Valparaiso (1-4, 0-0 MVC)
Game #6 - November 25, 2024 - 6 p.m.
Goshen (3-4, 0-2 Crossroads League)
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) - Valparaiso, Ind.

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women's basketball team returns to the ARC for its final game before the Thanksgiving holiday Monday evening as the Beacons take on Goshen.

Previously: Valpo recovered from a slow start with a furious third-quarter rally, but host Loyola Chicago fended off the guests down the stretch to prevail 70-62 Tuesday evening at Gentile Arena in Chicago. The Beacons, who cut what had been a 20-point deficit to as few as five, were led in scoring by sophomore Nevaeh Jackson, who turned in 17 points.

Following Valpo Basketball: Video: ESPN+
Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com

Head Coach Mary Evans: Mary Evans is in her seventh year at the helm of the program in 2024-25 and owns a record of 61-120. Evans' first six seasons at the helm have seen Valpo's six of the top-eight single-season 3-pointers made marks, including each of the top five, while defensively, her teams have racked up steals at a high rate, averaging at least 7.7 steals/game in five of her six seasons. Under her guidance, Valpo players have earned an MVC Sixth Player of the Year honor, five All-Conference accolades, three All-Freshman/Newcomer Team awards and three All-Defensive Team honors.

Series Notes: Valpo trails the all-time series with the Maple Leafs, 7-6, but the two programs have not met for nearly 40 years. Goshen was a regular opponent in the early years of Valpo women's basketball, and in fact Goshen is listed as one of three known opponents from the inaugural season of Valpo's intercollegiate competition in 1971-72.

@ValpoWBB...
...and @ValleyHoops
- Valpo was picked to finish in eighth place in the MVC preseason poll, totaling 193 points to edge out Indiana State.
- The eighth-place projection is two spots ahead of the Beacons' regular-season finish last year.
- Valpo is in its eighth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
- The Valley was ranked 13th in conference NET last season. In Valpo's time in the MVC, the conference has been ranked as high as seventh in NET (2020-21).

...looking back at last year
- Valpo finished last season with a 5-25 overall record and finished at 4-16 in MVC play, good for 10th in the Valley standings.
- Leah Earnest was a Second Team All-MVC honoree. 
- Valpo won three consecutive road games in Valley play, the second straight year the Beacons have accomplished that - prior to that, the program had last accomplished that feat against three different opponents since 2007.

...at Loyola
- The Ramblers opened the game on an 11-3 run over the first seven minutes, and while Valpo got to within three with 1:36 to play in the opening period, Loyola scored the final two baskets of the quarter to lead 15-8 at the end of the first.
- Loyola closed the first half with an 11-2 run over three-plus minutes to extend its lead to 42-22 at halftime.
- The Beacons forced turnovers on each of the Ramblers' first nine possessions of the second half, scoring the first 12 points of the third quarter to cut their deficit to eight.
- Valpo got as close as seven points in the quarter and trailed 51-42 with 10 minutes to play.
- The Beacons were within five early in the fourth quarter and had two shots to make it a one-possession game, but were unable to convert on either. Valpo got to within five late as well, but could get no closer.
- Neveah Jackson scored in double figures for the fourth straight game with a team-high 17 points.
- Leah Earnest scored 16 points (5-9 FG, 6-8 FT), her fourth effort of 15+ points this season.  She stuffed the stat sheet with eight rebounds, four assists and three steals, leading the team in all three categories.
- Maci Rhoades established a season high with 10 points, enjoying her first double-figure scoring output in a Valpo uniform.
- After Loyola went 8-of-13 from 3-point range in the first half (including 5-of-6 in the second quarter), the Beacons held the Ramblers to 1-of-6 from beyond the arc after the intermission.
- In the third quarter alone, Valpo had seven steals and forced 11 Loyola turnovers. The Beacons had a dozen steals for the game and forced the Ramblers into 23 turnovers.

...at Milwaukee
- Milwaukee connected on five 3-pointers in the first quarter on its way to a 26-13 lead at the end of the opening period.
- The Beacons cut the Panthers' lead to six halfway through the second quarter before Milwaukee extended back out to a 47-36 lead at hafltime.
- The Panthers stretched their lead to as many as 15 in the third quarter, but Valpo battled back to get within 65-56 with 10 minutes to play.
- Valpo cut the deficit to seven points on two occasions in the fourth quarter, but was unable to get any closer.
- Sophomore Layla Gold obliterated her career high of 11 points set in the season opener, finishing the night with a team-high 23 points as she went 8-of-14 from the field and 5-of-7 from the 3-point line.
- Sophomore Raeven Raye-Redmond easily passed her previous career high of nine points, finishing with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Raye-Redmond also matched her career best with five assists, grabbed four rebounds and tallied three steals.
- Leah Earnest added 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting and Nevaeh Jackson finished with 13 points as well. It is the first time four Valpo players have scored in double digits in the same game since Feb. 19, 2023 at Evansville.
- The 79 points was Valpo's highest output in a regulation loss since falling 85-80 to Illinois State Feb. 12, 2022.
- While the two teams shot at nearly identical clips from the floor, the Panthers hit 11-of-25 from deep to Valpo's 8-of-21. Milwaukee also went 29-of-37 from the foul line versus the Beacons' 15-of-23 effort from the stripe.
- Valpo did enjoy a 40-28 advantage in points in the paint, the third consecutive game it has outscored the opposition in the paint.
- The Beacons committed just 12 turnovers to Milwaukee's 14 and scored 18 points off the Panthers' miscues versus 10 for Milwaukee.

...looking ahead
- The Beacons head east for Thanksgiving weekend action, playing in Lehigh's Christmas City Classic in Bethlehem, Pa. Valpo will take on North Dakota Saturday, Nov. 30 and either Lehigh or Marist the next day.

...at the ARC
- Monday's game is the third of 15 home games this season for the Beacons, as Valpo will host five nonconference games and 10 MVC games.
- Valpo is 1-1 at the ARC this season and went 2-10 at home last season.

@GCMapleLeafs_WB
- Goshen, which will play Monday's game as an exhibition, comes into the game with a 3-4 overall record and is 0-2 in Crossroads League play.
- The Maple Leafs won their first three games of the year (including a win over Valpo opponent Trinity Christian), but have fallen in their last four - most recently an 83-67 loss versus NAIA #18 Saint Francis (Ind.) on Saturday.
- Three Goshen players are averaging in double figures in the scoring column, paced by 15.1 points/game from Zion Neat.

Forcing Miscues
- Last time out marked the most turnovers by a Valpo opponent so far this season, as the Beacons forced 23 Loyola turnovers, scoring 24 points off the miscues.
- 12 of those turnovers were Valpo steals - also a season high.
- The Beacons are averaging 19 turnovers forced per game this year, best in the Valley, and have forced more turnovers than they've committed in four of five games.

Stuffing the Stat Sheet
- It's no surprise that Leah Earnest can stuff the stat sheet, as she paced the Beacons in scoring, rebounding and assists last year. But she posted a rare line last time out.
- Earnest finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals at Loyola.
- In the last 20 years, this was only the fourth time a Valpo player had at least 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Earnest previously did so on Jan. 29, 2023 vs. Bradley. 
- Before that, Dani Franklin (Dec. 18, 2017 at Eastern Illinois) and Katie Boone (Jan. 17, 2005 vs. Chicago State) were the last two Beacons with similar stat lines.

20/20/20 Vision
- Five games into the season, and Valpo already has three different players with a 20-point game under their belt.
- That is already more than last year's team, which featured just two different players with at least one 20-point effort.
- Most recently, sophomore Layla Gold shattered her previous career high of 11 points with a 23-point night - which included five 3-pointers - at Milwaukee.
- Against Trinity Christian, Kayla Preston smashed her previous best, going for 20 points on 7-10 FG and 6-8 FT.
- Nevaeh Jackson hit four 3-pointers en route to a game-high 20 points against Purdue Fort Wayne.
- Notably, Leah Earnest - who had nine 20-point games last season - is not among the trio with a 20-point game so far this year.

Career Highs
- Five of Valpo's seven returnees have set career bests in the scoring column this season - the only returnees who haven't are Saniya Jackson, who is out for the season, and Earnest.
- Joining the trio above are senior Katie Beyer and sophomore Raeven Raye-Redmond.
- Raye-Redmond smashed past her previous best of nine with a 15-point night on 6-of-9 shooting at Milwaukee.
- Beyer hit three 3-pointers on her way to a 14-point game in the season opener versus Liberty.

The Paint is Ours
- Valpo held a double-digit advantage in the paint last time out at Loyola, outscoring the Ramblers inside 36-26.
- That marks the fourth consecutive game the Beacons held an edge on inside points, the last three of which have all been double-digit margins.
- Points in the paint went to Valpo 40-28 at Milwaukee, 36-20 in their win over Trinity Christian and 28-24 against Purdue Fort Wayne.
- With this stretch, this year's team has matched last year's squad, as the 2023-24 team only had four games where it outscored its opponent in the paint.
- Prior to this current stretch, the last time the Beacons outscored their opponent in the paint in back-to-back games came in December 2022 against Western Michigan and Western Illinois.
- To find the last stretch of at least four such games, you have to go back to December 2019, when Valpo held the edge in the paint in contests against Detroit Mercy, UIC, Morehead State and Chicago State.