The Valpo women’s basketball program celebrated the four members of their senior class participating in their final game at the ARC prior to Saturday afternoon’s regular season finale as part of Senior Day festivities. Visiting Missouri State was not a kind guest, however, as the Lady Bears dealt the Beacons a 77-66 defeat.

How It Happened

• A 3-point play from Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) with 2:35 remaining in the first quarter brought Valpo to within one point.
• The Lady Bears scored the final four points of the opening period to lead 18-13 at the end of the first.
• MSU extended its lead to double figures for the first time just over two minutes into the second quarter.
• Olivia Brown (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids [St. Bonaventure]) had four points and an assist during a 6-0 run which brought Valpo to within 29-25 with three minutes to play in the half.
• Just over a minute later, Saniya Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) hit a 3-pointer to make it 33-30, but the Lady Bears scored four of the final five points of the half to lead 37-31 at intermission.
• MSU scored seven points in a three-possession stretch of the third quarter to push its lead to its apex, 48-33, with 5:44 to play in the third quarter.
• Valpo responded with a 14-3 run over the next four minutes. Five different Beacons scored during the run, and when Emma Tecca (Tallmadge, Ohio/Archbishop Hoban [Akron]) hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 1:48 to play in the period, the Beacons were within 51-47.
• Missouri State got to the foul line on each of its next three possessions and hit all six free throws before a 3-point play by Earnest made it a 57-50 game at the end of the third quarter.
• Neveah Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) hit a 3-pointer on Valpo’s second possession of the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to four points.
• That was the Beacons’ last field goal for over four minutes, however, as MSU went on an 11-3 run to extend its advantage back to double digits. Valpo got no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Inside the Game

• Brown, Tecca, Jill Harris (Navarre, Fla./Crestview [Johnson C. Smith]) and Ava Interrante (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) were the program’s four Senior Day honorees. While Harris was sidelined due to injury, the other three were all part of the starting five — Brown making her first start since the MVC opener and Tecca making her first start of the season.
• Earnest led the Beacons with 17 points and five rebounds. She boosted her career scoring total to 1,076 points, just one shy of 16^th in program history.
• Earnest is up to 471 points on the season, leapfrogging three people on Valpo’s single-season chart Saturday as she now ranks seventh in program history in that department.
• Coming off the bench for the first time since early in the season, Nevaeh Jackson didn’t let that slow her down, as she went 4-of-6 from the floor and knocked down all three of her 3-point attempts in a 15-point effort.
• Jackson scored in double figures in Valley play for the seventh time.
• Led by Jackson’s trio of triples, the Beacons were 7-of-17 from downtown — their 41.2% clip from deep the sixth time this season they have hit at least 40% of their 3-point attempts.
• Valpo has now drilled 221 3-pointers on the season, seventh-most in a single year in program history.
• Valpo shot 48.8% (20-of-41) from the field overall, while MSU hit 43.1% (25-of-58) and was 5-of-11 from 3-point range.
• Both teams excelled at the foul line, as the Lady Bears were 22-of-25 and the Beacons were 19-of-23. Valpo has hit at least 80% of its free throw attempts in seven of its last nine games.
• MSU held a 34-23 advantage on the glass, but while the Beacons surrendered 11 offensive rebounds, the Lady Bears turned those into just three second-chance points.

Post-Game Press Conference - Head Coach Mary Evans

https://youtu.be/tIwgEyz_Rp4

Next Up

Valpo (5-24, 4-16 MVC) heads to Hoops in the Heartland next week. As the tenth seed, the Beacons open the tournament Thursday evening at 6 p.m. against seventh-seeded UIC, live on ESPN+.