by The Valpo women’s basketball team closed out non-conference play with a bang Tuesday afternoon at the ARC, as seven different Beacons combined to connect on 14 3-pointers in a 69-57 victory over Detroit Mercy. The victory sends Valpo into the MVC slate following the Christmas holiday with the momentum of consecutive wins.
How It Happened
- Detroit Mercy led by as many as five points in the opening period. The Titans held a five-point lead with under two minutes remaining in the quarter, but Valpo quickly turned the tables with back-to-back 3-pointers from Carie Weinman (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South [Denver]) and Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH).
- The Titans scored the final basket of the quarter, however, to take a 15-14 lead at the end of one.
- Consecutive triples by Weinman and Grace White (Ojibwe/Sioux) on the first two possessions of the second period gave Valpo its largest lead of the game to that point at 20-15.
- The Beacons couldn’t push the lead past five points at that point, however, and Detroit Mercy kept within striking distance, eventually retaking the lead at 24-23 with under three minutes remaining in the first half.
- It took just one shot on its next possession for Valpo to regain the lead for good, as Cara VanKempen (Coopersville, Mich./Coopersville) drilled a 3-pointer while being fouled for a 4-point play. Earnest followed with a basket inside on the Beacons’ next trip to again give Valpo a five-point lead, and the advantage was 31-27 at the break.
- 3-pointers from Caitlin Morrison (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) and VanKempen helped Valpo out-score UDM 8-4 over the first two-plus minutes of the second half, forcing a timeout from the Titans as the Beacons extended their lead to eight.
- UDM held a 10-4 advantage over a stretch of nearly six minutes to close to within two, but Valpo answered with a White 3-pointer and another inside finish from Earnest. The Titans had the final push of the third period, though, connecting on consecutive 3-pointers in the final 35 seconds of the quarter to close to within 48-47 with 10 minutes to play.
- Valpo’s defense and rebounding carried the way in the fourth quarter, as it allowed just two field goals and one offensive rebound to the Titans over the first eight minutes of the period.
- Frederick connected on a 3-pointer on Valpo’s first possession of the final quarter, and two trips later, White converted on a 3-point play to extend the lead to seven points.
- White, Weinman and Olivia Brown (East Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids [St. Bonaventure]) all knocked down 3-pointers over the next few minutes, Brown’s with 3:04 to play all but icing the game as it gave Valpo a double-digit lead it would not relinquish.
