Valparaiso (2-15, 1-7 MVC)
Game #17 - January 28, 2024 - 2 p.m.
at Evansville (2-17, 0-8 MVC)
Meeks Family Fieldhouse (1,164) - Evansville, Ind.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women’s basketball team looks to earn a split of the Hoosier State road trip this weekend, as the Beacons close the two-game swing Sunday afternoon at Evansville.
Previously: Led by 14 first-half points from senior Leah Earnest, Valpo held a four-point edge over host Indiana State Friday evening in Terre Haute, Ind., but the Beacons were held without a field goal in the third quarter as the Sycamores pulled away to a 70-49 victory. ISU scored the first 15 points of the second half to turn the tables after the Beacons led 32-28 at intermission.
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Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com
Head Coach Mary Evans: Mary Evans is in her sixth year at the helm of the program in 2023-24 and owns a record of 57-106. Evans has made an impact on the program in her first five years, raising the team’s level of play to be competitive in a strong Missouri Valley Conference. The 2022-23 season saw Evans lead Valpo to the first win in program history over perennial MVC power Missouri State. The Beacons also won three consecutive road games in Valley play, the first time the program accomplished that feat against three different opponents since 2007.
Series Notes: Valpo leads the all-time series over the Purple Aces 15-10 and holds a slight 6-5 edge in Evansville, including wins in each of its last three trips to the River City. Last season, the two teams split the season series, with each squad winning on the other’s home court - the Purple Aces took a 57-45 victory away from the ARC, while the Beacons returned the favor later in the year with a 74-68 win at Meeks. Olivia Brown had 16 points to lead Valpo in its victory.
@ValpoWBB...
...and @ValleyHoops
- Valpo was picked to finish in 10th place in the MVC preseason poll, totaling 162 points, coming in ahead of Evansville and Bradley.
- Valpo is in its seventh season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
- The Valley was ranked 13th in conference NET last season. The MVC ranked 10th in conference NET in 2021-22, seventh in conference NET in 2020-21 and was eighth in conference RPI in 2019-20.
...looking back at last year
- Valpo finished last season with a 7-23 overall record and finished at 5-15 in MVC play, good for 11th in the Valley standings.
- The Beacons earned their first win in program history over perennial MVC power Missouri State.
- Valpo also won three consecutive road games in Valley play, the first time the program accomplished that feat against three different opponents since 2007.
- Ali Saunders was named to the MVC All-Freshman Team.
...at Indiana State
- Valpo led for the majority of the first quarter, but ISU closed the period with six straight points - including a halfcourt shot at the buzzer - to lead 18-16 at the end of the quarter.
- A 3-pointer from Saniya Jackson and a driving layup from Leah Earnest accounted for a quick 5-0 run late in the second quarter which sent Valpo into the locker room with a 32-28 halftime lead.
- Out of the locker room, Valpo was unable to hit a field goal in the third quarter and didn’t crack the scoreboard until a pair of free throws by senior Ava Interrante with 3:10 to play in the period. At that point, the Sycamores had reeled off 15 points in a row to take a double-digit lead.
- ISU led 47-36 at the end of the third quarter and scored on each of its first five possessions of the fourth quarter to keep the Beacons from making a run.
- Leah Earnest finished with 18 points to lead all players on 8-of-13 shooting, while also pulling down a team-high six rebounds.
- Jackson joined Earnest in double digits in the scoring column, finishing with 10 points — her eighth double-digit effort of the season.
- After shooting 46.2% (12-of-26) in the first half to head into the locker room with the lead, the Beacons were limited to 20% (4-of-20) shooting in the second half.
- Valpo also hit just five 3-pointers on the evening, matching its lowest output to date in Valley play.
- There was only a three-turnover differential in that department (Indiana State 16, Valpo 19), but the Sycamores were able to turn the Beacons’ turnovers into 26 points, while Valpo scored just 14 points off ISU’s miscues.
...versus Bradley
- Valpo led 14-12 at the end of the first quarter, and was still ahead just 23-19 with 6:28 to play in the half.
- In what seemed like a blink of the eye, but what was in fact 1:19 of game time, the Beacons reeled off 11 points in a four-possession span. Ella Van Weelden had two 3-pointers in that stretch, the second of which forced a Bradley timeout with the score 34-21 and 4:53 to play
- The Braves scored on their first possession out of the stoppage, but that just set up a 10-0 run over the next three and a half minutes for Valpo. Van Weelden had the bulk of that run as well, knocking down two more 3-pointers.
- Bradley snapped the run with a basket inside the final minute. Fittingly enough, however, Valpo capped the first-half scoring with a 3-pointer, this one courtesy of senior Emma Tecca on its final offensive possession to send the Beacons into the locker room with a 47-25 lead.
- The result was never in doubt in the second half, as Valpo’s lead did not drop below 20 points. A 3-pointer in the final seconds of the third quarter from Olivia Brown put the Beacons ahead 66-37 at the end of the quarter, and Valpo led by as many as 34 points in the final period.
- Leah Earnest led the way with 24 points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
- In her return to action, Olivia Brown dropped in 17 points, while Van Weelden was a perfect 4-for-4 from deep to match her career high with 12 points.
- Led by Earnest’s efforts on the glass, Valpo outrebounded Bradley 38-34 — the first time this year Valpo has held the edge in that category.
- Valpo finished the game hitting 12-of-28 (42.9%) from the 3-point line, season bests for both 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage. The Beacons also went 19-of-22 (86.4%) from the foul line, a season-best percentage there as well.
- Valpo entered the game ranked 35th nationally in steals/game, but had a season-low five thefts on Sunday. The Beacons still forced 14 Bradley turnovers, converting those into 13 points.
...looking ahead
- Valpo has just one game next week, a Sunday afternoon matinee at UIC.
- The second half of the Valley slate begins the following weekend, as Indiana State and Evansville visit the ARC.
...on the road
- Valpo will play 17 games away from home in the 2023-24 regular season, 16 of which will be true road games.
- The Beacons are 0-11 away from home so far this year and posted a 4-10 record in true road games last season.
@UEAthletics_WBB
- Evansville enters Sunday’s game still in search of its first MVC win, as the Purple Aces are 2-17 overall and 0-8 in the Valley.
- UE did have its closest Valley game to date last time out, dropping a 70-61 decision to UIC on Friday evening.
- Three Purple Aces are averaging in double figures, led by 13.6 points/game from Kynidi Mason Striverson, who also leads the team with 3.8 assists/game.
Halftime Leads
- Valpo has held halftime leads in each of the last three games: 37-35 versus Illinois State, 47-25 versus Bradley and 32-28 last time out at Indiana State.
- The Beacons saw the lead slip away in the third quarter of the two losses in that stretch, getting outscored in the third period 21-12 against Illinois State and 19-4 against Indiana State.
- On the other hand, Valpo was able to extend its lead against Bradley with a 19-12 edge in the third quarter.
- Within Valley play, Valpo owns a 123-117 total edge over its opponents in the second quarter, but the Beacons’ opponents have outscored them 177-111 in the third quarter.
A Big Win
- There was no drama in the second half at the ARC last Sunday, as the Beacons led Bradley by as many as 34 points on their way to the 79-55 victory.
- Valpo’s 24-point margin of victory was its largest since beating Western Michigan 75-51 in December 2020.
- It was the program’s largest margin of victory in MVC play since a 93-49 win over Evansville in January 2019.
- The Beacons held Bradley to 55 points, a season low for their opponents. The Braves shot just 29.1% from the floor, the lowest mark by a Valpo opponent since Illinois State shot just 28.8% in January 2021.
That Second Quarter Tho
- The offensive numbers from the second quarter in the Bradley win are the fun ones.
- Valpo scored 33 points in the period, the program’s second-highest output in a quarter since the change to quarters in 2014-15 — only bested by a 35-point third quarter in the aforementioned Evansville game.
- The Beacons were 9-of-14 from the field in the second quarter, including a 7-of-10 mark from behind the 3-point line, and hit 8-of-9 from the foul line. Their 33 points came on just 19 possessions, an average of 1.74 points per possession.
3lla Van W33lden
- Leading the way in that second quarter was sophomore Ella Van Weelden, who hit four 3-pointers in a single period for the second time this year. This time, the sophomore was perfect, connecting on all four of her tries.
- Van Weelden finished the afternoon with the 12 points she scored in that quarter, matching her career best set earlier this year in the fourth quarter at Southern Illinois. Notably, outside of those two single-quarter performances, her career high for scoring in a game is nine points.
- Van Weelden did not attempt a triple outside of the second period, becoming the first Valpo player to hit 100% from deep with at least four attempts in a game since Carie Weinman went 4-of-4 from 3-point range against Illinois State in February 2022.
A Unicorn of a Stat Line
- Senior Leah Earnest had a game unlike any ever seen by a Valpo women’s basketball player last Sunday in the win over Bradley.
- Earnest finished with game highs of 24 points, 14 rebounds and six assists - in single-game records dating back to the late 1980’s, no Valpo player has ever hit all three of those marks in the same game.
- Earnest is one of just three Division I players this season to reach all three of those marks in the same game — Iowa’s Caitlin Clark did so against Loyola, while Abilene Christian’s Bella Earle did so against California Baptist. She is also one of just two MVC players to post a stat line like that in the last 13 seasons.
- Earnest recorded her fourth double-double of the year and set a career high for free throws made (7). She also matched her career bests for 3-pointers made (3), rebounds and assists.
A Welcome Return
- Last Sunday was a big afternoon for fifth-year guard Olivia Brown.
- Prior to the game, Brown was recognized for reaching 1,000 collegiate points last month.
- Brown started the game on the bench, but answered the call 4:05 into the contest for her first action since getting injured in the fourth quarter at Missouri State Jan. 4.
- Brown made up for lost time, hitting her first shot attempt, a 3-pointer less than three minutes after entering the game — the first arrow in what proved to be 17 points in her quiver, as she hit 5-of-6 from the field, 2-of-3 from deep and 5-of-5 from the foul line.
- Brown now owns 1,068 collegiate points, 702 of which have come in her three seasons in the Valpo uniform.
Productive Rookie
- Freshman Saniya Jackson has been a steady force on the offensive end this year.
- Jackson’s first double-figure scoring effort came at UAB in her fourth career game, when she scored 13 points.
- Jackson has scored in double figures eight times this season, most recently a 10-point effort last time out at Indiana State.
- Jackson is shooting at a .495 clip from the field this season, including a .645 mark from inside the arc.
- Jackson has racked up 32 steals this year - second-most on the team - while committing just 21 turnovers. Per HerHoopStats.com, as of Saturday, she is one of just 17 D-I players with 30+ steals and less than 25 turnovers.
Another Leap Forward
- Senior Leah Earnest took a jump forward in her production last season, and has taken another leap this year.
- Earnest enters Sunday’s game ranked seventh in the conference in scoring (14.5) and ninth in rebounding (6.9).
- She is also averaging a team-best 2.8 assists/game as well.
- Earnest is on pace to become the first Valpo player since Debbie Bolen in 1991-92 to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists.
- Earnest has been consistent, scoring in double figures in 15 of 17 games to date.
- Earnest entered this season with a career high of 20 in the scoring column, but has hit that mark or better five times this year, including a career-best 26 points at UAB.
- Earnest posted a pair of double-doubles last weekend, giving her four on the season.
- With her seventh rebound at Missouri State, Earnest hit the 500-rebound mark for her career, becoming the 19th player in program history with 500 career boards. She enters Sunday’s game ranked 16th in program history with 544 career rebounds.
Youth in the Lineup
- The Beacons’ starting lineup has been 60% comprised of freshmen the last six times out.
- Layla Gold made her first collegiate start at Southern Illinois, joining Saniya Jackson and Nevaeh Jackson in the starting five.
- It was the first time Valpo has started three freshmen since March 11, 2016, when Hannah Schaub, Meredith Hamlet and Amber Lindfors were in the starting lineup against Northern Kentucky.
- Gold’s insertion into the lineup was necessitated after Olivia Brown suffered an injury in the fourth quarter of the previous game at Missouri State which kept her out against the Salukis. It was the first game Brown has missed in her three years at Valpo, snapping a streak of 71 consecutive games played.
Thievery Abounds
- Valpo has gotten back to its stealing ways on the defensive end this season.
- The Beacons average 10.1 steals/game and have been in double figures in steals in eight games this season, highlighted by an 18-steal effort against Western Illinois Nov. 18.
- The 18 steals was the program’s best single-game mark since tallying 21 steals at Evansville on Jan. 12, 2020, and is tied for the second-highest output in Evans’ tenure as head coach.
- Freshman Raeven Raye-Redmond currently ranks sixth in the Valley with 2.1 steals/game despite playing just 14.8 minutes/game, while fellow rookie Saniya Jackson is ninth in the MVC with 1.9 steals/game.
- Both Jackson and Raye-Redmond have had an eight-steal game this season - Jackson did so Nov. 25 at UAB and Raye-Redmond did so in her collegiate debut in the aforementioned Western Illinois game.
- Jackson and Raye-Redmond are two of just 30 D-I players nationally to record eight or more steals in a single game so far this season.
- The duo are now tied for second on Valpo’s single-game steals chart, just one off the program single-game record.
- Prior to this year, the last Valpo player to tally eight steals in a game was Jeanette Gray against Houston in the 2002 WNIT.
- Raye-Redmond was the first MVC player to record eight steals in a game since UNI’s Ellie Herzberg did so against Indiana State on Feb. 19, 2017.
