Game 23-vs. Youngstown State

LAST TIME OUT
18-4? Dominating defense? Blowout victory? Yes, yes, yes for the Crusaders on Thursday night against Cleveland State, moving to 18-4 on the year with a 77-52 victory over the Vikings. Valpo held  CSU to just 18-44 (.409) shooting and out rebounded the Vikings 41-22 on the way to a 25-point victory in a game in which Valpo led by as much as 27 in the second half. Coupled with a Wright State loss on Friday, the Crusaders moved back into sole possession of first place in the Horizon League. Alec Peters tallied 18 points for the Crusaders on 7-12 shooting, while David Skara and Shane Hammink each had 10 points to join Peters in double digits. Valpo never trailed by more than two and played every player on the active roster. Three players scored in double digits for Cleveland State (Rob Edwards 13, Kenny Carpenter and Demonte Flannigan 10), but no other Viking scored more than five. The Crusaders held Cleveland State to just 3-10 shooting on three-pointers.

STANDINGS

	Conference		Overall
	Team	W	L	W	L
1	Valparaiso	8	1	18	4
2	Wright State	7	2	13	9
3	Oakland	6	3	14	8
4	Milwaukee	6	3	15	7
5	Green Bay	5	4	13	9
6	Northern Kentucky	4	5	8	12
7	Youngstown State	4	5	9	13
8	Detroit	3	6	9	11
9	Cleveland State	2	7	7	15
10	UIC	0	9	2	18

UP NEXT

Tonight, Valparaiso welcomes the Youngstown State Penguins to the ARC, the first conference rematch for the Crusaders this season. It marks the beginning of eight home games in 10 games for Valpo. Additionally, it will be Space Jam Night inside the ARC.

-Youngstown State enters at 9-13, 4-5 in the Horizon League.

-The Penguins are coming off of an 82-78 victory at UIC on Thursday night. Cameron Morse scored 22, while Jordan Andrews and Matt Donlan each had 18 points for the Penguins, who made 14-27 threes.

-Valparaiso won the matchup between the two teams on January 18 at Youngstown State by a 96-65 score. Alec Peters and Darien Walker each scored 18 points in that game for the Crusaders, who led by as much as 39 points. Jubril Adekoya scored 12 points, while Vashil Fernandez had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Cameron Morse led Youngstown with 23 points, while Jordan Andrews scored 12 and Bryce Nickels 11 for the Penguins.

-Cameron Morse leads YSU with 18.9 ppg, including a 44-point game at Green Bay. He has only started half of the Penguins' games this season. Matt Donlan averages 13.3 ppg and Bobby Hain averages 12.4 ppg and 6.3 rpg.

-Youngstown State played four games in the early-season FGCU Tournament, going 2-2. They lost two of their three games played in Fort Meyers, FL, but beat Thiel in Youngstown, OH.

-The Crusaders lead the all-time series 31-9, 16-2 since both teams joined the Horizon League. Youngstown State has won just once at the ARC.

-January 30, 2013 was the last time Valparaiso lost to Youngstown State, falling 80-68 in Ohio. The Penguins haven't won in the ARC since January 24, 1998.
-Valpo is ranked second in this week's Mid-Major Top 25 from Collegeinsider.com, behind only St. Mary's. The Crusaders received nine votes in the AP Top 25 and six in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

-The game will be televised on ESPN3, as well as on the radio at 95.1 FM (WVUR). Todd Ickow, David Huseman, and Tommy Mantice have the call on both platforms.

Game 22- vs. Cleveland State

LAST TIME OUT

This is starting to become a trend, isn't it. Once again, against a decidedly weaker opponent (this time Northern Kentucky), it took Valpo a while to hit stride, as the Crusaders didn't make a field goal for the first four-plus minutes and made just two shots inside of the first 10 minutes. As it has been most of the season, Valpo got going past that point, pulling away from the Norse in the second half for a 71-46 victory. Northern Kentucky would post their worst offensive efficiency of the season, making just 30% (15-50) shots from the floor and only 4-15 (.267) from behind the three point line. In contrast, Valpo made 23-57 (.404) shots and shot 18-23 (.783) from the free throw line. The Crusaders only led by 12 points, 34-22 at halftime, but pushed the lead to 25 at the final whistle. Every Crusader played, led by 16 points from Keith Carter and 14 off the bench from Shane Hammink. Vashil Fernandez pulled down 11 rebounds, although he scored just four points. Jalen Billups scored 17 for the Norse, but Valpo held just one other player to more than seven points (Lavone Holland II, with 10). Valpo still hasn't lost back-to-back games since 2014, when they fell in the HL Tournament and lost in the first round of the CIT to Columbia. The Crusaders improved to 17-4 on the season, dropping NKU to 7-12.

STANDINGS

		Conference
	Team	W	L	W	L
1	Wright State	7	1	13	8
2	Valparaiso	7	1	17	4
3	Oakland	5	3	13	8
4	Milwaukee	5	3	14	7
5	Green Bay	5	3	13	8
6	Detroit	3	5	9	10
7	Northern Kentucky	3	5	7	12
8	Youngstown State	3	5	8	13
9	Cleveland State	2	6	7	14
10	UIC	0	8	2	17

UP NEXT

Valpo will return to the ARC on Thursday night, their first home game in 12 days, as the Crusaders host 9th-placed Cleveland State in Horizon League action. It will be Crusader Classic Night (1986-1995), the fifth of eight themed nights to celebrate 100 years of Valparaiso athletics.

-The Vikings enter at 7-14, 2-6 in the Horizon League.

-CSU is coming off of a home game against Youngstown State (played at Quicken Loans Arena) on Sunday. The Vikings were defeated 70-55, their first loss in three games.

-Cleveland St. took part in the Cancun Challenge in November, going 1-2. They split a pair of games in Mexico, beating Rider and losing to South Dakota State, before falling at Maryland in a Challenge game.

-Vikings freshman guard Daniel Levitt is from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the same city as Tevonn and Darien Walker of Valparaiso. Levitt attended New Hampton Prep (in New Jersey), while Tevonn and Darien went to Vanier College in Montreal.

-Freshman Rob Edwards leads the Vikings at 12.5 ppg while starting 19 of 21 games. Junior Andre Yates averages 10.5 ppg and is one of four Cleveland State players to have started every game (Yates, Terrell Hales, Demonte Flannigan,Vinny Zollo).

-The game can be viewed on ESPN3 and will be on the radio at 95.1 FM (WVUR).

Game 21- @ Northern Kentucky

LAST TIME(S) OUT

In front of the largest crowd to see a game at the ARC this season, 4939, Valparaiso continued to roll through the Horizon League with an 85-70 victory over UW-Green Bay (11-7, 4-2 HL). Unlike last year's tournament championship game, this one was a high-scoring, up-and-down game that featured plenty of offensive firepower (and plenty of missed shots). The teams combined to miss 77 shots, 29 for the Crusaders and 48 from the Phoenix, yet still managed to score 155 total points. Alec Peters found his shooting stroke after an off game against UW-Milwaukee, putting up a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Vashil Fernandez continued his monster run with a double-double of his own, tallying 13 points and 11 boards, as well as five blocks. The Crusader bench earned MVP honors, however, outscoring the Green Bay bench 32-7, led by Shane Hammink with 12 points and Darien Walker with 10. Valpo bounced back from a sub-.500 free throw effort on Thursday night by hitting 26-36 (.722) free throws. For Green Bay, both Carrington Love and Charles Cooper (from Gary, IN) tallied 22 points, but Cooper scored 15 points off of free throws (15-19, .790). Cooper alone made 15 of the 17 free throws hit by the Phoenix.

On Monday night, Valpo began the southern swing of the Horizon League with a game at Youngstown State (7-13, 2-5 HL). The Crusaders never trailed on the road, leading 30-14 at one point in the first half on the way to a 24-point halftime advantage, and cruising to a 96-65 victory over the Penguins. The 31-point margin of victory tied for Valpo's largest since joining the Horizon League, and the 96 points scored also set a league record for the Crusaders. Alec Peters went off, playing just 14 minutes (the least of any starter) but tallying a team-high 18 points, adding three rebounds and two assists. Vashil Fernandez, for the third game in a row, poured in double-digit points, picking up a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds in a starter-high 21 minutes of action, adding three blocks. Darien Walker added a team-high 18 points and Jubril Adekoya scored 12 as every Crusader played at least four minutes. Most impressive for Valpo was the free throw shooting, shooting 18-19 (.947), a season best for the Crusaders. Cameron Morse scored a game-high 23 points for Youngstown State, while Jordan Andrews put in 12 and Bryce Nickels had 11 points off the bench.

In a battle for first place in the Horizon League, Valparaiso was defeated at Wright State (12-8, 6-1 HL) by a score of 73-62. Valpo led by three points at the half after the Raiders' Grant Benzinger hit a 70-foot buzzer beater to cut the Crusader lead to 25-22. Valpo would push the lead to nine early in the second half, but would give up that advantage down the stretch, last leading with 3:11 to go. The 11-point margin of victory was the largest lead for either team. Off the bench, Darien Walker led Valpo with 17 points, making five of six three pointers. Alec Peters tallied a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. After three straight games scoring in double digits, Vashil Fernandez scored just two, adding eight rebounds, two assists, three steals, and a block. For Wright State, Joe Thomasson led with 21 points, although 14 came on free throws. JT Yoho added 18 points in 35 minutes off the bench, while Mark Alstork scored 12. Wright State used just three players off the bench, and Valpo only four. With the Raiders' victory, the two teams are now tied on top of the Horizon League at 6-1 in the conference.

STANDINGS

		CONFERENCE		OVERALL
		W	L	W	L
	Valparaiso	6	1	16	4
	Wright State	6	1	12	8
	Milwaukee	5	2	14	6
	Oakland	4	3	12	8
	Green Bay	4	3	12	8
	Detroit	3	4	9	9
	Northern Kentucky	3	4	7	11
	Youngstown State	2	5	7	13
	Cleveland State	2	5	7	13
	UIC	0	7	2	16

UP NEXT
Valpo returns to action Sunday afternoon against the newest team in the Horizon League, the Northern Kentucky Norse. NKU started the transition of Division I in 2012, and is currently in the last season of transition. They will be ineligible to play in the Horizon League tournament.

-The Norse are currently 7-11, 3-4 in the Horizon League.
-NKU is coming off of last night's game against UIC, an 82-69 overtime victory. Cole Murray tallied 21 points to lead the Norse while hitting 7-8 three pointers. Northern Kentucky outscored the Flames 17-4 in overtime.
-Both teams faced IU Kokomo in non conference action. Valpo defeated the Cougars 78-40 in the Beaver Showcase, while Northern Kentucky picked up an 88-44 win.
-The Norse play at BB&T Arena, which seats 9400 for basketball. Their largest home crowd this season has been 2804, which came for a 60-46 loss to Wright State.
-The game will be televised on American Sports Network (CSN Chicago-Jeff McCarragher, Jan van Breda Kolff on the call) and ESPN3. It can be found on the radio at 95.1 FM (WVUR), being called by Todd Ickow and Aaron Leavitt.
-Sunday's game will be the first ever meeting between the two programs. They will also meet at the ARC on February 11.
-Valparaiso received 30 votes in this week's AP Top 25 poll. In the USA Today Coaches' Poll, the Crusaders received 16 votes.

Game 18- vs. UW-Green Bay

LAST TIME(S) OUT

In their final game of 2015, the Valparaiso comeback bid came up just short at Belmont (8-6), the second game between the two teams on the season. Like the early-December matchup in Valpo, the Crusaders trailed for much of the game. Unlike that earlier matchup, Valpo was unable to complete the comeback, falling in a shootout by an 85-81 score in Nashville. Shane Hammink led the Crusader comeback attempt with 19 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals off the bench, while Keith Carter scored 16 and Tevonn Walker and David Skara each added 13 points. Alec Peters picked up a double-double in the losing effort, with 13 points and 10 rebounds, adding a steal and a block. Evan Bradds led Belmont with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Craig Bradshaw added 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block in dropping the Crusaders to 10-3.

The Crusaders rung in the new year on January 2, welcoming UIC (2-10, 0-1) to the ARC for the Horizon League opener for both teams and the start of the conference title defense for Valparaiso. Valpo never trailed, pulling away for a 75-47 victory and matching a program record with their 20th straight home victory. The Crusader defense led the way with a stellar effort, holding an opponent below 50 points for the fourth time this season. No UIC player scored in double figures, as they were led by Lance Whitaker, who had eight points, three rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. UIC shot just 30.5% (18-59) from the floor. Keith Carter led Valpo in scoring for the first time on the season with 15 points, adding three rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Shane Hammink added 13 points off the bench, while Alec Peters tacked on 12 points and nine rebounds. Vashil Fernandez scored just six points, but also had 13 rebounds and six blocks. All 12 players appeared for Valpo. Both Nick Davidson and Chandler Levingston Simon picked up a double trillion (two minutes, no other stats) as Valpo moved to 11-3, 1-0 in the Horizon League.

A week ago today, Valpo traveled to the Blacktop at the O'rena to take on Oakland (9-7, 1-2 HL) in a nationally-televised contest on ESPN2. The Golden Grizzlies entered the game with a top-10 scoring offense in the country and a guard, Kay Felder, who would be named to the Wooden Award watch list. But none of that mattered, as Valparaiso cruised to an 84-67 victory, led by the defensive effort of  Keith Carter. He held Felder to 20 points on 8-28 (.286) shooting. Carter himself would put up nine points, two rebounds, six assists and a steal. Alec Peters had a double double, with 15 points and 11 boards, while Tevonn Walker was the game's leading scorer with 24 points. Vashil Fernandez had another monster day on the glass, with 12 rebounds, three blocks and an assist to go with his nine points. Max Joseph gained a spot in Club Trillion with no stats in one minute of action. Oakland and Felder were helped by 13 points from Jalen Hayes while Max Hooper had 12 points off the bench. The Crusaders improved to 12-3, 2-0 in the Horizon League.

Valpo closed out the Michigan road swing in the Horizon League with another victory, beating Detroit (9-6, 3-1 HL) by a 92-74 score in Calihan Hall. Even though the Crusaders led by 27 in the first half, and by 21 at the half, the Titans cut their deficit to eight in the second half, until Valpo pulled away for the victory. Alec Peters tied the program modern-era scoring record, putting up a double-double with 39 points and 14 rebounds, adding two assists and a block. He shot 12-20 from the floor and 11-11 from the free throw line. Tevonn Walker tacked on 21 points to go with three rebounds and two assists, while David Skara made his first start of 2016 and scored 10 points. For the second game in a row, Max Joseph picked up a club trillion, with no stats in one minute on the floor. The Titans were led by Anton Wilson, who scored 23 points (4-5 from three) and added three rebounds and two blocks. Off the bench, Paris Bass added a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Detroit only led once, by a point at the 16:23 mark of the first half. With the victory, the Crusaders improved to 13-3, 3-0 in the Horizon League and moved into sole possession of first place in the conference.

As they returned to the ARC last night to take on Milwaukee (12-6, 3-2 HL), there was a chance for Valpo to set an arena record with a 21st-straight home win. The Crusaders obliged, going on a late first-half run to lead by eight at the half and holding off the Panthers for a 68-56 victory. Valpo would lead by as much as 17 in the second half, even though the offense struggled for large portions of the night. Vashil Fernandez would be the leading scorer for the first time this season, posting 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Tevonn Walker added 11 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals as the only other Crusader in double figures. For Milwaukee, Matt Tiby had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Jordan Johnson scored 19 points, but no bench player would score for the Panthers. Valpo shot just 7-17 (.412) on free throws, but managed to get to 14-3, 4-0 in the Horizon League and in sole possession of first place in the conference.


UP NEXT
Tomorrow night, Valparaiso will welcome UW-Green Bay into the ARC for a 7:00 PM tipoff. The Phoenix currently sit in second place in the Horizon League. Things of note:

-The game can be seen on ESPN3, and will be on the radio at WVUR (95.1 FM).
-Green Bay enters at 11-6, 4-1 in the Horizon League.
-Last time out, Green Bay won at UIC on Thursday, 78-76. The Crusaders beat UIC by 29 points on January 2.
-These two teams last met in last season's Horizon League Tournament championship game, at the ARC. Valpo won to advance to the NCAA Tournament as conference champions.
-Green Bay played in the NIT Season Tip-Off this season, going 1-3. Their only victory was a home win over Akron.
-It will be 90s night at the ARC, with the first 1,000 fans receiving 90s-styled T-shirts. It will also be the 1971-1985 Crusader Classic night.
-This will be Valpo's final home game until January 28th, when Cleveland State comes to the ARC. Green Bay will not be back at home until January 23rd, against Oakland.
-The Crusaders are currently ranked 2nd in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, behind only Gonzaga. Valpo is receiving 3 first place votes. In this week's edition of the AP Top 25, the Crusaders received six votes. Valpo got five votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll.