Valparaiso (5-16, 1-7 Horizon)
at Wright State (17-5, 6-2 Horizon)
Game #22 - Saturday, February 7 - 1:00 p.m. CT
Ervin J. Nutter Center (10,449) - Dayton, Ohio
Next Up in Crusader Basketball: Valparaiso wraps up its swing trip Saturday afternoon in search of a regular season series split with Wright State. The Raiders have asserted themselves as an upper-tier team within the Horizon League, entering this contest one game back of Green Bay for first place. Freshmen Dani Franklin and Jasmyn Walker starred for the Crusaders in last month’s meeting as the duo combined for 33 points and 18 rebounds.
Last Time Out: Valpo’s best road shooting performance of the season (51%) yielded a 74-68 victory over Detroit Thursday evening at Calihan Hall. Dani Franklin led the Brown and Gold in scoring with 20 points thanks to her best night yet from the field (8-for-9). Valparaiso’s bench outscored Detroit 37-0 as it received strong efforts from all eight players including Jessica Carr (12 points, 3-3 FG, 2-2 3FG), Anne Hamilton (11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals in 19 minutes), and Sharon Karungi (7 points, 11 rebounds).
Following the Crusaders: Audio - Valpo Sports Radio Network (WVUR, 95.1 FM, Valparaiso) - Brandon Vickrey (PxP), Parker Gatewood (Color). Video - ESPN3.com. Links for the audio, video, and live stats are 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 (22-61) is in her third season at the helm of the Valparaiso women’s basketball program in 2014-15. She collected her 250th career victory on November 14th, 2014 after a 91-57 walloping of Butler. 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 2002-03.
Series Notes: Wright State leads the all-time series 13-12. The Raiders have won five consecutive meetings dating back to January of 2013. Valpo is 3-8 all-time at the Nutter Center. Wright State won the first matchup of the regular season series, 80-62, at the Athletics-Recreation Center on January 17th.
Storylines
- The Crusaders are seeking their first win inside the Nutter Center since January 27th, 1994.
- Wright State has accumulated 196 steals on the season. Valpo has recorded 84.
- In last year’s series against the Raiders, Sharon Karungi averaged 19.5 points per game and shot 17-of-20 (85%) from the floor.
- Valpo held Tay’ler Mingo to four points in last season’s game at WSU.
@ValpoWBB
- @ValpoWBB closed out the 2013-14 slate with a 6-25 overall record, 3-13 in the Horizon League.
- @ValpoWBB was picked to finish eighth in the Horizon League in the 2014-15 Preseason Poll.
- Opponents have shot better than @ValpoWBB from the free-throw line just once in the last 12 games (Milwaukee, Jan. 21st).
- @ValpoWBB shot 31-of-52 - its 7th-highest single-game FG percentage in school history - against Wright State last March in Dayton.
@WSURaiders
- @WSURaiders enter at 17-5 overall, 6-2 in Horizon League play.
- @WSURaiders are 9-2 at home and have lost just once at the Nutter Center in the last 66 days.
- @WSURaiders sit atop the HL in offense (78.3 PPG), scoring margin (15.2) and turnover margin (5.67).
- @WSURaiders lost HL Preseason Player of the Year Kim Demmings 1:28 into this season.
- @WSURaiders’ Tay’ler Mingo is making a strong bid for Player of the Year (23.4 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.7 SPG). She leads the HL in all three lists.
- Only one player in the nation (Weber State’s Regina Okoye) averages more steals per game than Mingo.
- 144 of Mingo’s 515 points (28%) have come from the free-throw line.
- @WSURaiders’ Mike Bradbury is in his fifth season as head coach.
- @WSURaiders assistant coach Keith Freeman was Valparaiso’s head coach from 1994-2012.
Jessica Carr
- Distributed a career-high 11 assists at Milwaukee (Jan. 21) en route to her second double-double in seven games.
- Tallied career bests in points (22), rebounds (8), and field goals made (8) at SIU-Edwardsville on Dec. 20th.
- Recorded game highs in points (16) and assists (6) to lead Valpo to a 79-61 win versus Tennessee Tech on Nov. 22nd.
Abby Dean
- Has gone 12-for-13 from the FT line since January 15th.
- Finished in double figures (14) for the first time in seven games versus Green Bay last Thursday.
- Registered a career-high 21 points (9-11 FG) vs. Butler (Nov. 14).
Annemarie Hamlet
- Had her first double-double against Purdue-Calumet (Dec. 30).
- Scored 11 points in her Valpo debut vs. Butler (Nov. 14).
Georgi Donchetz
- Made her collegiate debut at South Dakota (Dec. 9) and knocked down her first - and only - three-point attempt.
Anne Hamilton
- Accrued 11 points, five boards, four assists, and three steals in just 19 minutes of action Thursday in Detroit.
- Scored 34 points in a three-game span from Dec. 20th to Jan. 3rd.
Lexi Miller
- Disbursed seven assists at Detroit on Thursday, her most since the season opener versus Butler.
- Has doled out at least one assist in every game this season.
- Guided Valpo with 17 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range at Northern Illinois (Nov. 20).
Dani Franklin
- Has scored at least 20 points in three of her last ten games.
- Valpo’s top scorer (12.8 PPG) and best field goal shooter (48.4%).
- Named Horizon League Freshman of the Week twice (11/24, 12/15).
Sharon Karungi
- Returned to form at UIC (Jan. 27) where she scored eight points and squeezed ten boards.
Jasmyn Walker
- Paced Valpo in rebounding on nine different occasions in 2014-15.
- Leads team in rebounds (7.4 RPG) and blocks (9).
- Named Horizon League Freshman of the Week twice (1/5, 1/19).
Haylee Thompson
- Owner of two double-doubles this season (Purdue-Calumet, Stetson).
- Set season highs in points (15) and rebounds (11) vs. Purdue-Calumet.
Jessi Wiedemann
- Out indefinitely (injury).
Roster Breakdown
- Valpo welcomes four new faces (all freshmen) to its team this season..
- The Crusaders possess five players 6’0’’ or taller.
