February 12, 20221st2ndFinal
Valparaiso363066
Missouri St.414384
Stats at a GlanceVALPOMSU
FG Percentage.345 (19-55) .509 (29-57)
3P FG Percentage.250 (3-12) .522 (12-23)
FT Percentage.926 (25-27) .933 (14-15)
Offensive Rebounds911
Defensive Rebounds1829
Total Rebounds2740
Turnovers611
Steals51
Bench Points1822
LeadersVALPOMSU
PointsKrikke - 20
Mosley - 22
ReboundsTaylor - 6
Krikke - 6
Clay - 11
AssistsTaylor - 3
Clay - 5
StealsTaylor - 2
Mosley - 1
BlocksKrikke - 2
Mosley - 2
Carper - 2
Prim - 2
BoxscorePlay-by-Play1st Half2nd Half
Valpo Falls at Missouri State on Saturday
Saturday, February 12, 2022
Valpo Falls at Missouri State on Saturday
Ben Krikke finished with 20 points on Saturday at Missouri State.

A 16-point first half from Ben Krikke (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada / Jasper Place) helped the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team stay close through 20 minutes, but behind an efficient 22-point effort from Isiaih Mosley and five 3s apiece from Ja’Monta Black and Jaylen Minnett, host Missouri State pulled away for an 84-66 victory on Saturday at JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo.

How It Happened

  • Missouri State scored the game’s first six points, but Valpo battled back by scoring six of the next eight. Sheldon Edwards (West Palm Beach, Fla. / Palm Beach Lakes [TLAP Sports Academy]) threw down a dunk on a Preston Ruedinger (Oshkosh, Wis. / Lourdes Academy) assist with 12:39 left in the half to pull the Beacons to within one at 13-12.
  • A technical foul on Missouri State helped the Beacons grab their first lead of the game as Krikke made both free throws, then Thomas Kithier (Macomb, Mich. / Clarkston [Michigan State]) converted a layup to make it 16-15 guests at the 9:04 mark.
  • Missouri State responded by scoring the next eight points to quickly bolster the lead to seven at 23-17 at the 7:21 mark.
  • Valpo fought to within four as Krikke blocked a shot on one end of the court and made a shot on the other with 1:32 left to make it 36-32, but Minnett responded with a big triple. The Beacons were within five at 41-36 when the horn sounded to end the opening half.
  • Missouri State outscored Valpo 11-2 in the first four minutes of the second half.
  • Valpo scored eight straight to trim a 15-point deficit to seven at the 11:03 mark at 59-52. Then Missouri State outscored Valpo 25-14 for the remainder of the contest to pull away.

Inside the Game

  • Krikke finished with 20 points on 7-of-12 and 6-of-7 at the free-throw line. This marked Krikke’s seventh 20-point output of the season and third in the last six games.
  • Krikke and Taylor shared the team lead with six rebounds apiece, while Taylor gave out a team high three assists.
  • Kithier returned to action after missing the previous four games with a back injury. He scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds.
  • Edwards and Kobe King (La Crosse, Wis. / La Crosse Central [Wisconsin]) joined Krikke in double figures with 11 points apiece. Edwards went 6-of-6 at the foul stripe, while King was 7-of-8.
  • A major bright spot for the Beacons was free-throw shooting, as they shot 92.6 percent with a season-high 25 made free throws (25-of-27). It was Valpo’s highest made free throw total since making 28 vs. Bradley last season.
  • The 3-point line played a big role in the game as Missouri State made 12 3s to Valpo’s three. The dozen triples tied for the most by a Valpo opponent this season with the home game against UNI. Meanwhile, the three made 3s (all of which came in the second half), tied a season low for the Beacons (at Southern Illinois).

Up Next

Valpo (11-14, 4-9 MVC) will host Loyola on Wednesday on the MVC TV Network, which includes NBC Sports Chicago Plus. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be Valpo’s Lakeshore PAWS Benefit Game. For ticket information, visit www.valpoathletics.com/tickets.