The Valparaiso Vikings are taking a road trip to challenge the La Porte Slicers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Valparaiso knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past three matchups -- so hopefully La Porte likes a good challenge.
Last Wednesday, Valparaiso was fully in charge, breezing past Merrillville 62-13. The Vikings have beaten the Pirates the last four times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Pirates has come to flipping the script.

Lillian Barnes
| 11/26/25 vs Merrillville | 21 |
| 11/22/25 vs Eastern Hancock | 26 |
| 11/18/25 vs Hammond Bishop Noll | 21 |
| 11/15/25 vs Warsaw | 26 |
| 11/12/25 @ Hammond Central | 20 |
Lillian Barnes continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, going 10-for-15 to rack up 21 points along with six steals and five assists. Her evening made it five games in a row in which she has scored at least 20 points. Chyanne Brown was another key player, putting up eight points and three steals.
Meanwhile, La Porte played a tough contest last Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were dealt a 76-26 defeat at the hands of Crown Point. The game marked the Slicers' lowest-scoring matchup so far this season.
Valparaiso will have to keep a close watch on Keilaeyah Roundtree and Evangeline Walker, a pair of players who had a big impact on La Porte's prior game. Roundtree shot 56% from the field en route to 10 points and eight rebounds, while Walker posted 11 points. Roundtree is on a roll when it comes to boards, as she's now pulled down eight or more in each of the last eight games she's played dating back to last season.
Valparaiso's win bumped their record up to 5-1. As for La Porte, their loss dropped their record down to 4-2.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Valparaiso hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 59.8 points per game. It's a different story for La Porte, though, as they've been averaging only 39.5 points. The only thing between Valparaiso and another offensive beatdown is the Slicers. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Everything came up roses for Valparaiso against La Porte in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, as the team secured a 72-21 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.