Chaney Scores 24 to Lift Valpo Past Nicholls
Freshman Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Rockford Auburn [212° Sports Academy]) poured in a game-high 24 points, leading the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team to a 68-63 victory over visiting Nicholls in the final game of the season-opening BBN Tipoff on Wednesday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
How It Happened
- The Beacons scored the first four points of the game and Chaney added an early 3, but Nicholls used a 7-0 run to take a 10-7 lead. Chaney hit another triple to make it 10-10, and soon after Shon Tupuola (Brownsburg, Ind. / Brownsburg [Saint Mary-of-the-Woods]) slammed home a dunk to seesaw Valpo back ahead 14-13.
- The Tupuola dunk started a 13-0 run that turned a one-point deficit into a 12-point advantage. Another Chaney trey capped the Beacon burst.
- The Colonels scored the final six points of the half on a pair of 3s to slice the deficit in half, as the Beacons went into the break up 25-19 with Chaney accounting for over half of the team’s first-half scoring with 13 points.
- Nicholls scored the first six points of the second half to level the contest at 25. Valpo scored the next four including a dunk by Tupuola. Dease hit a 3 with 15:03 on the clock to put Valpo ahead 32-30.
- The Valpo lead fluctuated between two and six and reached seven when Brody Whitaker (Greencastle, Ind. / Greencastle [University of Indianapolis [Marian]) drained a 3 at the 7:52 mark that made it 49-42. Nicholls rallied to tie the game at 51 on a 3 with 6:08 left.
- A driving layup by Tucker Tornatta (Evansville, Ind. / Reitz Memorial [University of Indianapolis]) put Valpo back in front. The Colonels slimmed the lead to one on a 3 with 3:17 left, but Valpo eventually extended the lead to six as Dease slammed down a dunk on a Chaney assist with 1:43 remaining. JT Pettigrew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook) had a dunk with 10 seconds remaining to provide an exclamation mark.
Inside the Game
- Chaney finished with 24 points, six rebounds and three assists while also grabbing two steals. He went 8-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-5 from 3.
- Chaney became the first Valpo player with a 24-point, six-rebound game that included eight made field goals and four made 3s since Quinton Green on Feb. 11, 2023 vs. Illinois State. If you toss in the three assists and two steals, Chaney was the first Valpo player since Tevonn Walker on Jan. 10, 2018 vs. Drake to post that stat line.
- Chaney became the first Valpo freshman to make eight shots and four 3s as part of a game that featured at least 24 points and at least six rebounds since Alec Peters on Dec. 14, 2013 vs. Loyola Marymount.
- Chaney became the second freshman nationally with a 24-point, six-rebound game featuring eight made field goals and four made 3s this season, joining Duke’s Cameron Boozer (Nov. 8 vs. Western Carolina).
- Chaney and Carter Hopoi (Tauranga, New Zealand / Mount Maunganui College NZ]) each made their first career starts.
- Dease tallied 13 points and had a team-best plus-minus of +17.
- Tupuola recorded 10 points and seven rebounds while recording two blocks.
- Whitaker contributed nine points and seven rebounds, sharing the team lead on the glass.
- The two teams had similar shooting numbers with Nicholls at 43.1 percent and Valpo at 41.5. The Colonels caught fire in the second half, shooting 53.6 percent including 50 percent from deep over the final 20 minutes.
- Valpo has held its opponent to exactly 63 points in each of its last three victories – the two this season vs. Nicholls and Eastern Illinois and last year’s MVC quarterfinal win over UNI. Also, Valpo held Brescia to 62 points in an exhibition game leading into this season.
Postgame Press Conference
Click here for postgame press conference.
Up Next
Valpo (2-1) will host Bryant on Sunday at noon in the front end of a men’s-women’s doubleheader.