Preview: Valparaiso Beacons at Drake Bulldogs DES MOINES, Iowa (Interstat) — The Drake Bulldogs look to build on a rare conference win when they host the struggling Valparaiso Beacons in a Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball matchup Thursday night at Knapp Center. Drake (7-17) snapped a four-game skid with an 88-70 home victory over Indiana State on Feb. 14. The Bulldogs will be heavily favored against a Valparaiso team that remains one of the nation’s only winless squads at 0-26. The Beacons are coming off a 37-77 loss at Belmont on Sunday, their 15th consecutive defeat by double digits. Valparaiso’s offense has been consistently stifled, failing to reach 60 points in 18 of its 26 games this season. Drake won the previous meeting this season, 66-56 at Valparaiso on Jan. 18. A key matchup will feature two of the conference’s top guards. Valparaiso’s Fiona Connolly is averaging 16.3 points over her last three games, including a 22-point, 5-rebound, 5-assist effort in a narrow loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 7. She posted 11 points and 9 rebounds in the loss to Belmont. Drake counters with Abbie Aalsma, who is coming off a season-high 19-point performance in the win over Indiana State. Aalsma has been a bright spot for the Bulldogs, scoring 24 points in two separate games last month. While Drake’s record is subpar, its offense has shown potency at home, averaging 78.3 points in its last three games at Knapp Center. Valparaiso, conversely, allows a conference-worst 80.2 points per game. For the Beacons, the search for a first victory continues against a Drake team seeking to climb the MVC standings in the final weeks of the regular season. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.