KALAMAZOO, Mich. – On Wednesday evening, junior guard Kaiden Glenn drilled a last second three pointer to force overtime against Valparaiso. The Broncos, in turn, would outscore Valpo 8-4 in OT enroute to their second consecutive victory on the season. This evening, guard Kaitlyn Zarycki exploded for 32 points to lead all scorers. Zarycki's 32 points marked a career high for the guard from Niles, Michigan at the division one level.   

After starting the 2023-24 campaign 0-2 to begin the season, the Broncos have bounced back and have responded with urgency, going 3-1 in their last four games to reach .500 for the first time during the 2023-24 campaign. Both Valpo and WMU battled valiantly tonight, as both schools competed for momentum throughout the evening. 

Despite trailing by six on multiple occasions against the Beacons Wednesday, WMU found a way to battle back.  After two quarters of play, WMU would lead 28-26 after Zarycki nailed the go ahead jumper in the second quarter's final two minutes of the first half. In addition to her 32 points, Zarycki added nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals against Valpo.

In the third quarter, the Broncos would lead by as much as six. The Brown and Gold saw their first six point lead after Maggie Stutelberg took advantage of a steal and buried a transition three to put WMU ahead 40-34 with 3:48 remaining in quarter. Nearly a minute later, at the 3:00 mark, Nile Muguira Orbe scored a layup off an assisting Zarycki to put the Broncos up in front by six again. Despite the lead from WMU, Valparaiso would fight back and closed the quarter on a 11-4 run. Entering the fourth quarter, Alli Carlson would beat the buzzer with a layup to reclaim the lead for the Broncos at 46-45. 

WMU got off to a hot start to begin the fourth after Glenn knocked down two triples, while Zarycki hit a three of her own to improve the Bronco lead to eight with 8:22 remaining in the quarter. Valpo responded to the Broncos lead and closed out the fourth quarter on a 20-9 advantage from the 7:49 mark until the two second mark of the quarter. Despite the momentum shifting in Valparaiso's favor, during the final two seconds of regulation, Glenn buried a three pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Glenn's three pointer at the buzzer was one of her three made triples from deep tonight. 

The Broncos doubled up the Beacons 8-4 in overtime to claim their third win on the year. In overtime, Stutelberg and Zarycki were able to cash in at the free throw line to give the Broncos a three point lead with 3:08 left in the contest. On the defensive end, Zarycki was able to take advantage of a Valpo miscue and picked up a steal that led to two shots at the stripe: She would make both free throws to give WMU a one possession lead with 3:08 remaining in overtime. The guard Hannah Spitzley from Westphalia, Michigan was key in the close out victory: As time began to wind down, Spitzley took over in the final 1:14, scoring four out of the Broncos five points to end the contest.  Tonight, Spitzley shot 50% from the field and 4-6 from the stripe. With her 10 point outing, Spitzley has now scored double digit points for the third time in four games.  

Historical Notes

In just her sixth game with the Brown and Gold, Zarycki propelled herself into a tie for the ninth most points scored in a single game for the WMU women's basketball team with her 32 points on the evening. 

Up Next

The Brown and Gold will clash with Davenport University at University Arena on Saturday, December 2, at 12:00 PM. The game will be streamed on ESPN+. Live stats, livestream and ticket information is available under the women's basketball schedule.