Valparaiso (2-1, 0-0 MVC)
Game #4 - Nov. 21, 2022 - 6 p.m.
UAB (2-0, 0-0 CUSA)
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) - Valparaiso, Ind.
Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women’s basketball team closes out its three-game homestand on Monday evening as the Beacons welcome UAB to town. This is part of a stretch during which Valpo will play five out of six games in the friendly confines of the ARC.
Previously: Valpo suffered its first defeat of the season Wednesday afternoon at the ARC, dropping a 73-67 decision to visiting Eastern Illinois. The Beacons led by three with 8:31 to play, but six straight points by the Panthers gave EIU the lead for good. Olivia Brown paced Valpo with 20 points.
Following Valpo Basketball: Streaming Video: ESPN+
Radio: WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso)
Streaming Audio: TuneIn app
Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com
Head Coach Mary Evans: Mary Evans is in her fifth year at the helm of the program in 2022-23 and owns a record of 50-69. Evans has made an impact on the program in her first four years, raising the team’s level of play to be competitive in a strong Missouri Valley Conference. Evans’ preferred style of play has been a big part of the program’s turnaround, as Valpo has led the MVC in 3-pointers made per game in each of the last three seasons and in steals per game in two of the last three years.
Series Notes: Valpo and UAB have met just once in program history, and that matchup came well before any of the participants in Monday’s game were born. The Blazers earned an 84-53 win in that meeting, which came on Nov. 25, 1989 at a tournament hosted by Indiana. Valpo is just 1-6 all-time against current CUSA members, with that lone win coming in 2007 over North Texas.
@ValpoWBB...
...and @ValleyHoops
- Valpo was picked to finish in 10th place in the MVC preseason poll, totaling 197 points, just 10 points behind Evansville.
- Valpo is in its sixth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
- The Valley was ranked 10th in conference NET last year, was ranked seventh nationally in conference NET in 2020-21 and was eighth nationally in conference RPI in 2019-20.
...looking back at last year
- Valpo finished last year with an 11-19 overall record, but was strong in MVC play, going 9-9 in conference and finishing in sixth place - both of which match the program’s best since joining the Valley.
- The Beacons registered the first win at Drake and the first win at Bradley in program history.
- Valpo swept the season series over Drake, the program’s first two wins ever against the Bulldogs.
- The Beacons also tallied four top-100 wins within Valley play.
- Grace White was named MVC Sixth Player of the Year - the program’s first major postseason award since joining the Valley. Shay Frederick was a First Team All-MVC choice, while White was an All-Defensive Team selection and Olivia Brown earned a spot on the All-Newcomer Team.
...versus Eastern Illinois
- Valpo led by 10 in the first quarter, but the Panthers erased the deficit and used a 12-0 run to take the lead in the second quarter. EIU eventually led 36-35 at intermission.
- Neither team enjoyed more than a three-point lead in the third quarter and the teams were tied at 52-52 entering the fourth period.
- Valpo led 57-54 following a triple by senior Olivia Brown with 8:31 to play in the game. The Beacons went scoreless on their next four trips, as EIU scored six in a row to take the lead for good.
- Valpo had a shot to tie with 1:38 to play, but was unable to connect.
- The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak for Valpo in the series with EIU.
- The Beacons shot just 37.7% from the field on Wednesday. They did knock down 10 3-pointers and went 11-of-12 (91.7%) from the foul line.
- Wednesday marked just the second time in the last four seasons that Valpo has lost after holding a double-digit lead at some point during the contest.
- Brown paced the Beacons on Wednesday with a team-best 20 points, one off her high in the Valpo uniform. She also grabbed six rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end, and led the Beacons with four assists.
...versus Southern Miss
- It was a tight game throughout for the most part, as the largest lead either team had in the first three quarters was six points.
- Valpo took the lead for good with a three-minute stretch where the Beacons outscored USM, 13-5, in the third quarter, flipping a four-point deficit into a four-point lead.
- Valpo quickly pushed its lead to nine points with 8:25 to play in the fourth quarter before the Golden Eagles cut the lead to two with 5:52 to play.
- Three times in the next three minutes, after Southern Miss had moved within one possession, Valpo countered with a 3-pointer, getting big triples from Ilysse Pitts, Olivia Brown and Maya Dunson.
- USM got to within 67-64 with 1:43 to go, but Valpo limited the Golden Eagles to one point the rest of the way.
- The win came over a Southern Miss program which won 18 games a season ago.
- Leading four players in double figures in scoring was Brown, who delivered 15 points to pace Valpo for the fourth time in her time as a Beacon. The senior also matched her high in a Valpo uniform with six rebounds.
- After going for 20 points in Monday’s season opener, Leah Earnest followed up with 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting Saturday while again leading the team on the glass with eight rebounds.
- Ali Saunders again delivered an offensive spark off the bench, needing just 13 minutes of action to pour in 11 points and dish out three assists.
- Pitts hit a career-best three triples (3-5 3PT) as part of a 10-point performance. The veteran matched her career high in scoring for the third time, but hit double figures for the first time since Dec. 16, 2018.
...looking ahead
- Valpo hits the road Nov. 27, when it makes the short trip to Evanston to face Northwestern.
- The Beacons then welcome a pair of MAC opponents to the ARC following that game, as Bowling Green (Dec. 2) and Western Michigan (Dec. 7) come to town.
...at the ARC
- Saturday’s game is the third of 15 home games this season for Valpo, five of which will be nonconference games.
- The Beacons are 1-1 at home so far this year and went 6-7 in home games last season.
@UAB_WBBALL
- The Blazers come to the ARC with a 2-0 record on the year after big wins over Auburn Montgomery and Nicholls.
- It has been a balanced offense for UAB through two games, as despite averaging 77 points in the pair of wins, no Blazer is averaging more than 12 points/game individually.
- UAB went 16-15 overall last year and posted an 8-10 record in CUSA play.
- The Blazers were picked seventh in the CUSA preseason poll.
Earnest Hits the Boards
- Leah Earnest has had a strong start to the season scoring the basketball, but more notably, hitting the glass and rebounding.
- Earnest, who had reached double figures in rebounding twice in her first two seasons, has already done so twice this year - 10 at Central Michigan and 14 last time out versus Eastern Illinois.
- The 14 rebounds last time out were the most by a Valpo player since Dani Franklin grabbed 16 against Indiana State on Jan. 28, 2018.
- Through three games, Earnest’s average of 10.7 rebounds/game is tops in the MVC and ranks among the top-30 nationally.
- Earnest has also scored in double figures in all three games, going for a career-best 20 points at CMU, 12 points against Southern Miss and 11 points versus Eastern Illinois.
- She has been impressively prolific inside the ARC, hitting 76.2% (16-of-21) from 2-point range - among the top-60 nationally.
Brown Leads the Way
- For the second straight game, it was senior Olivia Brown leading Valpo in the scoring column last time out, pouring in 20 points against Eastern Illinois - just one off her career best.
- Brown has been in double figures all three games this season, as she posted 11 points in the season opener at CMU and a team-high 15 points in the win over Southern Miss.
- Brown ranks among the top-10 in the Valley in both scoring (15.3 ppg, 7th) and field goal percentage (.500).
Saunders Wastes No Time
- Freshman Ali Saunders has jumped right into Valpo’s rotation off the bench as the reserve point guard and has made an immediate impact.
- Saunders opened her career with 10 points (2-3 FG; 5-6 FT) and two assists in 18 minutes of action in the win at CMU.
- The rookie followed with 11 points (4-8 FG; 3-3 FT) and three assists in just 13 minutes of playing time in the win over Southern Miss, and then notched 12 points (3-7 FG; 5-6 FT) last time out versus Eastern Illinois.
- Saunders is the first Valpo freshman to score in double figures in back-to-back games to open a career since Dani Franklin did so in 2014-15 in six straight to open her career.
Hitting From Deep
- Led by four triples from Brown, Valpo connected on 10 3-pointers last time out against Eastern Illinois to reach double figures in the category for the first time this season.
- Last season saw Valpo hit 10 or more triples on 11 occasions.
- In her fifth year at the helm of the program, Mary Evans’ squads have made double-digit 3-pointers 48 times.
