Youngstown State (4-9, 0-0 Horizon)
vs. Valparaiso (2-11, 0-0 Horizon)
Game #14 - Thursday, January 9 - 7:05 p.m.
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) -
Valparaiso, Ind.
Next Up in Crusader Basketball: Horizon League play begins Thursday evening for the Brown and Gold as Youngstown State comes to the ARC for a 7:05 tipoff. Valpo is in search of its first win at home while the Penguins are looking to break into the win column on the road. This is the third time since joining the Horizon League in the 2007-2008 season that Valpo will open the league slate at home versus Youngstown State. The Crusaders won both prior meetings (2008-09, 2012-13).
Last Time Out: Valpo closed out non-conference action Saturday in Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane used a 51-point second half to power past the Crusaders 84-70. Liz Horton knocked down all five of her three-point attempts in the second half as she finished with a career-high 20 points. Charae Richardson tallied 18 points for the second time in three games while sophomore Abby Dean added 14.
Following the Crusaders: Audio - WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso) - Joey Basil (play-by-play) and Ted Riethmeier (color).
Links for the audio and live stats will be available at ValpoAthletics.com. In addition, ValpoGameday.com is a one-stop shop for live video, stats and social media interaction, all on the same page.
Head Coach Tracey Dorow: Tracey Dorow (13-31) is in her second season at the helm of the Valparaiso women’s basketball program in 2013-14. 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 2002-2003.
Series Notes: Youngstown State leads the all-time series 19-14 versus Valparaiso. The two teams split the season series last year. The Crusaders’ 67-59 victory over the Penguins at home last January snapped a four-game losing skid.
Storylines...
- This is the third time the Crusaders have opened HL action by hosting the Penguins. Valpo has won both prior contests.
- Valpo will start Horizon League play without sophomore Lexi Miller as she recovers from a concussion suffered in late December.
- Youngstown State’s Shar’Rae Davis is out for the year. Davis was voted to the Preseason Second Team All-League and finished in double digits in both games versus the Crusaders last season.
- Penguins’ forward Heidi Schlegel enters Thursday’s tilt third in scoring in the Horizon League with 19.7 points per game.
- The Brown and Gold are looking for their first home win while Youngstown State is in search of its first road win.
- Valpo played Tulsa on Saturday, but due to inclement weather, the team will not fly back until Wednesday morning.
@YSUWomensHoops
- @YSUWomensHoops was one of three 20-win teams in the Horizon League last season.
- Heidi Schlegel has led @YSUWomensHoops in scoring 10 of the team’s 13 games.
- Schlegel has had eight games with 20 or more points (2nd most in HL).
- Liz Hornberger has 83 three-point attempts (26 made).
- Karen Flagg tallied four blocks in two different contests.
- The Penguins accumulated a HL-high 23 steals versus VCU on Nov. 9th.
- Opponents are shooting just 26.9% from three-point land versus @YSUWomensHoops.
- John Barnes is in his first season as head coach at YSU.
- He has held coaching positions at Wisconsin, Michigan, and Green Bay.
Jessica Carr
- Scored 12 points and had four assists in just her second game of the season.
- Made her season debut versus Western Michigan on Dec. 29th, where she scored five points and notched an assist, steal, and rebound.
Elizabeth Hamlet
- Shot 3-for-5 from the field in Valpo’s 63-61 defeat of Toledo at the Toledo Invite.
Abby Dean
- Tied a career-high in assists (5) versus Western Michigan.
- Leads the Horizon League in free-throw percentage (90.9%).
- Has knocked down five field goals in five different contests.
- Compiled 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 17-point games.
- Has started every game for the Crusaders.
- Registered a career-high 17 points at Tennessee Tech on 11/24/13.
- Scored first collegiate points at historic Cameron Indoor Stadium last November.
- Made collegiate debut on November 14th versus Purdue-Calumet.
- Tossed in 11 points in 19 minutes vs.Western Michigan last season.
Lexi Miller
- Averaging over 36 minutes/game the last seven contests.
- Tallied 13 assists to five turnovers during the Toledo Invite.
- Scored a career-high 18 points vs. Tennessee Tech.
- Owns best assists/turnover ratio of any Crusader (29:28).
- Accumulated 15 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals (all career highs at the time) at Saint Louis on Nov. 10th, 2013.
- Made collegiate debut against the Indiana Hoosiers Nov, 9th, 2012.
- Made first start in Hinkle Fieldhouse versus the Butler Bulldogs.
- Scored 13 points in Valpo’s 88-62 victory over UIC on Feb. 16th, 2013.
Charae Richardson
- Has dropped in 18 points in two of the last three games.
- Scored a career-high 23 points versus Montana State.
- Dished out a season-high seven assists at Tennessee Tech.
- Leads team in points/game (12.5) and total assists (34).
- Scored 15 points in the season opener at Saint Louis on Nov. 10th.
- Played in all 31 games for the Crusaders last season, including 28 starts.
- Carried an 84.1 free-throw percentage.
- Finished second on the team last season in three-pointers (24) and assists (95).
Liz Horton
- Made 5 of 6 three-point attempts en route to a career-high 20 points at Tulsa on Jan. 4th, 2014.
- On a seven-game streak where she’s made at least one three-pointer.
- Shot 23-of-45 from the field in December including 10-for-19 from behind the arc.
- Leads team in three-point field goal percentage (47.5%) and in total FG% (49.4%)
- Has scored exactly 11 points on four different occasions this season (Illinois, #6 Notre Dame, Montana State, Toledo).
- Appeared in 30 games for the Brown and Gold a season ago.
- Named Crusaders’ Most Improved Player in 2012-13.
- Scored 19 points, including 3-for-3 shooting from behind the arc, at Western Michigan on Dec. 19th.
Sharon Karungi
- Leading rebounder (8.3) for the Crusaders.
- Averaging 9.9 points per game.
- Tied for second in Horizon League with most double-doubles (5),
- Grabbed 14 rebounds in both games of the Toledo Invite en route to Most Valuable Player recognition.
- Scored the game-winning put-back with three seconds to play against Toledo.
- Registered 17 points and 14 boards versus FIU for her third double-double of the season.
- Tallied her second double-double at Tennessee Tech, scoring 11 points and collecting 10 rebounds.
- Recorded her first double-double at Illinois on Nov. 12th, throwing in 15 points and grabbing 12 boards.
- At 6’2’’, Karungi is tallest player on the Valpo roster.
Jessi Wiedemann
- One of only two Crusaders to start every game thus far for Coach Dorow.
- Named to Toledo Invite All-Tournament Team after scoring 15 versus Chicago State and 14 against Toledo.
- Double-digit scorer in seven games for the Crusaders.
- Has made multiple three-pointers in six games in 2013-14.
- Notched a career-high 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting at Tennessee Tech.
- Leads team in steals (20) and blocks (7).
- Snapped a season-starting 0-14 slump from behind the arc at #6 Notre Dame, nailing three treys in a nine-point game.
- Played all 40 minutes in the season opener at Saint Louis on Nov. 10th, 2013, and set career highs in blocks (4) and steals (3) while scoring six points.
- Appeared in all 31 games including four starts as a freshman.
- Made collegiate debut versus Indiana.
- Scored 13 points off the bench versus Detroit on Mar. 9th, 2013.
Roster Breakdown
- Valpo welcomes six new players (two freshmen, four transfers) to its team this season.
- Haylee Thompson and Annemarie Hamlet will sit out this season per NCAA transfer eligibilty rules.
- The Brown and Gold boast players from six different states and two countries.
- Liz Horton is the only true senior on this year’s squad.
