Valparaiso (9-16, 5-9 MVC)
Game #26 - February 21, 2025 - 6 p.m.
Evansville (6-19, 2-12 MVC)
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) - Valparaiso, Ind.

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: After a brief one-game road trip, it's back home at the ARC this weekend for the Valpo women's basketball team, as the Beacons host their in-state foes. First up is a Friday evening matchup against Evansville for the program's Girls & Women in Sports game.

Previously: Valpo battled back from a double-digit deficit in the first quarter to briefly take the lead in the second period and was still tied with MVC-leading Missouri State into the second half Sunday afternoon, but a key third-quarter run for the Lady Bears was too much to overcome as the Beacons fell by a 79-63 final. Leah Earnest and Nevaeh Jackson tied for team-high honors with 19 points apiece.

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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 69-132. 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 16-11 advantage in the all-time series over Evansville, but the edge is just 8-6 over the Purple Aces at the ARC. In fact, Evansville has won the last two meetings and three of the last five on Valpo's home court. It was the Beacons who emerged victorious in the first meeting of the year earlier this month down in Evansville, as Valpo limited the Purple Aces to three second-quarter points to take the lead for good in a 66-54 victory. Leah Earnest led all players with 22 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in that win.

@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 Missouri State
- It was Missouri State on the front foot to start the game, as the Lady Bears scored the game's first seven points over the opening three minutes before a 3-pointer from Katie Beyer got Valpo on the board.
- MSU's lead remained around that seven-point mark for the rest of the period, and in fact it was a 20-13 Lady Bears advantage at the end of the first.
- A 10-2 run over the first four-plus minutes of the second quarter pushed the Beacons in front. Leah Earnest had three baskets during the spurt, and a steal and bucket for Nevaeh Jackson with 5:40 to play in the half gave Valpo a 23-22 edge.
- Missouri State came back with seven straight points in a span of 67 seconds to regain the lead and push it to six.
- The Beacons had another run in them, ending the half by scoring eight of the final 10 points. Layla Gold and Maci Rhoades each had triples during the stretch, while another finish at the rim for Earnest evened the score at 31-31 entering halftime.
- Valpo and Missouri State traded punches to start the second half. Earnest had two more baskets early on in the third quarter, and another 3-pointer from Gold with 6:47 to play in the period had the score tied at 38-38.
- It was at that point the Lady Bears reeled off 11 straight points over a stretch of four-plus minutes to take the lead and push it into double figures at 49-38.
- MSU's lead was 55-41 with 10 minutes to play, and an 11-3 run to start the fourth quarter put the result out of reach. The Beacons did keep fighting to the final buzzer, as after the Lady Bears' advantage reached as many as 25 points, Valpo got to within 14 late on.
- Earnest and Jackson tied for team-high honors with 19 points apiece. Earnest, who also tied for game-high honors with eight rebounds, scored her 19 on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, while Jackson connected on four 3-pointers on the way to her best scoring performance in conference play.
- Fiona Connolly was one off her season best with a team-best four assists.
- Six different Beacons hit from behind the 3-point line as Valpo went 12-of-26 from deep on the afternoon, tying its season best for 3-pointers made and its third-best 3-point percentage of the season (.462).
- Valpo forced 20 Missouri State turnovers, the 10th time this year the Beacons' opponent has coughed up the ball 20 or more times, and came up with 10 steals, led by three by Jackson as it hit double digits in steals for the 13th time on the season.
- However, Valpo was a -3 in the turnover department, as the Beacons committed 23 turnovers of their own. Missouri State also held a 39-21 advantage on the glass.

...versus UIC
- Five different Valpo players combined for six 3-pointers in the opening quarter, while the Beacon defense forced nine first-quarter turnovers.
- The lead reached double figures 6:40 into the game on a basket by Nevaeh Jackson - who also had a pair of triples in the quarter - and was 24-7 at the end of the first.
- Valpo scored the first five points of the second period to push its lead to 22 points with 8:35 to play in the half, but scored just four points the rest of the half. UIC ended the half on a 17-4 run, but it was still a 33-24 edge for the Beacons at intermission.
- The Flames cut Valpo's lead to five points twice in the third quarter, but both times Jackson was there with points to answer immediately.
- The Beacons' largest lead of the third quarter came late, as a Katie Beyer bucket made it an 11-point advantage with 1:26 to play in the period. Valpo carried a 47-38 lead into the fourth quarter.
- UIC got as close as four points with 4:12 to play in the game, but Valpo held the Flames without a point on their next four possessions. 
- With the lead at five points and the clock ticking under a minute, Beyer drilled a key 3-pointer. UIC answered with a triple seconds later before the Beacons ran down the shot clock and got a basket from Maci Rhoades to ice the game.
- The win snapped a three-game winning streak for UIC in the series, while it was just the second time the Beacons have prevailed over the Flames in eight attempts since UIC joined the Valley.
- The 51 points marked UIC's lowest output of the season.
- Earnest registered her seventh double-double of the campaign as she led all players with 15 points and a season-best 13 rebounds. She was one off her season high as well with a game-high five assists.
- Earnest is the only MVC player this season to reach 15 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in the same game. The last MVC player to do so? Also Earnest, last season in the home win over Bradley. The last MVC player to have a line like that who isn't named Leah Earnest was Missouri State's Kennedy Taylor on Feb. 4, 2023.
- Earnest was one of three Beacons to score in double figures Thursday. Jackson hit the 10-point mark for the 16th time this season with a 14-point night, while Beyer had her seventh double-digit output of the season with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
- Valpo cooled off from the 3-point line after the opening 10-plus minutes, as after hitting 7-of-9 to open the game, the Beacons were just 1-of-14 from deep the rest of the night. Valpo was solid inside throughout, finishing with a 46% overall clip from the floor as it hit 15-of-27 from 2-point range.
- The Beacons also committed just 14 turnovers Thursday night, their lowest mark in the last seven games.
- Valpo limited UIC to 34.5% shooting from the floor. The Flames went just 2-for-17 from deep, the worst mark by a Valpo opponent since Southern Illinois hit just 1-of-14 from 3-point range in the Valley opener.

...looking ahead
- Valpo hosts Indiana State on Sunday for Senior Day, as the program honors Katie Beyer and Leah Earnest.
- The Beacons hit the road for the final time in the regular season next weekend, making the trip to central Illinois to face Bradley and Illinois State.

...at the ARC
- Friday's game is the 12th of 15 home games this season for the Beacons, as Valpo hosted five nonconference games in addition to its 10 MVC home games.
- Valpo is 6-5 at the ARC this season, most recently defeating UIC last Thursday.

@UEAthletics_WBB
- Evansville comes into Friday's game at 6-19 overall this year and with a 2-12 mark in MVC play.
- The Purple Aces split last weekend, winning 55-45 over Bradley before falling 73-53 to Illinois State.
- Evansville is led by Maggie Hartwig, who averages 15.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Camryn Runner adds 15.5 points per game and ranks fifth nationally in free throws made.

Hoosier State Crown
- After sweeping the road trip to Indiana State and Evansville earlier this season, Valpo has a chance to claim the unofficial Hoosier State crown among the Valley's three Indiana-based schools this weekend.
- Since Valpo joined the MVC, it has posted the best record against its in-state foes twice (2019-20, 4-0; 2021-22, 3-1). Indiana State has done so three times (2017-18, 4-0; 2018-19, 3-1; 2023-24, 4-0) and Evansville once (2022-23, 3-1), while all three teams went .500 against the other two in 2020-21.

Gotta Defend Our House
- Valpo looks to reverse recent history in the series's against their in-state opponents at the ARC this weekend.
- Over the last three seasons, the Beacons have won just one of six home games against Evansville and Indiana State - a 2021-22 win over the Purple Aces.
- Since joining the Valley, Valpo is just 6-8 versus Evansville and Indiana State at the ARC despite owning a 10-4 record in road games against the two programs.

Quite the Turnaround
- Valpo's nine-point win over UIC was notable given the result when the two squads played in January in Chicago.
- That game ended 60-45 in UIC's favor, meaning that the Beacons flipped the scoring margin 24 points from one matchup to the next.
- That marks the program's largest shift from the first meeting of the season to the second meeting since the 2021-22 team fell to Indiana State by 20 the first time out before winning by five the second time around.

22x1,500
- Leah Earnest became just the third player in program history to hit 1,500 career points with a basket midway through the third quarter against UIC.
- The basket also moved Earnest past Sarrah Stricklett for third on the Beacons' career scoring chart.
- Earnest became the fifth active MVC player with 1,500 career points, joining Katelyn Young (MUR), Katie Dinnebier (DRA), Maya McDermott (UNI) and Jaida McCloud (UIC).
- Currently sitting on 1,525 career points, a jump to second on the program's career chart is a tough ask for Earnest, as Dani Franklin currently occupies that position with 1,721 points.

Spreading the Wealth
- Six different players combined for Valpo's eight 3-pointers in its win last Thursday over UIC, all six of whom connected on a triple in the first 10:20 of the game.
- It would have been seven players combining for nine triples had a 3-pointer originally ruled good for Mor Shabtai in the fourth quarter not been reversed upon review and deemed a shot clock violation.
- Valpo also had six different players hit a 3-pointer last time out at Missouri State, combining for 12 triples to tie the team's single-game high this season.
- The Beacons were one shy of their season high for number of players hitting a 3-pointer in both contests, as seven different players connected from deep in the win over Trinity Christian.
- Valpo's 11 triples in its win at Indiana State came from a number of sources, as five different players hit at least two triples apiece against the Sycamores.
- It marked the first time Valpo has had five players all hit multiple 3-pointers in the same game since Jan. 21, 2022, ironically also in a game against Indiana State.

Seven is Enough
- The name of the late-70s sitcom might have been Eight is Enough, but last Thursday for the Beacons, seven was enough to beat UIC.
- Valpo went just two-deep into its bench, with Fiona Connolly and Katie Beyer backing up the starting five.
- It was the first time Mary Evans has used just seven players in a game since the 2018-19 season, her first at the helm of the Valpo program - that year, Valpo ran with seven players on three occasions, most recently a 70-67 loss to Illinois State Feb. 3, 2019.

Looking to the Rim
- While the 3-point shot is still a big part of the Beacons' offensive attack, the numbers show Valpo has been more intentional about getting shots at the basket this season.
- In MVC play, the Beacons have attempted 21.7 3-pointers per game, which accounts for just 42.0% of their field goal attempts.
- Both marks are on pace to be the lowest within MVC play in Mary Evans' seven seasons at the helm - the 2022-23 team attempted 22.5 3-pointers/game in conference, while the 2019-20 team had 44.6% of its attempts from deep in Valley play.
- Notably, this year's team is also on pace to be the first under Evans to attempt fewer 3-pointers than its opponents in conference - Valpo's opponents in MVC play have attempted 24.1 triples/game this season.
- Against Murray State, Valpo took a season-low 12 3-point attempts - the program's fewest 3-point attempts in a single game since attempting just 12 triples Dec. 19, 2021 at Morehead State.

20 Or More For 22
- Leah Earnest reached the 20-point mark for the 10th time this season with a game-high 21 points against Murray State (7-12 FG; 7-7 FT).
- Notably, Earnest did not hit the 20-point mark in any of the first seven games this year, meaning she has 10 20-point efforts in the last 18 games.
- Highlights include a 29-point effort at Lehigh - the second-highest scoring game of her career - and a 27-point game on 10-of-16 shooting in the win over Bradley.
- Earnest scored 20+ in four consecutive games Dec. 21-Jan. 4, the first Valpo player to do so in at least 15 years - the last time a Valpo player had scored 20+ in even three straight games was Shay Frederick in the 2020-21 campaign.
- Earnest has the most 20-point games by a Valpo player in a single season since Michelle Russell has at least 12 in the 1993-94 season.

Others With 20/20 Vision
- Earnest is far from the only Beacon to hit the 20-point mark this season, however.
- In all, four Valpo players have combined for 16 games with 20 or more points - compare that to last year, when only two players broke the 20-point barrier in a combined nine games.
- Layla Gold joined Earnest in crossing the 20-point mark versus UDM, finishing with 21 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Earlier this year, Gold more than doubled her previous career best of 11 points with a 23-point night - which included five 3-pointers - at Milwaukee.
- Nevaeh Jackson raced past her previous career high with 26 points at Saint Louis; this coming after 20-point performances earlier in the season in the win over Goshen and against Purdue Fort Wayne.
- Against Trinity Christian, Kayla Preston smashed her previous best, going for 20 points on 7-10 FG and 6-8 FT.

An Eye on the Record Book
- As Leah Earnest's career winds down, she is making an impact all over the program's career records, and with the season she is having, she'll look for spots on the team's single-season charts as well.
Career
- Games played - 2nd, 138 (Caitlin Morrison, 1st, 141)
- Points - 3rd, 1,525 (Dani Franklin, 2nd, 1,721)
- Rebounds - 2nd, 827 (Tamra Braun, 1st, 870)
- Field goals made - 4th, 548 (Jeanette Gray, 3rd, 595)
- Free throws made - 4th, 333 (Betsy Rietema, 3rd, 341)
- Points per game - t-10th, 11.1
- Rebounds/game - t-7th, 6.0
- Field goal percentage - t-8th, .468
Single-Season
- Points - 426 (10th, 456)
- Rebounds - 186 (10th, 244)
- Field goals made - 145 (10th, 165)
- Free throws made - 8th, 110 (Betsy Rietema, 7th, 113)
- Points/game - 7th, 17.0

Winning With Defense
- Strong defensive efforts have been a common thread in the Beacons' victories this season, and their last four wins over Bradley, Indiana State, Evansville and UIC have been no different.
- Valpo limited both Bradley and Evansville to 17 first-half points apiece in those victories - the lowest mark by a Valpo D-I opponent at halftime since the Beacons went on the road and limited South Dakota to 17 first-half points on Dec. 10, 2021.
- The Braves scored in single digits in each of the first two quarters, while the Purple Aces hit just one field goal in a three-point second quarter - the lowest-scoring quarter by a Valpo opponent since it held Indiana State scoreless in the second period Feb. 8, 2020.
- Valpo allowed Bradley to shoot just 30.5% from the field - the lowest mark by a Valpo D-I opponent this year and the second lowest by a D-I opponent over the last three seasons.
- Valpo wasn't too far off either of those marks in the other two wins - the Beacons held the Sycamores to 21 first-half points and ISU shot just 33.3% for the game, while last time out, Valpo limited UIC to 24 first-half points and the Flames shot just 34.5%, including just 2-for-17 from 3-point range.
- It's actually been quite simple if you look at it: when the Beacons have held their opponent under 60 points this year, they are 9-0; when Valpo's opponent scores at least 60 points, the Beacons are 0-15.

Forcing Miscues
- The Beacons rank as the MVC's best at forcing miscues, averaging 19.8 turnovers forced/game.
- The Beacons have forced more turnovers than they've committed in 15 of 25 games.
- Valpo also leads the MVC with 9.7 steals/game and has tallied double-figure steals in 13 games this year.
- Valpo has forced at least 20 turnovers in nine games so far, highlighted by 29 forced turnovers against Detroit Mercy and 28 in the win at Evansville.
- The Beacons have racked up a season-best 15 steals in three of their victories, reaching the mark in wins over Goshen, Western Michigan and Evansville.
- In the win over North Dakota, Valpo turned the Fighting Hawks' 26 turnovers into 33 points and held a massive 33-9 edge in points off turnovers. It was the program's greatest number of points off turnovers and the highest edge in the category since a Feb. 22, 2020 win at Loyola, when Valpo forced 31 turnovers and owns a 38-4 advantage in points off turnovers.

No Sophomore Slump
- After ranking fourth on the team in scoring (7.2 points/game) as a rookie, sophomore Nevaeh Jackson has cemented herself as a consistent second scorer this season.
- Jackson has nearly doubled her scoring average, entering Sunday's game second on the team with 12.8 points/game.
- Jackson has scored in double figures in 17 of 25 games, highlighted by her 26-point effort at Saint Louis.

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 who had their first career 20-point efforts 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, and then against North Dakota, surpassed that again with a 16-point effort.

All-Tournament Honors
- Valpo had a pair of players recognized as All-Tournament Team honorees following the conclusion of the Christmas City Classic.
- Leah Earnest averaged 23.5 points, 10 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game over the Beacons' two contests.
- Katie Beyer earned her selection by virtue of a strong 16-point performance, surpassing her career high, in the win over North Dakota.

Missing Pieces
- Valpo is down two starters for the remainder of the season due to injury.
- Saniya Jackson did not see any game action this year, undergoing successful knee surgery in early November.
- Raeven Raye-Redmond suffered a lower leg injury late in regulation Dec. 21 against Detroit Mercy and will miss the rest of the year as well.