CHICAGO – After securing their first Missouri Valley Conference win in program history, the Flames women's basketball team (9-6, 1-3) remain home for the second consecutive week, hosting the Valparaiso Beacons (2-10, 0-4) Wednesday night at Credit Union 1 Arena.

The Flames are riding high after defeating Evansville on Saturday, 57-53. They were led offensively by Josie Filer, who shot 50% from the field, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to secure her second double-double of the season. Jaida McCloud also scored 15 points and snagged seven rebounds.

The Beacons are still in search of their first win in conference play. The last time out for Valparaiso, they led Indiana State with less than six minutes to play but would fall short in regulation by a final score of 66-58.

Tip-off Wednesday night is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be available to be streamed on ESPN+

MATCHUP BREAKDOWN

• This is the 52^nd time that the Flames and Beacons are set to compete. The first matchup between the two occurred during the 1972-1973 season.
• The Flames currently lead the series, 26-25. They won the last match-up when they defeated the Beacons at home on Nov. 21, 2021, by a final score of 68-64.
• In the last six meetings, both programs have taken three wins each.

BENCH REMAINS BATTLE TESTED

• The Flames bench continues to out play their opponents reserves this season, most recently outscoring Evansville, 8-2 on Jan. 7.
• This is the 13^th game this season the Flames bench has outscored their opponent, and the fourth consecutive game that had happened.
• Key contributors include the likes of Ky Dempsey-Toney and Danyel Middleton. Dempsey-Toney is the third leading scorer on the team, (10.0 PPG) and Middleton is fourth (7.6 PPG).

A DEFENSIVE MINDSET

• The Flames continue to prove that they are one of the strongest defensive programs in the MVC. They currently hold their opponents to 58.4 PPG, which is second-best in the conference.
• Ky Dempsey-Toney isn't afraid to block a shot for the Flames. She is the sixth best in blocks per game (1.38) and has the fourth most blocks in the conference with 18 so far this season.
• Kristian Young is the sixth best in steals in the MVC. She currently averages 1.6 steals per game.

NOTABLE BEACON STATS

• The Beacons don't shy away from shooting beyond the arc, as they average the fourth most three-pointers made in the conference, making 8.0 per game on average.
• They are also quick to steal the ball from opposing teams, currently ranked fourth in the MVC, averaging 24 steals per game.
• Valparaiso's Leah Earnest is the top rebounder in all the Missouri Valley Conference. She is currently averaging 8.7 rebounds