The Valpo women’s basketball team kicked off its final road trip of the regular season Thursday night in Cedar Falls, Iowa, falling to host UNI by a 78-59 final.
How It Happened
- The game started on a sporting note, as Valpo yielded the opening tip to the Panthers so that UNI’s Emerson Green — who had suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the month — could make an uncontested layup and join classmates Grace Boffeli and Maya McDermott in reaching the 1,000-point career milestone this season. UNI returned the favor to the Beacons, allowing an uncontested basket of their own to even the score before the game got going in earnest.
- Valpo led by as many as four in the opening period following a triple by freshman Nevaeh Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) with 3:33 to play in the quarter.
- A 3-pointer from freshman Layla Gold (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) with a minute to play in the quarter helped Valpo to a 15-13 lead at the end of the first period.
- Another triple from Jackson 100 seconds into the second quarter returned the lead to the Beacons after UNI had pulled in front, but the Panthers came back with 11 consecutive points to go ahead by double figures, 28-18, with 5:27 to play in the half.
- Valpo scored the next four to get back to within six, and it was still just a nine-point game with a minute to play in the half after a 3-pointer by senior Ava Interrante (McHenry, Ill./McHenry). The Panthers scored four points in the final minute, however, to take a 40-27 lead into the locker room.
- A personal 7-0 run by freshman Saniya Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) cut what was a 17-point UNI lead to just 46-36 with 6:33 to play in the third quarter. That was as close as the Beacons would get in the period, though, as UNI led 61-44 at the end of the third.
- Valpo was unable to get any closer than 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Inside the Game
- Valpo held a big advantage from the 3-point line, going 11-of-28 from deep versus UNI’s 2-of-14 clip. It was the sixth time this year the Beacons have hit at least 10 triples in a game.
- The Panthers more than made up that deficit inside the arc, however. UNI held a 48-18 advantage in points in the paint and was 29-for-44 from 2-point range, as opposed to the Beacons’ 9-for-26 mark inside the arc.
- Valpo dished out 17 assists on its 20 baskets, led by a career-best and Valpo season-high seven helpers from Interrante. Senior Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) handed out four assists as well.
- On the flip side, the Beacons committed 26 turnovers — their second-highest total of the season — which led to 27 UNI points.
- Saniya Jackson led Valpo on Thursday with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, her 14th double-digit scoring effort of the year. Jackson also tied for team-high honors with a season-best nine rebounds and led all players with four steals.
- Earnest posted 13 points and nine rebounds to go with her four assists.
- Nevaeh Jackson hit a trio of 3-pointers for nine points, while redshirt senior Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban [Akron]) connected on two 3-pointers in an 8-point effort to match her season high. Gold tied her season best with seven points as well.
Next Up
Valpo (5-21, 4-13) plays on the road for the final time in the regular season on Saturday afternoon when the Beacons take on MVC-leading Drake in Des Moines, Iowa. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
