Valpo women's basketball sophomore Nevaeh Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) scored a career-best 20 points to lead all players, while fifth-year Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) posted a double-double and moved into the top-10 in program history in career rebounds as the Beacons opened their home campaign Saturday night, falling 72-56 to Purdue Fort Wayne.
 
How It Happened

• It was a slow start for the Beacons, who trailed the Mastodons 11-2 just over halfway into the first quarter.
• Valpo inched its way back into the contest, as Earnest scored six points in the final half of the first quarter to help the Beacons get to within 16-11 at the end of the period.
• A 7-1 run over the opening 2:45 of the second quarter, which featured a 3-point play from sophomore Raeven Raye-Redmond (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood Madison) and baskets by Earnest and Jackson, erased the entirety of the deficit and put Valpo in front.
• The Beacons extended their lead to five points just past the halfway mark of the second period, thanks in large part to triples on consecutive possessions by Earnest and Jackson.
• Purdue Fort Wayne outscored Valpo 14-5 over the final 4:34 of the first half to regain the lead heading into halftime, 36-32.
• An 8-0 spurt for the Mastodons extended their advantage to 44-32 just two minutes into the second half, prompting a Valpo timeout.
• The Beacons responded out of the stoppage with the next seven points — five of which came from Jackson — to get right back into the game. It eventually was a 54-46 Purdue Fort Wayne lead entering the fourth quarter.
• Jackson drilled a 3-pointer on Valpo's second possession of the fourth quarter to make it a five-point game, and later in the period, it was junior Fiona Connolly (South Burlington, Vt./Brewster Academy [La Salle]) hitting from downtown to make it 56-52 with 6:45 to play.
• The Mastodons limited the Beacons to just four points the rest of the way as they pulled away to close out the win.

 
Inside the Game

• Valpo held the advantage shooting from the field, hitting at a 46.7% (21-45) clip to the Mastodons' 40.7% (24-59) clip. Purdue Fort Wayne did knock down 11 3-pointers to the Beacons' seven.
• The Beacons held a 28-24 edge in points in the paint, but turnovers were the bugaboo on Saturday night. Valpo committed 26 turnovers to Purdue Fort Wayne's 18, and the Mastodons held a 29-16 edge in points off the miscues.
• Jackson led all players with a 20-point night, edging her previous career best of 19 set last year against Illinois State. The sophomore went 7-of-13 from the field, including four 3-pointers.
• Earnest notched the 17^th double-double of her career, shooting 8-of-15 from the floor for 17 points and leading all players with 11 rebounds.
• Earnest passed Grace Hales on Valpo's career scoring chart Saturday, moving up into 13^th place with 1,131 career points. She also surpassed a pair of Valpo Athletics Hall of Fame members on the career rebounding chart in Marlous Nieuwveen and Debbie Bolen, rocketing into ninth with 658 career rebounds.
• Raye-Redmond came up one point shy of her career best, scoring eight points on 2-of-3 shooting from the floor and 4-of-5 from the foul line.

 
Next Up
Valpo (0-2) will host a Kids Day game Tuesday morning, as the Beacons welcome Trinity Christian to the ARC for an 11 a.m. tip.