Beacons Battle Back Before Falling at Missouri State
 The Valpo women’s basketball team battled back from a double-digit deficit in the first quarter to briefly take the lead in the second period and was still tied with MVC-leading Missouri State into the second half Sunday afternoon, but a key third-quarter run for the Lady Bears was too much to overcome as the Beacons fell by a 79-63 final.
How It Happened
–         It was Missouri State on the front foot to start the game, as the Lady Bears scored the game’s first seven points over the opening three minutes before a 3-pointer from Katie Beyer (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) got Valpo on the board.
–         MSU’s lead remained around that seven-point mark for the rest of the period, and in fact it was a 20-13 Lady Bears advantage at the end of the first.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â A 10-2 run over the first four-plus minutes of the second quarter pushed the Beacons in front. Leah Earnest (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) had three baskets during the spurt, and a steal and bucket for Nevaeh Jackson (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) with 5:40 to play in the half gave Valpo a 23-22 edge.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Missouri State came back with seven straight points in a span of 67 seconds to regain the lead and push it to six.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The Beacons had another run in them, ending the half by scoring eight of the final 10 points. Layla Gold (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) and Maci Rhoades (Beavercreek, Ohio/Beavercreek) each had triples during the stretch, while another finish at the rim for Earnest evened the score at 31-31 entering halftime.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Valpo and Missouri State traded punches to start the second half. Earnest had two more baskets early on in the third quarter, and another 3-pointer from Gold with 6:47 to play in the period had the score tied at 38-38.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â It was at that point the Lady Bears reeled off 11 straight points over a stretch of four-plus minutes to take the lead and push it into double figures at 49-38.
–         MSU’s lead was 55-41 with 10 minutes to play, and an 11-3 run to start the fourth quarter put the result out of reach. The Beacons did keep fighting to the final buzzer, as after the Lady Bears’ advantage reached as many as 25 points, Valpo got to within 14 late on.
Inside the Game
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Earnest and Jackson tied for team-high honors with 19 points apiece. Earnest, who also tied for game-high honors with eight rebounds, scored her 19 on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, while Jackson connected on four 3-pointers on the way to her best scoring performance in conference play.
–         Earnest connected on a pair of free throws as well, giving her 110 on the season — eighth-most in a single season in program history.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Fiona Connolly (South Burlington, Vt./Brewster Academy [La Salle]) was one off her season best with a team-best four assists.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Six different Beacons hit from behind the 3-point line as Valpo went 12-of-26 from deep on the afternoon, tying its season best for 3-pointers made and its third-best 3-point percentage of the season (.462).
–         Valpo forced 20 Missouri State turnovers, the 10th time this year the Beacons’ opponent has coughed up the ball 20 or more times, and came up with 10 steals, led by three by Jackson as it hit double digits in steals for the 13th time on the season.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â However, Valpo was a -3 in the turnover department, as the Beacons committed 23 turnovers of their own. Missouri State also held a 39-21 advantage on the glass.
Next Up
Valpo (9-16, 5-9 MVC) returns home to the ARC next weekend for a pair of games, starting on Friday evening against Evansville at 6 p.m.