The regular season came to an end for the Valpo women's basketball team Saturday afternoon at the ARC, as the Beacons dropped a 100-68 decision to the visitors from Murray State, which had already secured the MVC regular season title entering the day. Playing the final home game of her collegiate career, Fiona Connolly (South Burlington, Vt./Brewster Academy [La Salle]) surpassed her career best with a game-high 23 points.
 
How It Happened

• Back-to-back jumpers from Connolly had Valpo within 12-10 with 3:16 to play in the opening quarter.
• The Racers ended the period on a 14-4 run to lead 26-14 10 minutes into the game.
• Valpo nicked the deficit down to 10 points twice early in the second quarter, but on the second time, Murray State came out with a 12-0 spurt over the next three minutes to extend its lead.
• The Racers held a 55-28 lead at halftime and an 87-48 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
• Connolly scored 10 points in just four minutes of play in the final period, a quarter which featured extended run for both teams' benches and was highlighted by the first career 3-pointer for Bella Swedlund (Winner, S.D./Winner [Toledo/Kansas]) — who was also playing in the final home game of her career.

 
Inside the Game

• Connolly hit the 20-point mark for the sixth time this year as she led all players with 23 points — in the process surpassing her previous career best of 22 points, set early last month at the ARC versus Southern Illinois.
• Connolly was efficient with her shots, hitting 7-of-12 from the field, 4-of-6 from 3-point range — setting a career best for triples in a game — and 5-of-6 from the foul line.
• Milana Nenadic (Kitchener, Ontario/Cameron Heights [Idaho State/Maine]) reached double figures as well with 13 points and paced the Beacons with nine rebounds.
• Playing in her final collegiate home game, Mikayla Huffine (Rockford, Ill./Rockford Lutheran [Quincy/Iowa Western C.C.]) tied her career best with six rebounds and tied for team-high honors with three assists.
• Autumn Dibb (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) came off the bench with eight points, including the first two 3-pointers of her collegiate career.
• Not only did Swedlund connect from the 3-point line for the first time in her collegiate career, she also set a career high with three rebounds and came up with her first collegiate steal.
• Valpo shot at a 34.7% clip from the field and was 10-for-29 from 3-point range — matching its second-highest total of made triples in a game this year. Murray State finished shooting 43.4% from the floor and was 11-for-33 from the 3-point line.
• The Beacons committed just 12 turnovers, tied for their second-fewest in a game this season.

 
Next Up
Valpo (0-31, 0-20 MVC) heads to the Credit Union 1 MVC Women's Basketball Tournament in Coralville, Iowa. The Beacons' first tournament game will take place at 8:30 p.m. Thursday evening against Drake.