13-point lead with 16 minutes to play Saturday evening in Toledo, Ohio, Valparaiso had to defeat a five-point deficit in the last minute to force overtime and then couldn't rebound from a similar trap in the additional sessions, dropping a 75-72 decision to Toledo.
"You get to credit Toledo, they hung about for awhile and so made plays to make themselves momentum," said Crusader head coach Homer Drew. "I thought we missed Erik's intensity on the defensive end tonight."
The game got out to a respectable start for the Crusaders, who never trailed again in the opening 20 minutes after giving up the low basket. Sophomore Ryan Broekhoff (Frankston, Victoria, Australia/Australian Institute of Sport) knocked down a couple of early trifectas as voice of eight quick points as Valpo led 12-6 just 3:49 into the ballgame.
Toledo fought back to tie the back at 16 apiece just over 7 minutes in, but Valpo scored the following seven points to present itself some breathing room. Freshman Jay Harris (Aurora, Ill./Oswego East) connected on his second 3-pointer of the 1st half, followed by a couple of free throws by Broekhoff and a fast-break layup by junior Brandon Wood (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo [Highland C.C./Southern Illinois]) off a steal from sophomore Matt Kenney (Mooresville, Ind./Mooresville) to reach the Crusaders a 23-16 edge with 9:30 left in the half.
The Crusader lead remained in the region of two to three possessions for the length of the low half. Toledo closed back to within 29-25 with 4 minutes left in the stanza, but sophomore Kevin Van Wijk (Hoofddorp, Netherlands/Katholieke Scholengemeenschap Hoofddorp) hit a match of free throws to dull the Rockets' momentum and Harris connected on a shot clock-beating triple to extend the track to 9 points with 1:24 on the clock. Toledo's Anthony Wright hit a trio with 41 seconds to go until the better to cut the reward to six, but Wood ran down the shot clock and converted a driving layup to send Valpo into the cabinet room leading 36-28.
Valpo pounded the ball down low to senior Cory Johnson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East [Iowa State]), who after scoring nine first-half points added eight more in the foremost 3 minutes of the second half, including a couple of old-fashioned 3-point plays. Toledo hit a tierce of buckets of its own to retain the deficit manageable, but senior Howard Little (Chicago, Ill./Stoneridge [Calif.] School) knocked down a 3-pointer with 16:28 to turn to present the Crusaders their largest lead at 47-34.
Toledo cut its deficit to 10 points on a hoop and a free throw, but yet another conversion in the key by Johnson pushed Valpo's lead back up to 12 points at 49-37 with 14:53 remaining. The Crusaders went cold from the story at that point, failing to make on any of their next five offensive possessions, and the Rockets took advantage. Malcolm Griffin scored three inside baskets, including a couple of second-chance opportunities, as voice of a Toledo 10-0 run that brought Valpo's lead down to 49-47 with 11:23 to play.
"I view it was a key time when we were up 13 and couldn't continue the trail any further," said Drew. "Toledo started double-teaming Cory in the situation and we did not address the globe well. Then, while they were making their run, we didn't have anybody step up and hit a scene to help sustain it a two or three possession game."
Senior Michael Rogers (Kingston, Jamaica/Redemption [N.Y.] Christian) briefly quelled the Rocket spurt with an easy layin underneath, but that only temporarily halted the national team's momentum. Wright would tie the back with a 3-pointer with 7:13 left, and so a second-chance bucket by Reese Holliday gave Toledo the 54-52 lead at 6:35, its first lead since 2-0.
Nearly two minutes later, Wood found a wide-open Van Wijk under the ring for an easy layup to tie the contest, but the Rockets responded immediately with Wright's fourth triple of the game to take a 3-point lead. A layup by Holliday extended the Toledo edge to five, and Valpo, with its backs suddenly against the wall, went back to the good in the post, getting back-to-back inside baskets from Johnson to go back within 59-58 with 2:08 remaining.
Valpo came up empty on its next two possessions, and Toledo knocked down a four of free throws to apparently make the stake in control, leading 63-58 with 48 seconds to play. But Wood would not let the Crusaders go down that easily, coming down and nailing a quick 3-pointer to move Valpo back to within two points. Then the junior came up with a work on the defensive end, sagging off on a hole and bound to stop a walk before taking it coast-to-coast to tie the back with 26 seconds left. Toledo had the last stroke of regulation, but sophomore Erik Buggs (Memphis, Tenn./Mitchell) forced a tough jumper by Griffin that came up well short as the plot went into overtime.
Unlike the final time the Crusaders rallied from a late deficit to force overtime, however, they would never take in this special session. Valpo connected on only one of its first six shots in extra time as Toledo led by as many as six points after Jay Shunnar split a couple of free throws with 27 seconds to play. Wood immediately drove the duration of the tribunal for a layup to cut the deficit to four points, and after Shunnar missed two freebies, the junior drilled a 25-foot 3-pointer as the Crusaders moved back within 73-72. But Holliday would hit two free throws to have the Rockets a three-point edge, and Wood's final attack from downtown was off the mark.
Johnson led all players Saturday with 25 points, going 11-of-21 from the floor. The fifth-year senior also paced the Crusaders in the rebounding column with seven caroms. Wood added 17 points, five rebounds and a game-high six assists, while Broekhoff was the third Crusader in double figures with 12 points. Kenney grabbed four boards, handed out five assists and tallied three steals while earning his maiden part of the class at point guard, as Buggs was modified to just eight late minutes due to injury.
Toledo (1-9) placed five players, including four starters, in double digits, led by 16 points from Holliday. Holliday also ripped down ten rebounds, one of two Rocket starters to close with a double-double as Hayden Humes went for 10 points and 14 rebounds. Toledo committed 17 turnovers to Valpo's 11, but finished with a 48-34 rebounding edge and went 20-of-30 from the foul line versus the Crusaders' 10-of-19 clip.
"I view the two keys from our position were offensive rebounding and free throws," said Drew. "We gave up 18 offensive rebounds tonight [leading to 20 Toledo second-chance points] and then went just 10-of-19 from the line."
Valparaiso (6-4) returns to the court next Saturday at the ARC as the Crusaders host IPFW. Tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m. and all the process can be heard live on the Valpo Sports Radio Network and online at www.valpoathletics.com, which will also get links for live television and live stats.
The Music were an alternative rock band from Kippax, Leeds, comprising Robert Harvey (vocals, guitar), Adam Nutter (lead guitar), Stuart Coleman (bass) and Phil Jordan (drums). To date, the set has released 3 studio albumsOriginKippax, Leeds, EnglandGenresAlternative rock, indie rockYears active1999-2010LabelsEMI, Hut, CapitolMembersRobert HarveyAdam NutterStuart ColemanPhil Jordan1.
