De La Cruz Monegro Eclipses Career High in Defeat to Murray State
Junior Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro (LaSalle, Quebec, Canada / Orangeville Prep [Western Michigan]) came off the bench at the Athletics-Recreation Center for the first time this season and poured in a game-high and career-high 22 points, but the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team fell 74-56 to visiting Murray State in a game that was part of the department’s All-Sports Reunion Weekend. Sophomore Cooper Schwieger (Overland Park, Kan. / Blue Valley Southwest [Link Year] turned in a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds.
How It Happened
- Valpo didn’t crack the scoreboard until over four minutes into the contest, but points were hard to come by on both sides in the early going as Murray State held just a 4-2 lead at that juncture.
- The Beacons cut the lead to one at 7-6 on a second-chance basket by Cooper Schwieger at the 14:29 mark. Murray State led by just three at 13-10 with 9:53 left in the first half, but the Racers went on a 10-0 run to open up a double-figure lead at 23-10 after a 3 by JaCobi Wood at the 8:16 mark and a fastbreak dunk by AJ Ferguson with 7:24 to go in the half.
- After the gap reached 15 at 30-15 with 5:22 to go in the half, a triple by De La Cruz Monegro ignited an 8-0 Valpo push that culminated with another 3 by De La Cruz Monegro, cutting the lead to seven with a minute left in the half. Valpo went into the break trailing 33-23.
- The Racers scored the first six points of the second half, and built the lead to 20 in the first 3:28 of the second stanza. Valpo scored five straight late in the second half to cut a 17-point lead to 12 at 64-52 when All Wright (Durango, Mexico / Link Year) made a fastbreak layup with 3:22 to go. Carson Schwieger (Overland Park, Kan. / Blue Valley Southwest [Wright State / Link Year]) drilled a 3 to cut it down to 11 at the 2:27 mark, but Murray State scored the game’s last six points to open the final margin back to 18.
Inside the Game
- Coming off the bench for the second straight game after starting the first 23, De La Cruz Monegro scored his 22 on 8-of-13 shooting and 4-of-5 from 3. His four made 3s established a new career high as he had nailed three triples on four occasions combined between his time at Valpo and Western Michigan.
- De La Cruz Monegro tallied double figures after scoring single figures in four straight games. This was his 16th time this season scoring in double figures and his second with 20+ points (Jan. 4 vs. UNI). He outdid his previous career high of 21 that was achieved twice while playing for Western Michigan, most recently on Feb. 3, 2024.
- Cooper scored 12 or more for the 16th straight game and turned in his second straight double-double. He now has six double-doubles this season and eight in his collegiate career.
- Valpo committed 10 turnovers or fewer for the 16th time this season with 10 exactly and won the turnover battle for the 19th time in 25 games.
- The Beacons scuffled from 3-point range (23.8 percent, 5-of-21) and from the free-throw line (64.3 percent, 9-of-14) while shooting just 35 percent (21-of-60) overall from the floor, a season low.
Postgame Press Conference
Click here for postgame press conference.
Up Next
Valpo (10-15, 3-11 MVC) will play its second straight home game on Wednesday at 7 p.m. vs. Belmont. For ticket information, visit tickets.valpoathletics.com.