Valparaiso (0-27, 0-16 MVC)
Game #28 - February 26, 2026 - 6 p.m.
at UNI (13-13, 9-7 MVC)
McLeod Center (6,650) - Cedar Falls, Iowa

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women's basketball team plays its final road game of the regular season Thursday night as the Beacons return to the state of Iowa for the second time in a week to face UNI.

Previously: The Beacons used a hot shooting start to jump out to a double-digit lead in the first half last Thursday evening in MVC action at Drake and still held the advantage past the halfway mark of the fourth quarter before a run by the Bulldogs gave the hosts a 79-68 victory.

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

Head Coach Courtney Boyd (0-27 at Valpo, 1st season; 180-95 [.655] overall, 9th season): Courtney Boyd was named the ninth head coach of the Valparaiso University women's basketball program on April 4, 2025. A national championship-winning head coach and player, an NAIA National Coach of the Year, and a two-time conference Coach of the Year, Boyd has won 20 or more games in seven of her first eight seasons as a head coach. She spent the last two seasons at the helm of the Quincy University program after six seasons as head coach at Clarke University, leading the latter program to the NAIA national title in 2022-23.

Series Notes: UNI leads the all-time series by a 17-5 margin and has won the last nine matchups between the two programs. Back in December, the Panthers earned an 86-52 victory at the ARC in the first meeting this season. Fiona Connolly paced Valpo with 10 points in that contest.

@ValpoWBB...
...at Drake
- Drake was the team which started on the front foot, as the Bulldogs led 12-5 just 3:02 into the ballgame.
- But the Beacons exploded over the next few minutes offensively, scoring on eight consecutive offensive possessions and putting up 21 points. Five different players hit 3-pointers during the stretch, which saw Valpo go up by seven points with 2:15 to play in the period on a layup from Fiona Connolly.
- Another drive and finish by Connolly in the final 40 seconds closed the scoring in the opening frame, as Valpo held a 28-21 lead.
- An 11-1 run for the Beacons, capped by a 3-pointer by Milana Nenadic, pushed the Beacons' lead to 41-26 with three minutes to play in the half.
- Valpo carried a 46-34 lead into the locker room at halftime.
- Kayla Sullivan connected from deep 1:19 into the third quarter, restoring Valpo's largest lead at 15 points.
- Drake went on a 14-2 run over the next six-plus minutes to cut Valpo's lead to three points, where it remained at the end of the quarter, as the Beacons were in front 56-53.
- The Bulldogs scored on back-to-back possessions early in the fourth quarter to take their first lead since the first quarter with 8:18 to play, but Valpo responded with a 9-1 run — including five points from Allia von Schlegell — and when Kamryn Winch connected on a foul-line jumper with 5:22 to play, the Beacons led 65-58.
- That proved to be Valpo's last point for over four and a half minutes, as Drake scored 17 in a row to take the lead for good. Abbie Aalsma started the key run with back-to-back triples following Winch's basket.
- The 28-point first quarter was Valpo's highest scoring quarter of the season.
- The Beacons led at halftime for the third time this year and after three quarters for the first time.
- For the second time this season, four Beacons scored in double figures, led by a game-best 20 points from Connolly, including a 7-of-8 mark from the foul line. It was the senior's fourth 20+ point game of the season.
- Nenadic tallied 14 points and paced Valpo with seven rebounds.
- von Schlegell scored in double figures for the 16th time with a 12-point night, while Sullivan reached double digits for the fourth time with 11 points, including a season-high three 3-pointers.
- Mikayla Huffine was one off her season best with six assists.
- Valpo shot 36.4% from the field and was 10-for-33 from 3-point range — its second-highest total of triples this year. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs were 43.3% from the floor, including 8-for-18 from the 3-point line.

...at Belmont
- The Bruins got out to a 19-2 lead less than seven minutes into the ballgame.
- Valpo scored eight in a row on a 3-pointer by Mor Shabtai and five points from Milana Nenadic before Belmont scored in the final seconds to lead 21-10 at the end of one quarter.
- A 3-pointer from Allia von Schlegell on Valpo's second possession of the second quarter made it a single-digit game, and it was still an eight-point deficit at 23-15 with 7:25 to play in the half on a drive and finish by von Schlegell.
- Belmont ended the half on a 16-3 run to take a 39-18 advantage into halftime.
- Fiona Connolly hit all four of her field-goal attempts for 10 points in the third quarter, but the Bruins extended their lead to 62-32 with 10 minutes to play.
- Connolly scored a team-best 11 points, her 14th double-figure effort of the season. She also matched her career high with nine rebounds, sharing team-high honors with Nenadic, and tallied three steals to tie for a game high.
- Mikayla Huffine grabbed five rebounds and handed out four assists while committing just one turnover.
- The Beacons shot just 19.4% from the field Sunday and were 6-for-33 from 3-point range, while the Bruins hit at a 36.5% clip and were 14-for-40 from deep.
- Valpo grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, its highest total since recording 22 at Missouri State Feb. 18, 2018. The Beacons held a 10-9 advantage in second-chance points over the Bruins, who had 18 offensive boards of their own.
- Valpo did hold two-time All-MVC performer Tuti Jones without a point in her 22 minutes of action.

...looking ahead
- The Beacons face a quick turnaround to return home for Saturday afternoon and Senior Day against Illinois State.
- Valpo concludes the regular season at the ARC next weekend with games against Belmont and Murray State.

...on the road
- Thursday's game is the last of 10 road games in MVC play for the Beacons, who played six true road games as well in the nonconference slate.
- Valpo is currently 0-15 in true road games.
- Last season's squad posted a 3-11 mark in true road games.

....and @ValleyHoops
- Valpo is in its ninth season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
- Valpo was picked outside the top-four of the MVC preseason poll, as the Valley released only the top four selections.
- The Valley finished last season ranked seventh in the NET, matching the conference's highest NET/RPI ranking in Valpo's time as an MVC member (2020-21).

...looking back at last year
- Valpo finished last season with a 13-19 overall record and went 9-11 in MVC play to finish in eighth place.
- Among the Beacons' 13 victories were a thrilling rally from a 20-point deficit for a home win over Drake which entered the game ranked 69th in NET, the program's highest-ranked win since a win over #54 UNI in 2021-22.
- Leah Earnest was tabbed a First Team All-MVC honoree as she concluded a decorated career that saw her finish first in program history in career rebounds and third in career scoring.
- The 2024-25 Beacons hit 245 3-pointers, third-most in a single season in program history, and tallied 314 steals, seventh on the program's single-season chart and the most since 2001-02.

@UNIwbb
- UNI enters Thursday's game with a 13-13 overall record and sits at 9-7 in MVC play.
- The Panthers had won two in a row before dropping a 64-63 decision at Evansville last time out.
- Ryley Goebel scores a team-best 14.5 points/game on 58.6% shooting from the floor and also grabs 8.4 rebounds/game, while Jenna Twedt is right behind her at 14.2 points/game and connects at a 38.1% clip from deep.

It's Been 84 Years (OK, not quite)
- Thursday's game at UNI caps a four-game road stretch which featured a split of the Drake/UNI road games for the first time since joining the Valley.
- Valpo's last home game came back on Feb. 7, meaning the Beacons will go 21 days between home games - it's actually the second time this year the program has had 21 days between home games, as it hosted Milwaukee Nov. 16 and then didn't play at home until hosting UIC Dec. 7.
- It is Valpo's longest stretch between home games within conference play since joining the MVC.

Four Score
- Valpo placed four players in double figures last time out at Drake, led by Fiona Connolly's 20-point night - her fourth game of at least 20 points this season.
- Milana Nenadic (14), Allia von Schlegell (12) and Kayla Sullivan (11) finished in double figures as well.
- It was the second time this year the Beacons have had four double-figure scorers and the first time in regulation, as Valpo's overtime loss to Milwaukee featured double-digit performances from von Schlegell, Nenadic, Kamryn Winch and Mor Shabtai.

Allia's Big Day(s)
- Freshman Allia von Schlegell has been the Beacons' leading scorer in MVC play, but took it to another level in Valpo's last home game against Southern Illinois.
- von Schlegell's 29 points bested her previous career high of 19 points by 10, as she established a career high for field goals made and matched her career best for 3-pointers made.
- von Schlegell scored the most points by a Valpo freshman since Ali Saunders scored 32 against UAB Nov. 21, 2022. It also matched the most points by an MVC freshman this season.
- 15 of von Schlegell's points came in the fourth quarter alone as she outscored SIU in the final period. It is the most points in a single period by a Valpo player this season.
- Even more impressively, von Schlegell scored those 29 points while not committing a single turnover in 35 minutes of action. She is one of just five D-I freshmen this year with a game with 29 or more points and no turnovers.
- von Schlegell followed the next time out at Murray State with another big effort, going for a team-high 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including four 3-pointers.

The Freshman Fills It Up
- von Schlegell has made a big impact in her rookie season.
- She has scored in double figures 16 times this year - 12 times, von Schlegell has dropped at least 15 points - the most 15+ point games by a Valpo freshman since Dani Franklin hit the 15-point mark 12 times in the 2014-15 season.
- von Schlegell currently ranks second among MVC freshmen in scoring (11.6 points/game) and is first in 3-pointers made (57).
- She ranks 49th nationally in freshman scoring and is tied for eighth among freshmen nationally in 3-pointers made.
- von Schlegell scored in double figures six times in nonconference action, tied for seventh-most in program history by a freshman in nonconference games since Valpo joined the North Star Conference for the 1987-88 season.
- Notably, the six players ahead of von Schlegell on that list all went on to earn All-Freshman/Newcomer Team honors and closed their time at Valpo among the top-12 in program history in career scoring.

Freshman Scoring Leaders
- von Schlegell is one of just nine freshmen in program history to score at least 300 points as a rookie and has put herself in position to challenge Valpo's freshman scoring record.
- Sarrah Stricklett scored 377 points as a rookie in 1996-97, a mark which von Schlegell enters Thursday 65 points back of:
377 - Sarrah Stricklett, 1996-97
365 - Dani Franklin, 2014-15
351 - Debbie Bolen, 1989-90
331 - Tabitha Gerardot, 2010-11
329 - Meredith Hamlet, 2015-16
326 - Jeanette Gray, 1999-2000
322 - Ali Saunders, 2022-23
312 - Allia von Schlegell, 2025-26
302 - Jasmyn Walker, 2014-15
- Notably, every player on this list was an All-Freshman/Newcomer Team honoree in their respective season.

Connolly's Career Best Too
- von Schlegell wasn't the only Valpo player to set a career high in the home game against SIU.
- Senior Fiona Connolly edged past her previous career best of 21 points, accomplished twice earlier this season, with a 22-point effort against the Salukis.
- It is the first time two Valpo players scored 20+ points in the same game since Leah Earnest tallied 24 points and Layla Gold 21 versus Detroit Mercy Dec. 21, 2024.
- von Schlegell and Connolly combined for 51 points against the Salukis, the highest combined scoring output for two Valpo players since Tabitha Gerardot (32) and Gina Lange (24) combined for 56 in a win over Cleveland State Feb. 2, 2013.

Nenadic's Night
- It was truly a night to remember for Milana Nenadic at Illinois State Jan. 15, coming off the bench to deliver 34 points on 16-of-25 shooting.
- The 16 field goals made broke the program record for baskets in a single game, as the previous mark was shared at 15 by Deb Lahti (Feb. 19, 1983 vs. Carthage) and Lyn Swanson (Feb. 8, 1986 at Carthage).
- Nenadic is tied for ninth among NCAA D-I players this season for field goals in a game.
- Nenadic's 25 field goal attempts are tied for eighth-most in a single game in Valpo history.
- The junior now shares fifth on Valpo's single-game scoring chart with Dani Franklin, who dropped 34 at Stetson Nov. 12, 2016. Those two are the only Valpo players to score at least 34 in a game since 1992. Nenadic's 34 points are the most by a player coming off the bench in program history.
- The 34 points is tied with Murray State's Halli Poock for the highest-scoring game by an MVC player this season.
- Nenadic's previous career best was 20 points earlier this year while facing All-American Audi Crooks at Iowa State.
- Nenadic is just the fourth MVC player in the last nine seasons with at least 16 baskets in a game, and joins a few pretty solid players in that department — Drake's Katie Dinnebier, Belmont's Destinee Wells and Murray State's Katelyn Young.
- Nenadic went on to score 18 points later that weekend against Drake and was named MVC Newcomer of the Week Jan. 19 for her efforts, becoming Valpo's first MVC weekly award winner in over four years.

Skip the Second?
- Four times in MVC play, the second quarter has proven to be the Beacons' undoing.
- Most recently, the Beacons were outscored by SIU at the ARC 25-13 in the second quarter, while the other three quarters saw Valpo hold the 60-57 edge.
- Drake outscored Valpo at the ARC 19-7 in the second quarter, while the Beacons outscored the Bulldogs 49-47 in the other three periods.
- At Illinois State, a 31-12 second quarter for the Redbirds accounted for the entire final margin, as Valpo matched ISU 62-62 in the other three quarters.
- At Indiana State, the Sycamores' 24-13 advantage in the second quarter offset Valpo's 65-64 edge in the other three periods.

Shifting Starters
- Valpo has used ten different starting lineups this year, the most recent change coming at home versus SIU, as Nenadic joined Huffine, von Schlegell, Connolly and Sullivan.
- Ten different players have been a part of at least one starting five this year, with only one - Huffine - starting every game. All ten have started at least three games apiece.
- The Beacons have not used the same starting lineup in more than four consecutive games this season.

The Tall and the Short
- This year's Valpo roster features recent extremes on both ends of the height spectrum.
- Mor Shabtai and Mikayla Huffine both are listed at 5-4, making them the shortest Valpo players since 5-3 Rashida Ray (2007-11).
- On the flip side, Kamryn Winch and Milana Nenadic both check in at 6-3, making them the tallest Valpo players since 6-5 Nicole Johanson (2018-19).

International Flavor
- Valpo has a trio of international players on its 2025-26 roster: sophomore Mor Shabtai (Israel) and transfers Milana Nenadic (Ontario, Canada) and Kennedy Sproule (Manitoba, Canada).
- Prior to Shabtai's arrival last year, the Valpo program hadn't had an international player since Sharon Karungi (Uganda) roamed the paint from 2013-15.

Sister Act
- For the third straight season, the Beacons have a pair of sisters on their roster, as freshman Nuala Connolly joins senior sister Fiona on this year's squad.
- The last two years featured identical twins Nevaeh and Saniya Jackson.
- Before that, the last set of sisters to suit up together in the Brown and Gold were the trio of Hamlet sisters: Annemarie (2013-16) overlapped with both older sister Elizabeth (2013-14) and younger sister Meredith (2015-19).