Game #19, MVC #8, UIC at the ARC 3pm Saturday 1/20 - the Dunking Continues

[talksalot]

Gee, it wasn't that long ago...  NOW, we have another chance to improve the seeding for Thursday in the Enterprise Center....

Saturday's valley schedule:

Evansville 2-5  @ Drake
Missouri State 2-5 Hosts Illinois State
Illinois State 2-5 at Missouri State
UIC 1-5
Valpo 1-6

(Belmont at Bradley and SIU at Northern Iowa)

With a win, we become tied with UIC, the loser of MoSt /IllSt and presumably Evansville.


Not to pour salt in the open wound, but to recap the debacle in Chicago...

The Beacons didn't score for over seven minutes during which time UIC inched ahead with an 8-0 run. Stafford's bucket at 8:20 proved to be the team's final made field goal of the evening before the final 10 shots were off the mark. 
Valpo stayed in it late by holding UIC to just one made field goal in its final eight attempts including a Flames scoring drought of over two minutes to close the game.

We missed 40 shots on the game:  25 2-pointers and 15 3-pointers... and we missed 5 free throws.

Since they beat us... the Flames have:
Lost at UNI - 67-59
Lost at home to Bradley - 77-59
Lost at home to Murray State - 73-58


From the Valpo crackerjack athletics marketing guru...

Next Up in Valpo Basketball: The Valparaiso University men's basketball team will return home on Saturday to welcome UIC for a 3 p.m. tip at the Athletics-Recreation Center. The world-famous Pacers Power Pack will bring their high-energy halftime dunk show to the ARC. Before the game, all children 12 and under are invited to join a pregame basketball clinic hosted by the Valpo team and staff from 1-2 p.m. The clinic is free with a game ticket and all attendees receive a Valpo drawstring bag. In addition, free mini-basketballs will be given away to the first 500 fans and postgame autographs will be available.

The epitome of a youthful team:

The team's 78-75 loss at Evansville on Jan. 17 marked the fourth time this season that the Beacons have dropped a game decided by four points or fewer.     Dating back to last season, the Beacons have dropped nine straight games decided by four points or fewer with their most recent win by four points or fewer coming on Nov. 27, 2022 vs. James Madison.



We got this.   Do you like Red Kool-Aid?

[valpopal]

Valpo is near the bottom of Div-I in scoring efficiency at #335 (85.6 pts. per 100 possessions). I think they can win this game and I am hopeful; however, until they prove the offense has improved, I am reluctant to pick them for a win: UIC 71, VU 67

[tiny707]

Valpo 72
UIC 68

Connor gets some minutes in this one.

[covufan]

Another winnable game. Can we have a good offensive game at the same time as a decent defensive game?  We need to show the MVC we are improving.

Valpo   68
UIC       64


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[valpotx]

Valpo 71
UIC 65

[justducky]

Snow ending by 9:00 AM with a balmy 15 degree game time temp. Lets go find a win!

[usc4valpo]

Valpo 75, UIC 71. These guys are growing and improving, which is a beautiful thing.

[JD24]

Coach hopefully has the hook ready for Stafford as the potential for the opposite of the last game is likely pretty high.

If so, I think Valpo gets a win 70-65.

If not, potential is there to be shot out of the game before there's a chance to recover.

[historyman]

UiC   74
Valpo 63


Just not feeling it. UIC looking to rebound from 3 poor quality games. They have the confidence to beat the Beacons.

[VALPO LI]

It's a Saturday afternoon game, 15 degrees out and the Packers don't play till tonight.  Hope the crowd isn't blah, the band is lively, because I'm saying the Beacons surprise us all and win by 12
Plus a fun halftime dunk show

[SPEEDYPITCHER37]

Valpo 76
UIC 71

Revenge time for a team that is visibly improving.

[AB]

76-66 Valpo. Flames are going nowhere. Cooper goes for another double double, 18 and 11

[vu84v2]

Valpo wins this one, 67-64

[covufan]

Whatever we are doing to prepare for beginning of games needs to be looked into - we can't give  up a 10 point lead early in the first this often


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[Valpofamfan]

And Stafford continues to yo-yo

[covufan]

Nice dead tv space during that timeout


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[VUSWIM08-12]

Stafford should not have the green light that he does , Roger is better than this IMO. Play team basketball , Roger has not been the tactician that id thought he'd be...

[valpotx]

Why the heck is Cooper passing up wide open 3's to get it to Stafford, when he sees that Stafford is 1/11 today?  There is a certain point where you just need to realize that he doesn't have it today, and someone else needs to take that open shot.  He was wide open and passed it up...

[covufan]

Why the heck is Cooper passing up wide open 3's to get it to Stafford, when he sees that Stafford is 1/11 today?  There is a certain point where you just need to realize that he doesn't have it today, and someone else needs to take that open shot.  He was wide open and passed it up...

Yeah, right now feed Weatherspoon!


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[VUSWIM08-12]

Yeah but that's not team basketball , we'll continue to lose if our ball movement is stagnant! Sherman and others will makes those but not at a clip that wins games!!!

[valpotx]

We need to hammer the ball inside for most of the rest of this game, as they are already at 6 fouls.  It is a huge failing in this game, if we don't take advantage at this point.  Let's see how this turns out.

[Valpofamfan]

Yeah was just about to say why are we not driving to the hoop every possession with all the fouls uic have picked up

[VUSWIM08-12]

GET STAFFORD OUT OF THE GAME, Roger just ride or die , REALLY REALLY BAD !!!

[valpotx]

The biggest difference in most of our losses this season, is that our opponents hit their wide open 3s, while we miss ours.  This is a big area that our most successful teams have thrived, in always making sure to hit those wide open looks, which we had a bunch in the first half (Stafford). 

[valpotx]

Double bonus for the last 10:40...go inside!