MOLINE, IL - No. 8 seed Valparaiso earned the school's first ever Missouri Valley Conference tournament win in any sport with a 63-46 win over No. 9 seed Loyola in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday at TaxSlayer Center.

Senior Dani Franklin led the way for the Crusaders with 24 points and four rebounds, finishing 10-for-17 from the field.

Loyola was led by Jessica Cerda, who tallied 11 points in the loss. Her Rambler teammate Ellie Rice also scored in double figures, adding 10 points.

Valparaiso will face top-seeded Drake in Friday's first quarterfinal at 12:00 p.m.