Game #12 SANTA CLARA Here we come! Dec 18 9:00 PM CST

[crusadermoe]

Santa Clara has been a good program in recent years.  Not great, but good.   It's a road game  and long trip from home after the fatigue of finals week with shattered confidence.   

SC   77   Valpo  64

If they had played Northwestern tougher, I would have kept with my theory that they re-group strong in Calif. and win both.  I think they will re-set for a tough close toss-up versus Mo. State after two more losses to SC and Indiana State. I think they will beat Cal-Riverside, but lose to the Sycamores.

Maybe Tevonn re-joins for Mo. State?

[vu72]

If we can't win this game tonight we are a mediocre team without Tevonn which is concerning. We should beat this team. No excuses.

For team confidence and development this is close to being a must win.

I will be happy with any kind of win no matter how ugly.

How many minutes will we give the freshmen?

[/b]

A darn good question.  I would think that the rotation is setting in and we won't see 11 guys play roughly equal minutes any longer.  Hazen appears to be out of the lineup and I would expect him to be riding the bench unless someone gets into foul trouble.  I'm guessing 10 minute each for Marty and Mileek.

[VUSWIM08-12]

Line moved to  Valpo by 2.5, may be up to 3 by game time. I think Valpo by 5 or 6 would be more reasonable but hey lets just win, although a win by 15 or more would be great!

[VU2014]

Kiser gets the start again tonight.

https://twitter.com/valpoathletics/status/942938486281084928

[vu72]

Four sophomores and a junior.  Any hope for the future??   

[VU2014]

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/942950074149167105

[agibson]

It looks like it'll be available streaming, but you'll have to sign up for a 7 day free trial.

https://watchstadium.com/network/wcc-network/
is the link that works best for me, where the broadcast is labeled Premium which is described at
https://watchstadium.com/stadium-plus-event/?play_request=https%3A%2F%2Fwatchstadium.com%2Flive%2F113200

On the plus side, you've got until 9 PM central, on Monday, to figure it out.

Looks like it's a free stream after all
http://www.wccsports.com/gamecenter/m-baskbl/gc-121817-sacl.html

Which is good, because the user interface for the other page was pretty horrible.

[a3uge]

It looks like it'll be available streaming, but you'll have to sign up for a 7 day free trial.

https://watchstadium.com/network/wcc-network/
is the link that works best for me, where the broadcast is labeled Premium which is described at
https://watchstadium.com/stadium-plus-event/?play_request=https%3A%2F%2Fwatchstadium.com%2Flive%2F113200

On the plus side, you've got until 9 PM central, on Monday, to figure it out.

Looks like it's a free stream after all
http://www.wccsports.com/gamecenter/m-baskbl/gc-121817-sacl.html

Which is good, because the user interface for the other page was pretty horrible.

Argh no Chromecast support?

[oklahomamick]

Streaming goes blank after 30 seconds.  Have to refresh constantly

[hckjag]

Streaming goes blank after 30 seconds.  Have to refresh constantly

I had a choppy stream the first 2 minutes of game action and it's been smooth and crystal clear for me ever since. Not sure what would be causing your issues

[VU2014]

A pretty good 1st half. A balance scoring effort. Valpo's size is clearly bothering SC. Some guys got into foul trouble early.
https://twitter.com/ValpoBasketball/status/942964653570670592

[NativeCheesehead]

That is exactly the arena we should have.

[a3uge]

Great half, considering the 30 fouls against the Crusaders. Offense looks much better; we seem to be running a lot more, even after non-turnovers. Still feeding the post a bunch, which has been working somewhat. 11 assists already. Defense has been pretty good, minus the fouls. Forced 9 turnovers, and only 1 of those was an illegal screen.

[a3uge]

That is exactly the arena we should have.

Completely empty, with a cool mural on the court?

[vu84v2]

That is exactly the arena we should have.

Just a little more money floating around Silicon Valley than there is around northwest Indiana.

[VU2014]

Can someone inform Bradford to stop taking 3s that are 3-4 feet behind the 3 point line. Let's not kill the offensive flow with air-ball 3s.

[VU2014]

Valpo finally broke their 4+ minute scoring draught with that Max post up.

[VU2014]

Valpo starts to pull away on a 8-0 run

[a3uge]

5 min left, up 8 and does Valpo start running clock?

No.

Up 14.

[oklahomamick]

Easy money.  Took valpo at a pick em' around 4 today.  Valpo simply too talented and too deep.  Will be favored in the next game

[a3uge]

These refs are absolutely DREADFUL.

[oklahomamick]

Evelyn turns the ball over too much....

[govalpogo]

Jeezus Christmas with those free throws!  As Matt Lottich said, "We'll take any win on the road."  Or any win...period right now. 

As much as my heart was sinking during the big SC run, I am glad that the team was able to endure it.  21 assists on 27 baskets is what I am most encouraged by. 

[vu72]

Another 54% night from the free throw line.  Gene Bartow is rolling in his grave.  Good overall night.  Outrebounded them and shot 50% from the 3.  Good win on the road.

[hailcrusaders]

Odd that we lost to Santa Clara last year with Peters and Tevonn, and beat them this year without either. When's the last time we won a game without either AP or Walker playing? Has it been almost five years?

Our bigs played relatively well today. Feels like forever since we won the battle in the paint. A few dumb turnovers, a few missed FTs (Joseph 0-4 in the closing minutes. He's never been great at the line but he cannot be a liability there late when league play starts), but aside from that, not too may pull-your-hair-out moments.

Fauxmer Drew on Twitter suggested (via another follower) that we put a silhouette of the Chapel on our court much like SC did theirs. He tagged LaBarbera in the tweet, and MLB favorited it, for what that's worth. Could that idea get any serious traction?