The Valpo women's basketball team honored seniors Fiona Connolly (South Burlington, Vt./Brewster Academy [La Salle]), Mikayla Huffine (Rockford, Ill./Rockford Lutheran [Quincy/Iowa Western C.C.]) and Bella Swedlund (Winner, S.D./Winner [Toledo/Kansas]) on Senior Day at the ARC Saturday afternoon as the Beacons took on Illinois State. The visiting Redbirds came away with the 83-42 win.
 
How It Happened

• Illinois State jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead as the Beacons scored just two points over the game's first five-plus minutes.
• The Redbirds held a 22-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
• The separation between the two teams in the second quarter came at either end of the period, as Illinois State went on a 6-0 run over its first three possessions and then reeled off seven straight to close the half with a 47-21 lead.
• The Redbirds led 74-35 at the end of the third quarter before the Beacons limited them to just nine fourth-quarter points.

 
Inside the Game

• Connolly has started 31 times and appeared in 58 games for Valpo in her two years on campus. She scored a team-high 13 points Saturday — her 17^th double-figure output of the year — and tied her career high with a game-best four steals.
• Huffine has started all 29 games this season in her first year as a Beacon. Saturday saw her score two points, grab two rebounds and lead the Beacons with four assists.
• Swedlund made her 21^st appearance in the Valpo uniform Saturday, tallying a pair of rebounds.
• Allia von Schlegell (Downers Grove, Ill./Nazareth Academy) joined Connolly in double figures in the scoring department with 10 points, in the process jumping up to fourth on Valpo's all-time freshman scoring chart with 335 points.
• Milana Nenadic (Kitchener, Ontario/Cameron Heights [Idaho State/Maine]) and Kamryn Winch (Bonne Terre, Mo./North County [Maryville]) tied for team-high honors with six rebounds.
• Autumn Dibb (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) recorded three steals to go with Connolly's four as the Beacons totaled 10 steals to match a season high.
• Valpo shot at a 26.6% clip from the field Saturday and was 0-for-19 from 3-point range — its first game without a 3-pointer since March 4, 2013 at Youngstown State. Illinois State shot 45.2% from the floor and hit 11-of-26 from the 3-point line.

 
Next Up
Valpo (0-29, 0-18 MVC) continues its homestand to close the regular season Thursday evening as it hosts Belmont at 1 p.m.