26 @ 3:00 CST, ESPN+

Bryan F. · 2026-01-09T15:38:28Z

Beacons Aim to Break Murray’s Fortress in High-Stakes Valley Showdown Valpo seeks revenge and momentum against a Racers squad riding a 10-game win streak and perfect home record The Valparaiso Beacons head south for a pivotal Missouri Valley Conference matchup against the Murray State Racers, a team riding one of the hottest streaks in college basketball. This marks the second meeting between the two programs this season. Murray State claimed the first contest at the ARC on December 21, edging Valpo 85-79 in a game the Beacons largely controlled before faltering late. In that December showdown, Valpo’s Owen Dease led all scorers with 25 points, while Rakim Chaney added 13 and Shon Tupuola chipped in 11. For Murray State, Roman Domon came off the bench to score 20 points, fueled by an 11-for-14 performance at the free-throw line. Fred King contributed 19 points, and Javon Jackson added 18. The Racers enter Friday’s game with a 14-3 overall record and a perfect 6-0 mark in Valley play, good for first place in the standings. They’ve won 10 straight games—the ninth-longest active streak in the nation—and remain unbeaten at home this season. Their most recent victory came against Evansville, further cementing their dominance. Statistically, Murray State boasts the league’s top scoring offense and leads in free throw percentage and three-point field goals made. They also rank among the top five in nearly every offensive category, including rebounding and assists. However, their defense tells a different story: the Racers sit last in the Valley in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to score over 76 points per game on 44% shooting. They also struggle with turnovers and steals, though they limit damage from beyond the arc better than any team in the nation. Javon Jackson continues to lead the Racers at 16.8 points per game, ranking third in the conference, while King anchors the paint with 12.8 points per game on 65% shooting and a league-best 8.3 rebounds. Domon adds 12.4 points per game, and Mason Miller provides perimeter punch, ranking fourth in the Valley in three-pointers made and second in three-point percentage at 46.1%. Valpo, meanwhile, is trending upward after snapping a five-game skid with wins over UIC and preseason favorite Illinois State. The Beacons boast a stronger defensive profile and have shown flashes of offensive efficiency in recent outings. The Beacons have a number of players making strides with Owen Dease and JT Pettigrew playing their best basketball of the season recently. KenPom projects an 82-71 Murray State win, giving Valpo just a 16% chance to pull off the upset. Still, the Beacons have reason for optimism. They’ve beaten and been competitive with top Valley teams this year, and if Dease, Chaney, McNair, and Pettigrew can deliver offensively—alongside other contributions from the bench—Valpo could be poised to end the Racers streak. Valpo is in the middle of a tough Valley stretch with 7 of their 10 games coming against the conference’s top four teams. Saturdays contest will test whether their recent momentum can translate into a statement win against the league leader on the road. Let's go Beacons.

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MJ08

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Posted by: @mj08

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Valpo was down 11 with less than 30 seconds left in the game. We were not fouling and expected that Murray would dribble the ball out and win the game. Except that Jackson drove to the basket and made a layup.

Thats bad sportsmanship at the very least. BUT, it just so happened that basketball allowed Murray State to cover the spread (they were favored by 11.5 points)

The MVC needs to open an investigation to make sure that point shaving isn’t going on. Because it sure looks that way

This aged well considering the indictments that came out today regarding fixing college basketball games. The MVC would be smart to investigate this…

Posted : 01/15/2026 10:58 AM

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Game Thread (176) Valparaiso (8-8, 2-3) @ (86) Murray State (14-3, 6-0) Sat 1/10/26 @ 3:00 CST, ESPN+

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