head Coach Andrea Gorski

• In her first season as a head coach at her alma mater and her sixth overall as a collegiate head coach.
• Spent the last three years as the associate head coach at Southern Illinois.
• Member of Bradley’s athletic Hall of Fame and one of the best players in school history.
• Became the winningest coach in Concordia (Ann Arbor, Mich.) University history during her time as head coach there from 2008-13.

Meredith Hamlet

• Fast Facts: Has started all 41 games since joining the program… Made 69 3-pointers last season, tying for the fifth most in a single season in school history. In addition, she set the record for the most 3-pointers by a freshman… Finished in double figures 16 times a year ago and is Valpo’s leading returning scorer at 10.6 points per game.
• Last Time Out: 0 pt, 4 reb, 1 assist, 0-3 FG, 28 minutes at Indiana on Dec. 11.
• Season Highlight: Hit a buzzer-beating layup to defeat Chicago State on Nov. 16, 2016.
• Career Highlight: Exploded for 29 points at Northern Kentucky on Dec. 30, 2015. Went 10-of-11 shooting, the third-highest single-game field goal percentage in program history.
• Worth Noting: Hasn’t missed a free throw this year (9-for-9) and has made 12 straight dating back to Feb. 29 of last season.
• Awards & Honors: Named to Horizon League all-freshman team last year… Team Captain this season.

Hannah Schaub

• Fast Fact: Led the team in steals (32) and assists (101) last season.
• Last Time Out: 2-4 FG, 4 pts, 4 reb, 7 assists vs. Indiana on Dec. 11
• Season Highlight: Dished out nine assists against Liberty on Nov. 25 to match a career best and set a new career watermark against Division-I competition. The nine assists marked the most by an individual Horizon League player in a single game this season.
• Career Highlight: Went 5-for-7 from beyond the arc on Nov. 28, 2015 against Northern Colorado, tying for the 10^th best 3-point field goal percentage in a single game in program history.

Georgi Donchetz

• Fast Fact: Appeared in 10 games as a freshman and nine games as a sophomore. Has seen an uptick in playing time this season, appearing in every game.
• Last Time Out: Equaled a career-high with 10 points against Indiana on Dec. 11. Went 4-of-5 shooting while pulling down three rebounds and recording two assists.
• Season Highlight: Reached double figures for the first time in her Valpo career on Dec. 4 at No. 1 Notre Dame by scoring 10 points.
• Worth Noting: Has at least one assist in every game this season.
• Awards and Honors: Named a team captain this season.

Imani Scott-Thompson

• Fast Fact: Has appeared in two games this year after playing in every game last season.
• Last Time Out: Received playing time on Dec. 11 at Indiana, her first game since Nov. 21 after missing time with injury.
• Season Highlight: Made her season debut on Nov. 21 against IU Kokomo and turned in seven points.
• Career Highlight: Rose up to the competition last season against Louisville on Dec. 5, 2015, leading the team with 12 points.
• Worth Noting: Set the NJCAA record for 3-pointers in a single season (143) in 2014-15 at Dakota College at Bottineau.

Amber Lindfors

• Fast Facts: Has scored double figures three times already this season after doing so on three total occasions all of last season… Has a block in eight of the nine games she’s played this season… Is eight blocks away from 100 for her career…Currently sits fourth in Valpo history in career blocks and is six away from equaling Debbie Bolen’s 98 career blocks, which sits third all time.
• Season Highlight: Matched a career high with six blocks on Nov. 16 against Chicago State. That marked the fourth time she’s blocked six shots in a game in her Valpo career. There have only been 10 individual six-block performances in Valpo history, and four of them belong to Lindfors. The six blocks in a single game ties for third in program history. The six blocks are the most in a single game by any player in the Horizon League so far this season.
• Career Highlight: Had a career-high 17 points on Dec. 10, 2016 against Grace College. Her previous career high of 15 had stood since Dec. 21, 2015 against IU Kokomo.
• Worth Noting: Finished the 2015-16 season with 71 blocks, the second most in a single season in program history… Was the first Crusader to reach 70 blocks in a single season since Michelle Mader in 1991-1992… Led the Horizon League with 2.4 blocks per game in 2015-2016.

Dani Franklin

• Fast Facts: Franklin is 11 points away from 900 for her career… Is 42-of-44 at the free-throw line and has already equaled her career high for free throws in a single season… Has made a 3-pointer in all 10 games this year… Has played 29+ minutes in all eight games vs. Division-I teams… hasn’t missed a free throw in a true road game since March 5, 2015 at Oakland, a stretch of 36 straight made free throws in true road contests.
• Last Time Out: Reached double figures for the ninth time in 10 games and was her team’s leading scorer for the ninth time in 10 games with 18 points at Indiana. She has made five or more field goals in nine of 10 games this year.
• Career Highlight: Set a career high and notched Valpo’s best individual scoring performance since 1992 and fifth-best in program history with 34 points at Stetson on Nov. 12, 2016… Franklin bested her previous career high by nine points, a mark that was established on Dec. 30, 2014 against Purdue Calumet and matched on Feb. 11, 2016 against Oakland… Only two players in program history have reached the 34-point mark before Franklin. Debbie Bolen did so three times, while Stephanie Greer owns the all-time single-game scoring record with 39 in 1990… The 34-point night is the best individual scoring performance in the Horizon League so far this season.
• Season Highlight: Scored 33 points on Dec. 3 against Eastern Illinois, finishing one shy of a career high. She became just the third player in program history who has scored 33 points or more in at least two games. Matched a career best with 12 made field goals, and went 6-of-7 at the free-throw line, with the misfire just her second of the year.
• Awards & Honors: Horizon League Freshman of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year in 2014-15. Team captain this season.
• Worth Noting: Shot 43.3 percent from 3-point range as a freshman in 2014-2015, the fourth best single-season mark in program history… Has led the team in scoring in nine of Valpo’s 10 games…Owns the two highest individual single-game scoring outputs in the Horizon League this season.

Allison Schofield

• Fast Fact: Appeared in 13 games as a freshman a year ago.
• Last Time Out: Played three minutes and did not score against Indiana.
• Career Highlight: Set a career high with eight points including two made 3s on Dec. 4, 2016 against Notre Dame.

Haylee Thompson

• Fast Fact: Has at least six points in four of the last six games.
• Last Time Out: Made the first 3-pointer of her collegiate career and finished with seven points at Indiana.
• Worth Noting: The longest-tenured Crusader as she enters her fourth season with the program. Only her third year playing after sitting out one season due to transfer rules. Came to the Crusaders from Utah State… Led the team in field goal percentage at 51.9 percent last season.

Caitlin Morrison

• Fast Facts: The lone freshman in the starting lineup for each of Valpo’s first 10 games this season… Has at least seven points in seven of the last eight games.
• Season Highlight: Reached double figures for the first time in her Valpo career with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting against Grace College on Dec. 10.
• Worth Noting: Father Scott Morrison is a former Valparaiso men’s basketball player.

Maya Meredith

• Fast Fact: Scored 16.1 points per game at Cathedral last season.
• Season Highlight: Scored her first collegiate point on Nov. 16, making a free throw in the win over Chicago State.
• Worth Noting: Received honorable mention all-state recognition as a senior in high school.

Grace Hales

• Fast Fact: Knocked down three 3s in her Crusader debut, becoming the first player to do so since Annemarie Hamlet in 2014. Hales became the first freshman to pour in three 3s in a season opener in the last decade.
• Season Highlight: Scored nine points at Stetson on Nov. 12, marking the third straight year a Valpo freshman has score nine points or more on opening night. Meredith Hamlet and Dani Franklin did so each of the last two seasons, and both went on to make the Horizon League all-freshman team.
• Worth Noting: Father Ross played football and basketball at Indiana University.