Valparaiso (0-1, 0-0 MVC)
Game #2 - November 9, 2024 - 7 p.m.
Purdue Fort Wayne (0-1, 0-0 Horizon)
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) - Valparaiso, Ind.

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women's basketball team takes the floor at the Athletics-Recreation Center for the first time this season on Saturday night, closing out a busy weekend of action on campus with its home opener against Purdue Fort Wayne.

Previously: Valpo opened the 2024-25 campaign at the AIA Total Athlete Tip-Off in Xenia, Ohio, where the Beacons were within five points of Liberty with 10 minutes to play before falling by a 77-58 final.

Following Valpo Basketball: 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 seventh year at the helm of the program in 2024-25 and owns a record of 60-117. 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 owns a 12-5 advantage in the all-time series against the Mastodons, including a 7-1 mark at the ARC. Saturday's matchup marks the first meeting between the two programs since Dec. 19, 2018, when Valpo earned a 68-64 victory in Fort Wayne. Grace Hales knocked down a 3-pointer with 38 seconds to play in that contest to help secure the victory.

@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.

...versus Liberty
- Liberty led 16-15 at the end of a first quarter which was a one-possession game the entire way.
- Valpo edged in front, 21-20, with 5:41 to play in the first half before Liberty scored eight in a row - the Flames eventually took a 38-29 lead into intermission.
- Liberty opened the second half on a 10-2 run to lead 48-31 with 7:35 to play in the third quarter.
- The Beacons outscored the Flames 18-6 over the next seven minutes, led by seven points from Nevaeh Jackson, to cut what was a 17-point deficit to five. 
- Valpo was within 56-51 with 10 minutes to play and had a shot to move within two on the first possession of the fourth quarter, but the Beacons' shot didn't fall and Liberty came down and hit a 3-pointer. Valpo got no closer than seven points the rest of the way.
- Valpo shot just 33.3% from the field for the game (14-for-42) to Liberty's 53.7% (29-of-54) clip. The Flames were 13-for-20 from 3-point range as well.
- The Beacons did take advantage of numerous trips to the foul line, ending the afternoon 23-of-32 at the charity stripe. The 23 made free throws were the most by a Valpo team since going 24-of-29 at the line against Missouri State Jan. 14, 2023.
- A pair of Valpo players set career bests with double-digit scoring efforts Monday. Katie Beyer surpassed her previous best of 11 with a 14-point game, including a 3-for-6 effort from 3-point range after coming into the game with just five career 3-point makes.
- Layla Gold delivered multiple triples for the second time in her career en route to a career-best 11-point game.

...looking ahead
- The Beacons stay at home for their next game, hosting a Kids Day game at 11 a.m. on Tuesday against Trinity Christian.
- Valpo turns around for a quick road trip to Milwaukee next Thursday.

...at the ARC
- Saturday's game is the first of 15 home games this season for the Beacons, as Valpo will host five nonconference games and 10 MVC games.
- Valpo posted a 2-10 record at the ARC last season.

...in home openers
- The Beacons dropped their home opener last season to Western Illinois, 76-54.
- Valpo has won its home opener in three of hte last five seasons.

@MastodonWBB
- Purdue Fort Wayne fell at Purdue in its season opener on Wednesday, 87-77.
- The Mastodons were picked third in the Horizon League preseason poll, while Amellia Bromenschenkel was named to the preseason All-League First Team.
- Purdue Fort Wayne is coming off its best season of its D-I era, as the Mastodons won 23 games in 2023-24 and advanced to the Super 16 of the WNIT.

Setting New Bests
- Two of Valpo's players posted career highs in the scoring column in the Beacons' season opener.
- Senior Katie Beyer, who entered the game with five career 3-pointers, hit three triples on her way to a 14-point game off the bench.
- Beyer surpassed her previous career best of 11 points, which notably also came in a season opener, two years ago at Central Michigan.
- Sophomore Layla Gold scored in double figures for the first time in her collegiate career, ending with 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
- Gold's two highest-scoring games of her career have come in Valpo's last two games, as her previous career high was nine points in last season's MVC Tournament game against UIC.

Charity Our Way
- Valpo hopes that how the first game played out in terms of getting to the foul line is a harbinger of things to come for the season ahead.
- The Beacons attempted 23 more free throws than Liberty and went 23-of-32 from the foul line.
- The 23 made free throws were the most by a Valpo team since going 24-of-29 at the line against Missouri State Jan. 14, 2023.
- The +23 advantage in free throw attempts was the highest for Valpo since a 25-2 advantage in a Jan. 4, 2010 win over Loyola.
- Last season, Valpo attempted 205 fewer free throws than its opponents and only had three games where it had more free throw attempts than the opposition.

The First Time
- Valpo fans got their first look at five of the program's six newcomers in the season opener against Liberty.
- Transfers Maci Rhoades (Radford) and Fiona Connolly (La Salle) were both in Valpo's starting lineup against the Flames.
- True freshmen Lexi Castator, Mor Shabtai and Kylie Waytashek came off the bench for the Beacons.

Leah's Last Ride
- Graduate student Leah Earnest is back for her fifth and final season of eligibility, looking to put a bow on one of the most productive careers in program history.
- Earnest was a Second Team All-MVC selection last season and tabbed a preseason Second Team All-MVC choice this year.
- Earnest became the first Valpo player since 1991-92 to pace the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. 
- She ranked sixth in the Valley in scoring and eighth in rebounding, one of only four Valley players to rank in the top-eight of both categories. 
- Earnest scored 494 points on the season, fifth-most in a single season in program history and second-most since 1994.
- Following the season opener, Earnest ranks 14th in program history in career scoring (1,114) and 11th in career rebounding (647), just eight rebounds away from cracking the top-10 in the latter category. For reference, should she duplicate her season totals from last year, she would close her career third all-time at Valpo in scoring and second in rebounding.