Valparaiso (10-16, 6-9 MVC)
Game #26 - February 23, 2025 - 1 p.m.
Indiana State (4-22, 2-13 MVC)
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) - Valparaiso, Ind.

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women's basketball team looks for a clean sweep of its Indiana MVC rivals this season on Sunday afternoon when it takes on Indiana State at the ARC. Prior to the game, the Beacons will recognize Katie Beyer and Leah Earnest on Senior Day.

Previously: Four Valpo players scored in double figures on Friday evening and the Beacons used a fourth-quarter blitz to pull away and cruise to a 76-55 victory over Evansville at the ARC on the program's Girls & Women in Sports game. Leah Earnest led the way for the Beacons with 21 points, while Maci Rhoades established a new career high with 13 points.

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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 70-132. 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: Indiana State leads the all-time series with Valpo by a 12-8 count. There has been no sign of home court advantage in the series, as Valpo owns a 5-4 advantage in Terre Haute and the Sycamores are 7-1 at the ARC. In the first meeting this season, it was Valpo which led start to finish and pulled away for a 73-54 victory in Terre Haute - Leah Earnest had a monster game in that win with 25 points, 10 rebounds, six steals and four assists.

@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 Evansville
- An 8-0 run midway through the first quarter helped Valpo to a 24-14 lead at the end of the opening period.
- Valpo put together another spurt to open the second quarter, as Katie Beyer finished a 3-point play and Leah Earnest and Maci Rhoades both had driving finishes to force another Evansville timeout, as the lead was up to 31-14 with 7:18 to play in the half.
- The Beacons' advantage grew as large as 19 points on a pair of free throws by Earnest with 3:04 to play in the half before the Purple Aces closed the stanza on an 8-2 run to close to within 40-27 at intermission.
- Valpo's lead was 15 with 6:04 to play in the third quarter, but a 10-1 Evansville run brought it to back within single digits. The Beacons held a 53-47 lead with 10 minutes to play.
- A triple by Nevaeh Jackson on Valpo's first possession of the fourth quarter gave the Beacons a little more breathing room, and after a stretch of over two minutes without a point from either team, Earnest connected from deep to push the lead into double figures.
- Evansville came back with a 3-pointer on its next possession, but Earnest answered immediately with another trifecta. The next two times down the court, it was Valpo's other senior making plays, as Beyer had first an old-fashioned 3-point play and then a 3-pointer. A fast-break layup from Rhoades forced another timeout from the Purple Aces, as the lead ballooned to 70-50 with under five minutes to play thanks to an 11-0 run.
- Valpo was a +12 in the turnover department, forcing 26 UE turnovers while coughing it up just 14 times, and held a 22-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
- Valpo hit 11 3-pointers in the win, its second straight game with double-digit triples and its sixth of the season.
- Valpo finished with four players in double digits in scoring for the first time since its Nov. 30 win against North Dakota.
- Earnest led the way with 21 points, including three 3-pointers, and tied for team-high honors with seven rebounds. She is now just nine points away from cracking the program's single-season top-10 for scoring.
- Jackson connected on five 3-pointers Friday, her second-best total of the year, and finished with 18 points. The sophomore also tied her career best, handing out five assists.
- Beyer came off the bench with a 5-of-7 effort from the field to score 14 points and share the team rebounding high with Earnest with seven boards, matching her career best.
- Rhoades was the fourth Beacon in double figures in the scoring department, setting a career high with her 13 points. The junior also set a season best with three steals.

...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.

...looking ahead
- 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
- Sunday's game is the 13th 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 7-5 at the ARC this season and has won its last two home games.

@IndStWBB
- Indiana State comes into Sunday's game with a 4-22 overall record and is 2-13 in MVC play.
- The Sycamores have lost three in a row since an 87-63 win at Southern Illinois Feb. 9.
- Bella Finngan is averaging a team-best 13.7 points/game.

Celebrating the Seniors
- Valpo will recognize the two team members winding down their Beacon careers prior to Sunday afternoon's game.
- Katie Beyer has appeared in 81 games since joining Valpo mid-year during the 2020-21 campaign. She has tallied 275 points and 140 rebounds and has blossomed this year, averaging career bests of 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
- Leah Earnest has appeared in 139 games in the Brown and Gold, starting 97 times. She has tallied 1,546 points and 834 points and ranks among Valpo's all-time best in numerous categories.

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.
- The win over Evansville on Friday secured no worse than a share of the title for the Beacons, as they enter Sunday's game at 3-0.
- 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 reversed recent history in the series's against their in-state opponents at the ARC on Friday with the win over UE and looks to do so again on Sunday.
- From 2021-22 through 2023-24, the Beacons 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 7-8 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 1,546 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.

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.
- While Valpo went deeper into its bench in the last two games, it came later with the game already decided - Kayla Preston was called upon with the Beacons trailing by 22 and 6:18 to play at Missouri State, while Kylie Waytashek was summoned with a 20-point lead with 3:27 to play versus Evansville.

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 22.5 3-pointers per game, which accounts for just 43.0% 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 23.9 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 11th time this season last time out with a team-high 21 points in the win over Evansville.
- Notably, Earnest did not hit the 20-point mark in any of the first seven games this year, meaning she has 11 20-point efforts in the last 19 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.
- In all, four Valpo players have combined for 17 games with 21 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, 139 (Caitlin Morrison, 1st, 141)
- Points - 3rd, 1,546 (Dani Franklin, 2nd, 1,721)
- Rebounds - 2nd, 834 (Tamra Braun, 1st, 870)
- Field goals made - 4th, 556 (Jeanette Gray, 3rd, 595)
- Free throws made - 4th, 335 (Betsy Rietema, 3rd, 341)
- Points per game - t-10th, 11.1
- Rebounds/game - t-7th, 6.0
- Field goal percentage - 9th, .467
Single-Season
- Points - 447 (10th, 456)
- Rebounds - 193 (10th, 244)
- Field goals made - 153 (10th, 165)
- Free throws made - 8th, 112 (Betsy Rietema, 7th, 113)
- Points/game - 7th, 17.2

Winning With Defense
- Strong defensive efforts have been a common thread in the Beacons' victories this season, and their most recent wins have been no different.
- Valpo limited both Bradley (home) and Evansville (road) 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.
- 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 10-0; 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 20.0 turnovers forced/game.
- The Beacons have forced more turnovers than they've committed in 16 of 26 games.
- Valpo also leads the MVC with 10.0 steals/game and has tallied double-figure steals in 14 games this year.
- Valpo has forced at least 20 turnovers in 10 games so far, highlighted by 29 forced turnovers against Detroit Mercy and 28 in the win at Evansville.
- The Beacons racked up a season-best 16 steals last time out in the home win over Evansville, while they tallied 15 steals apiece in wins over Goshen, Western Michigan and Evansville (road).
- 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 13.0 points/game.
- Jackson has scored in double figures in 18 of 26 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.