January 21, 20231st2nd3rd4thFinal
Valparaiso141711951
Drake2121261684
Stats at a GlanceVALPODRA
FG Percentage.298 (14-47) .540 (27-50)
3P FG Percentage.259 (7-27) .438 (7-16)
FT Percentage.800 (16-20) .821 (23-28)
Offensive Rebounds99
Defensive Rebounds1728
Total Rebounds2637
Turnovers2519
Steals1213
Bench Points1931
LeadersVALPODRA
PointsBrown - 16
Dinnebier - 18
ReboundsEarnest - 5
Miller - 9
AssistsSims - 3
McAulay - 3
Gueldner - 3
Berg - 3
StealsInterrante - 4
Pitts - 4
McAulay - 3
Dinnebier - 3
BlocksBrown - 1
Van Weelden - 1
Miller - 3
BoxscorePlay-by-Play1st Half2nd Half
Women’s Basketball Falls at Drake Saturday
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Women’s Basketball Falls at Drake Saturday
Olivia Brown paced Valpo with 16 points Saturday.

The Valpo women’s basketball team closed out its Iowa road swing on Saturday afternoon in Des Moines, falling to host Drake by an 84-51 final.

How It Happened

  • Valpo got out to a strong start, buoyed by its early defense. The Beacons forced five Drake turnovers in the opening five minutes of the game, four of which were steals by fifth-year point guard Ilysse Pitts (Aurora, Ill./Montini Catholic).
  • Meanwhile, on the offensive end, the Beacons had fifth-year Maya Dunson (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne [Loyola]) and junior Jayda Johnston (Roseville, Minn./Roseville Area) hit early 3-pointers, while junior Ava Interrante (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) had a 3-point play as Valpo led 11-7 at the first media timeout.
  • Drake outscored Valpo 14-3 over the final five minutes of the first quarter to lead 21-14 at the end of one.
  • Senior Olivia Brown (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids [St. Bonaventure]) helped keep Valpo within striking distance in the second period, scoring 11 points in that quarter alone — including three 3-pointers. The Bulldogs led 42-31 at halftime.
  • Drake scored the first 11 points of the second half, and Valpo got no closer than 18 points the rest of the way. The Bulldogs were up 68-42 with 10 minutes to play.

Inside the Game

  • Drake shot 54% (27-of-50) for the game, while the Beacons were just 14-of-47 (29.8%) from the field.
  • Valpo also committed 25 turnovers, allowing Drake to score 24 points off turnovers. The Beacons did force 19 Drake miscues, 12 of which were steals — highlighted by four apiece from Pitts and Interrante. Pitts set a season high with her four thefts, while Interrante broke her career high.
  • Brown was the only Valpo player to score in double figures, finishing with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Through eight Valley games, the senior is averaging 13.6 points/game and hitting at a 48.9% clip from the 3-point line.
  • Junior Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) led Valpo with five rebounds, while sophomore Olivia Sims (Toledo, Ohio/Notre Dame Academy [Oakland]) paced the Beacons with three assists.

Next Up

Valpo (3-13, 1-7 MVC) steps out of Valley play for its makeup of December’s postponed game at Wisconsin. The Beacons will take on the Badgers Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. in Madison, and the game can be seen live on BTN+.