Both teams erased double-figure deficits on Saturday afternoon at the Athletics-Recreation Center, but it was visiting Chicago State who enjoyed the game’s final run in a 63-62 victory over the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team, which return to the court after a six-day layoff for final exams. The Beacons received a big-time boost from Jahari Williamson (Pickering, Ontario, Canada / Royal Crown Academy), who poured in 20 points after missing the previous two games due to an illness.

How It Happened

• Chicago State carried over the momentum it generated in Wednesday’s upset of No. 25 Northwestern in the early stages of this one, recording the game’s first 10 points to force the hosts to battle back from an early deficit.
• After facing the 10-0 hole four minutes into the contest, the Beacons rebounded, thanks in large part to an early lift from Williamson. He made three jumpers including a pair of 3s within his first four minutes of entering the game. His second triple helped Valpo fight to within four at 14-10 with 11:23 left in the first half.
• The Chicago State lead got back to double figures at 26-16 with 5:26 to go in the first half, but Jaxon Edwards (Indianapolis, Ind. / Cathedral [Murray State]) drilled a triple and added a tip-in dunk to slice the gap to three at 28-25 with 2:53 left in the first half.
• Sophomore Ola Ajiboye (Chicago, Ill. / Evanston Township [Central Michigan / Bosco Institute]) helped Valpo grab its first lead of the game with six seconds left in the first half thanks to a traditional 3-point play. However, a quick Chicago State bucket before the halftime horn put the Cougars ahead 33-32 at the break.
• The Beacons scored the first five points of the second half and built the lead to six when Isaiah Stafford (Bolingbrook, Ill. / Crispus Attucks [John A. Logan / Southern Indiana]) connected from long range with 17:02 on the clock.
• The Valpo advantage fluctuated between two and six and eventually ballooned to eight at 50-42 with 11:29 to go.
• A 6-0 Beacon burst with Darius DeAVeiro (Kanata,  Ottawa / Canada / Orangeville) accounting for a pair of quick baskets increased the lead to 10 with 5:13 on the clock at 60-50, Valpo’s largest edge of the game.
• Valpo led by nine at the under-4 media timeout after a hoop by Stafford with 4:21 on the clock. That proved to be Valpo’s final points of the game as Chicago State closed the game the same way they started it – on a 10-0 run. The final basket by Wesley Cardet came with two ticks on the clock and accounted for the final score.

Inside the Game

• Williamson drilled four of his six 3-point attempts and went 6-of-10 from the floor and 4-of-5 at the free-throw line en route to a team-high 20 points. He outdid his previous personal best of 16 scored in the Nov. 6 season opener vs. Trinity Christian. The point guard’s 20-point outburst came after he had been held to six or fewer in six of his previous seven.
• Speaking of point guards, DeAveiro tallied six points and six assists, his seventh straight game with five or more helpers. He also swiped three steals.
• Ajiboye went 3-for-3 shooting and tallied seven points.
• Chicago State had 22 free-throw attempts (17 made) to Valpo’s 11 (eight made).  
• Edwards grabbed nine rebounds, his second highest total of the season, and squeezed a personal-best six offensive boards.
• Valpo’s bench outscored Chicago State’s bench 33-5, thanks in large part to Williamson’s performance.
• Chicago State picked up its first-ever win at the ARC in 17 chances, but it’s important to note that this is not the Chicago State team of yesteryear, when Valpo dominated the matchup in the Mid-Continent Conference. The Cougars, who beat Valpo 87-74 last season, snapped a 38-game losing streak to Top-25 teams by knocking off No. 25 Northwestern on Wednesday in Evanston.
• This was Valpo’s first game decided by the slimmest of margins since Feb. 26 of last season, a 77-76 overtime defeat at Murray State.
• If you take out the first four minutes and the last four minutes of the game, Valpo outscored Chicago State 62-43 in the middle 32 minutes.

Postgame Press Conference

Click here for postgame press conference.

Up Next

The Beacons (4-7) will host Samford in a Tuesday matinee that tips off at 1 p.m. at the Athletics-Recreation Center. The final game before the Christmas holiday will be Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day on Valpo’s campus. For ticket information, visit valpoathletics.com/tickets.