Valparaiso (0-22, 0-11 MVC)
Game #23 - February 5, 2026 - 6 p.m.
Evansville (5-17, 3-8 MVC)
Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) - Valparaiso, Ind.

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valpo women's basketball team hosts its annual Girls & Women in Sports game, presented by UChicago Medicine, on Thursday evening as the Beacons return to the ARC to host Evansville.

Previously: Allia von Schlegell matched her career high with a team-best 19 points and Kamryn Winch led all players and tied her career best with 12 rebounds as the Beacons suffered a 76-57 defeat at UIC last Saturday afternoon.

Following Valpo Basketball: Video: ESPN+
Radio: WVUR (95.1 FM, Valparaiso)
Streaming audio: TuneIn app
Links for live coverage: Available via ValpoAthletics.com

Head Coach Courtney Boyd (0-22 at Valpo, 1st season; 180-90 [.667] 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: Valpo leads the all-time series over the Purple Aces 17-12, including a 12-5 advantage since joining the MVC. Earlier this season, though, it was Evansville which emerged victorious, as the Beacons fell on the road to the Purple Aces, 66-46. Allia von Schlegell had a season-best 19 points and hit five 3-pointers in that contest, while Fiona Connolly added 11 points.

@ValpoWBB...
...at UIC
- A slow start led to UIC taking an early 12-3 lead, prompting a timeout from head coach Courtney Boyd just 3:27 into the contest.
- Valpo scored seven straight out of the stoppage to pull within 12-10 with 3:42 to play in the opening period.
- The Flames held a 20-14 lead at the end of the first.
- UIC scored the first six points of the second quarter to extend its lead to double digits for the first time, but the Beacons pushed back, closing to within seven on a Milana Nenadic basket with 6:17 to play in the period.
- The Flames out-scored Valpo 17-4 over the remainder of the half, including seven second-chance points in the last 90 seconds of the half, to take a 43-23 lead into halftime.
- A quick 9-2 spurt over the opening 1:43 of the third quarter, including two triples by Allia von Schlegell, brought the Beacons within 45-32.
- They were unable to get any closer than 13 points in the second half, however. UIC held a 53-37 lead at the end of the third quarter and maintained at least a 15-point lead throughout the final period.
- von Schlegell went 4-of-7 from behind the 3-point line as part of her team-best 19-point effort, matching her career high set earlier this season at Evansville.
- No other Beacon reached double figures in the scoring column, as Kamryn Winch was Valpo's next-highest scorer, tallying nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field and 3-of-3 from the foul line. Winch also led all players with 12 rebounds, tying her career best set earlier this year in the overtime game against Milwaukee.
- Valpo held a 41-36 advantage over the Flames in rebounds — the fifth time this season the Beacons have held the edge in that department.
- Valpo shot 36.4% from the floor and hit 5-of-15 from the 3-point line — a season low in terms of 3-point attempts. UIC ended the game at 44.6% overall and 7-of-17 from deep.
- The Beacons were 12-of-16 at the foul line, hitting at least 75% of their free throw attempts for a third straight game.
- The turnover column hurt Valpo, as the Beacons committed 23 miscues — their highest total in MVC play — while forcing just 10 UIC turnovers. The Flames held a 31-7 advantage in points off turnovers.

...versus Indiana State
- The Beacons got off to a slow start, as they trailed 15-4 halfway through the opening quarter.
- Valpo bounced back with a 9-0 run over a three-minute stretch to eliminate much of the deficit, with Milana Nenadic contributing six points during that spurt. The Beacons were within 18-13 at the end of the first period.
- Indiana State scored eight points in three possessions to push its lead out to 12 points with 6:28 to play in the second quarter.
- Valpo responded with an 11-3 run over the course of three and a half minutes — a run which included triples from Mor Shabtai, Allia von Schlegell and Nenadic, the last of which brought the Beacons with 33-29 with 1:37 to play in the half.
- The Sycamores scored seven points over their last three possessions to take a 40-29 lead into halftime.
- Indiana State extended its lead to begin the third quarter, opening with a 13-2 run over the first six minutes of the half to push its lead to its apex at 22.
- Valpo immediately battled back out of a timeout, going on an 11-0 run — including six points from von Schlegell — to erase half the deficit and move within 11 with 1:55 to play in the period. The Sycamores led 57-42 with 10 minutes to play.
- Indiana State's lead remained near that 15-point mark for much of the fourth quarter. Valpo made a late push, getting to within 68-57 with 3:51 to play on a triple by Mikayla Huffine and shrinking its deficit to single digits for the first time in the second half when Kayla Sullivan hit two free throws to make it 70-61 with 1:55 to play, but the Beacons were unable to get any closer.
- Nenadic paced the Beacons for the fourth straight game in the scoring department as she scored a game-high 19 points. The redshirt junior also recorded her first career double-double, pacing all players with a career-best 12 rebounds.
- von Schlegell finished the afternoon with 15 points, including three 3-pointers. von Schlegell hit the 15-point mark for the eighth time this year and hit at least three triples for the eighth time as well.
- Sullivan rounded out the trio of Beacons in double figures with 12 points, her second-highest scoring game of the season — notably, Sullivan's highest-scoring game was also against the Sycamores. The junior also tied for game-high honors with a season-best three steals.
- The Beacons shot 30.6% from the floor and were 8-of-28 from 3-point range, while Indiana State hit at a 43.5% clip from the field and was 7-of-20 from deep.
- Valpo narrowly missed winning the rebounding battle, as the Sycamores held a 44-42 advantage on the glass. The 42 rebounds are the Beacons' most in Valley play this season, while they also tied their best mark in MVC action with 11 offensive boards.
- The Beacons finished with a positive assist/turnover ratio, notching 16 assists against just 12 turnovers. The 16 assists are the team's third-highest total this year, while the 12 turnovers are tied for its second-lowest mark in that department.

...looking ahead
- Valpo stays at home Saturday to host SIU in the program's annual Pink Game for cancer awareness.
- That is followed by four straight road games Feb. 13-26, starting with games at Murray State and Belmont next weekend.

...at the ARC
- Thursday's game is the ninth of 13 home games this season for the Beacons, as Valpo hosts three nonconference games and 10 MVC games.
- The Beacons are currently 0-8 at the ARC this year.
- Valpo posted a 9-6 record at the ARC last season, the program's first winning record at home since the 2019-20 season.

....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.

@UEAthletics_WBB
- Evansville enters Thursday's game at 5-17 on the season, including a 3-8 mark in MVC play.
- The Purple Aces have lost six of their last seven games, but their one win in that stretch was at UNI - their first win in Cedar Falls since 2008.
- Camryn Runner ranks fifth in the MVC in scoring (17.1 PPG) and second in assists (5.0 APG). Logan Luebbers Palmer also averages in double figures with 10.7 PPG, but has missed Evansville's last four games.

Allia Heats Up
- Freshman Allia von Schlegell has made a big impact in her rookie season.
- von Schlegell has scored in double figures 12 times this season, including in nine of Valpo's last 13 games. 
- Nine 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 and Jasmyn Walker nine times in the 2014-15 season.
- von Schlegell currently ranks third among MVC freshmen in scoring (10.3  points/game) and is first in 3-pointers made (42).
- She ranks 77th nationally in freshman scoring and is tied for 16th among freshmen nationally in 3-pointers made.

Doing Work on the Road
- von Schlegell has excelled in the scoring department on the road in MVC play.
- The freshman has scored 15 or more points in five of Valpo's six MVC road games to date, including a career-high 19 twice - at Evansville and at UIC.
- von Schlegell has shot 50% (18-for-36) from 3-point range in road MVC games and is averaging 15.3 points/game in those contests.

Taking Advantage of PT
- Redshirt junior Kamryn Winch might have played just 13:10 off the bench last time out at UIC, but she took full advantage of every second.
- Winch scored nine points (3-5 FG; 3-3 FT) and tied her career best with a game-high 12 rebounds.
- That is the second-fewest minutes played by a D-I player who recorded 12 rebounds this season (USC's Yakiya Milton, Nov. 18 versus Portland, 12:01).
- Winch is the first D-I player to register at least nine points and 12 rebounds while playing fewer than 14 minutes since Charlotte O'Keefe did so for UTRGV Nov. 23, 2024.

Milana Feasts
- Redshirt junior Milana Nenadic has been on a tear offensively lately, averaging 17.0 points/game over the last five games while leading the Beacons in all four contests.
- This recent stretch comes after Nenadic averaged 6.6 points/game and scored in double figures just twice in the season's first 17 games.
- Nenadic became Valpo's first MVC weekly award winner in over four years Jan. 19, as she was named MVC Newcomer of the Week after scoring 34 points at Illinois State (more on that game later) and 18 points versus Drake.
- Nenadic has also hit the glass more recently, averaging 6.4 rebounds/game over the last four games after averaging 4.0 rebounds/game over the first 17 games.
- Nenadic recorded her first career double-double last Thursday against Indiana State, going for 19 points and 12 rebounds - she is the first Valpo player to reach those marks in a game in which she committed zero turnovers since Sharon Karungi tallied 22 points and 16 boards without a turnover Feb. 22, 2014 versus Oakland.

KK Gets Going
- Since being inserted into the starting lineup at the start of this calendar year, junior Kayla Sullivan has picked up her production across the board.
- Sullivan has averaged 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game over the last nine games after entering the game at Indiana State Jan. 1 averaging just 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.
- She has scored in double figures three times - 14 at Indiana State, 11 versus Drake and 12 last Thursday in the home game versus Indiana State.

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.

Nonconference Scoring
- von Schlegell scored in double figures six times in nonconference action, among the best in program history in terms of double-digit scoring outputs by a freshman in nonconference games since Valpo joined the North Star Conference for the 1987-88 season:
Dani Franklin, 2014-15, 11
Meredith Hamlet, 2015-16, 8
Tabitha Gerardot, 2010-11, 8
Sarrah Stricklett, 1996-97, at least 7 (2 boxes unavailable)
Debbie Bolen, 1989-90, at least 7 (1 box unavailable)
Jeanette Gray, 1999-2000, 7
Allia von Schlegell, 2025-26, 6
Stephanie Greer, 1987-88, 6
Amy Cole, 1987-88, 6
Linda Batz, 1987-88, 6
Ali Saunders, 2022-23, 5
Jamie Gutowski, 2002-03, 5
- 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.

Skip the Second?
- Three times in MVC play, the second quarter has proven to be the Beacons' undoing.
- Drake outscored Valpo 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 nine different starting lineups this year, the most recent change coming last Thursday against Indiana State with Fiona Connolly out.
- With Connolly back, she returned to the lineup alongside Huffine, von Schlegell, Sullivan and Preston at UIC, the fifth start for that quintet - the most of any lineup this season.
- Ten different players have been a part of at least one starting five this year, with only one - Mikayla 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).