Valpo Rallies From Double Figures Down, Secures OT Road Win Over Indiana State
A 10-point halftime deficit in a tough road environment was no match for the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team, which secured its third win in the last four games by rallying for a dramatic 76-72 victory over Indiana State on Saturday afternoon in Terre Haute. Five Beacons scored in double figures, including a career performance from freshman Carter Hopoi (Tauranga, New Zealand [Mount Maunganui College NZ]). Valpo is already one win away from matching last year’s Missouri Valley Conference win total.
How It Happened
- The two teams were even over the first five minutes, but Indiana State leading scorer Ian Scott picked up two fouls prior to the first media timeout of the opening half. Valpo did an effective job getting it inside from the outset, including a pair of early buckets from JT Pettigrew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook).
- After a solid start, Valpo went cold on the offensive end, missing eight straight shots. The defense held during that stretch, as the Sycamores went 2:20 without a point leading into the under-12 media timeout with the game deadlocked at 10.
- Sophomore Justus McNair (Joliet, Ill. / Joliet West) hit a big 3 to end a streak of 10 straight Valpo misfires, then Brody Whitaker (Greencastle, Ind. / Greencastle) got in on the 3-point act after a big offensive rebound and assist by Isaiah Barnes (Chicago, Ill. / Simeon Career Academy [Tulsa/Michigan]). Indiana State led 17-16 with 8:30 left in the opening half.
- Valpo briefly tied the game at 24 on a fastbreak line to the basket by McNair, but the Sycamores responded with a deep Camp Wagner 3 to go up 27-24 with four minutes on the first-half timer.
- Indiana State made seven of its final eight first-half shots, building up a 37-27 lead at the break. The hosts outscored Valpo 13-3 down the final stretch of the half after the game was tied with 4:22 remaining.
- Valpo scored the first four points of the second half, but Indiana State hit a 3 and then called timeout up 40-31 with 18:09 remaining.
- The Beacons held Indiana State over four minutes without a point as the Sycamores missed six straight shots, allowing Valpo to slim a nine-point gap to three with a 6-0 run. Valpo was within three at 44-41 with 12:20 on the clock.
- The Beacons made it all the way back after trailing by 10 at halftime when Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Rockford Auburn) hit a jumper from just inside the 3-point arc to tie the game at 49 with 7:33 on the clock. Valpo made some big defensive plays during that stretch, including a smothering block by Barnes.
- After a 51-all tie with 6:37 left, Indiana State held a one-possession lead until Pettigrew laid one in to tie the game at 60 with 2:51 on the clock.
- A four-point Beacon burst put Valpo ahead 64-62 with 1:22 left in regulation on a driving layup by McNair. Indiana State tied it at 64 on a driving layup with 52 seconds left, then freshman Carter Hopoi had a hook shot to put Valpo up 66-64 with 30 seconds left.
- Indiana State’s Camp Wagner made two free throws with 14 seconds left to tie the game at 66. Valpo had an opportunity at the end of regulation as the Beacons shot two free throws with 1.1 seconds left needing one to win the game, but missed both, sending the game to overtime.
- Hopoi had a bounce-back moment early in OT, drilling a huge 3 to put Valpo up 69-66 with 4:15 left in overtime.
- After a made free throw by the Sycamores, they hit a 3 with 2:22 left in OT to go up 70-69. Hopoi drilled two free throws on the next Valpo possession to make it 71-70 in favor of the Beacons.
- Indiana State regained the lead with a pair of free throws, then Chaney made a big step-back jumper with 1:01 on the clock to grab a 73-72 lead. A steal by Whitaker helped Valpo get it back, then Indiana State fouled Hopoi coming out of a timeout and he split the free throws to make it 74-72 with 12 seconds left. Indiana State missed a 3, then Dease made two free throws to seal the deal.
Inside the Game
- Valpo improved to 3-1 in its last four games while securing the team’s first road win in conference play. It’s always tough to win on the road in The Valley, as the Beacons notched their first road triumph since Nov. 19 at Cleveland State, snapping a six-game road skid.
- Valpo’s last three wins over Indiana State have all come in overtime. Prior to Saturday, the Beacons beat the Sycamores 98-95 in OT on Jan. 8 of last season at the ARC and 79-72 in double overtime at the ARC on Feb. 5, 2022.
- The Beacons won in Terre Haute for the first time since a 75-73 victory on Jan. 22, 2022. Saturday’s win marked a major turnaround from defeats by 18 points or more in each of the last three visits to Terre Haute, including an 80-62 setback last season.
- This marked Valpo’s first overtime game since a 75-72 defeat on Dec. 2 at Marquette and the squad’s second OT game of the year. This was Valpo’s first OT win since the aforementioned game against Indiana State last season and first OT road win since Jan. 4, 2020 at Evansville, snapping a seven-game skid in road overtime games.
- Valpo had dropped five straight games decided by five points or fewer prior to Saturday. This marked Valpo’s first win in such a game since Nov. 12 vs. Nicholls State.
- Pettigrew paced all scorers with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting. He corralled four offensive rebounds and nine total, finishing one shy of a double-double. His 17 points marked his highest total in the last six games, while his nine boards were his second-most in league play this year.
- Dease scored 16 points on 7-of-15 shooting, his fourth time in the last five games with 15 points or more.
- Hopoi made five of his eight field-goal attempts for 14 points while also securing seven rebounds. His scoring output marked a career high and was his first game in double figures against a Division-I opponent this season, while his rebounding total matched a personal best and was his highest since Nov. 19 at Cleveland State.
- McNair (11) and Chaney (10) made it five Beacons in double figures. Chaney was in double figures for the fourth time in his last six games, while McNair has scored eight or more in four straight.
- Valpo also had five players in double figures on Jan. 10 of this season at Murray State.
- Chaney swiped three steals, helping Valpo own a 12-9 edge in the turnover battle. Despite playing an extra five minutes, Valpo had only nine giveaways, its 10th time in the last 11 games with 11 turnovers or fewer.
- Both teams scuffled from the 3-point arc and the free-throw line. Valpo was 17-of-26 (65.4 percent) at the line, outdoing Indiana State’s 12-of-21 (57.1 percent).
- Valpo held Indiana State to 6-of-25 (24 percent) from 3, the third time in the last four games that Valpo has held its opponent below 25 percent from 3.
- The Beacons went 3-of-14 (21.4 percent) from 3, tied for the team’s fewest made 3s in a game this season. The Beacons attempted only three 3s in the second half, making none (not counting OT, when Valpo was 1-of-2 with the make by Hopoi).
- Valpo had lost its last 15 games when making three 3s or fewer. This marked Valpo’s first win when making three 3s or fewer since beating Evansville 58-55 on March 5, 2020 in the first round of the MVC Tournament despite not making a 3-pointer.
- Valpo erased a double-figure deficit to win for the first time since Feb. 22, 2025 at Southern Illinois, overcoming a 10-point disparity in this one after coming from 16 down in that game against the Salukis last season.
- Hopoi and Whitaker shared the team-lead in plus-minus at +10.
Up Next
Valpo (11-11, 5-6 MVC) will be on the road again on Tuesday night for a 7 p.m. tip against Bradley in Peoria, Ill. The game will air on ESPN+.