5/29/2003
Driscoll Joins Valpo As Assistant Men's Basketball Coach
Valparaiso University men's basketball head coach Scott Drew announced the addition of Matthew Driscoll as an assistant coach. Driscoll will officially begin his duties on June 30. Driscoll arrives at Valpo from Clemson University, where he served as an assistant men's basketball coach since 1998.
3/19/2003
Valpo-Iowa NIT Game On ESPN Receives Favorable TV Rating
Monday's Valpo-Iowa NIT game, which was televised on ESPN, received an "above-average" television rating. The game drew a .94 rating, an improvement over ESPN's average of .90 for 2002-03 men's college basketball games. Approximately 818,415 televisions were tuned into the 8 p.m. CST game.
3/17/2003
Valpo Drops Heartbreaker To Iowa In NIT
Valpo's NIT game on ESPN came down to the final possession, but Iowa held on for a 62-60 victory in the opening round of the Owens Corning NIT. Stalin Ortiz led the Crusaders with 14 points and Ali Berdiel added 13. Valpo finished its season with a 20-11 record.
3/16/2003
Valpo Plays At Iowa Monday In NIT On ESPN
Valpo (20-10) travels to play Iowa (15-13) on Monday at 8 p.m. CST in the NIT on ESPN. The appearance is Valpo's first-ever on the ESPN flagship. Valpo, the Mid-Continent Conference Regular Season Champion, finished the season winning 15 of its last 18 games. Tickets are available for $20 Ticketmaster locations in Iowa.
3/11/2003
Last Second Shot Lifts IUPUI Past Valpo In Mid-Con Tournament Championship
Matt Crenshaw made a 12-foot jumper with one second left to give IUPUI a 66-64 victory over Valpo in the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Championship game. Raitis Grafs, a member of the all-tournament team, led the Crusaders (20-10) with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Stalin Ortiz added 14 points and eight rebounds.
3/10/2003
Stifling Defense Propels Valpo Past UMKC & Into Mid-Con Tournament Championship Game
Valpo limited UMKC to 33 percent shooting and defeated the Kangaroos 71-50 in the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Semifinals. Raitis Grafs led Valpo with 19 points and Stalin Ortiz added 16. The Crusaders (20-9), who advanced to their ninth straight Mid-Con Tournament title game, will play IUPUI on Tuesday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
3/9/2003
Valpo Defeats Chicago State To Advance Into Mid-Con Tournament Semifinals
Top seed Valpo placed five players in double figures and defeated Chicago State 82-62 in the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Quarterfinals. Kikas Gomes and Raitis Grafs led the Crusaders with 16 points each, while Greg Tonagel tallied 12, Dan Oppland netted 11 and Roberto Nieves added 10. The Crusaders (19-9) will play UMKC in the semifinals on Monday at 6 p.m. on Fox Sports Net Chicago. The #5-seed Kangaroos defeated #4-seed Oral Roberts 76-73 in the quarterfinals.
3/7/2003
#1 Seed Valpo Plays #8 Seed Chicago State Sunday In Mid-Con Tourney
Valpo, which earned the #1 seed in the Mid-Continent Conference Men's Basketball Tournament by capturing the regular season title, will oppose #8-seed Chicago State in the first round on Sunday at noon at Kansas City's Kemper Arena. The single-elimination tournament will be held March 9-11 with the champion earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
3/3/2003
Top Seed Valpo Opposes 8th-Seed Chicago State
Valpo, which earned the #1 seed in the Mid-Continent Conference Men's Basketball Tournament by capturing the regular season title, will oppose #8-seed Chicago State in the first round on Sunday at noon at Kansas City's Kemper Arena. The single-elimination tournament will be held March 9-11 with the champion earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
3/1/2003
Valpo Falls To Oral Roberts; Seven-Game Win Streak Snapped
Reggie Borges scored 25 points and grabbed nine rebounds as Oral Roberts defeated Valpo 89-75 in the regular season finale. Roberto Nieves led the Crusaders (18-9, 12-2 Mid-Con) with career-highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds. The loss snapped Valpo's seven-game win streak.
2/27/2003
Ortiz Scores 23 As Valpo Defeats UMKC To Claim 7th Straight Win
Stalin Ortiz scored 23 points, including 16 in the second half, as Valpo (18-8, 12-1 Mid-Con) defeated UMKC 75-63. The victory was the Crusaders' 7th straight and 13th in the last 14 games. Roberto Nieves added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Ali Berdiel tallied 12 points and six assists.
2/22/2003
Valpo Clinches 8th Mid-Con Regular Season Championship With Win Over IUPUI
Valpo clinched its 8th Mid-Continent Conference regular season championship in the last nine years with a 77-71 victory over IUPUI. Stalin Ortiz led the Crusaders (17-8, 11-1 Mid-Con) with 21 points, six rebounds and four steals in the home finale. Kikas Gomes netted 12 points and Raitis Grafs added 10 points and four blocked shots.
2/20/2003
Ortiz Leads Valpo To Victory As Five Crusaders Score In Double Figures
Five Crusaders scored in double figures as first-place Valpo (16-8, 10-1 Mid-Con) defeated Oakland 81-65. Stalin Ortiz led the way with 19 points and Joaquim Gomes scored 12. Raitis Grafs, Greg Tonagel and Roberto Nieves added 10 points each. Rawle Marshall led all scorers with 25 points for Oakland.
2/15/2003
Valpo's Inside Play Keys Win Over Southern Utah
Raitis Grafs scored 19 points, Stalin Ortiz added 18 and Kikas Gomes grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds as first-place Valpo (15-8, 9-1 Mid-Con) defeated Southern Utah 69-61. The Crusaders, winners of four straight and 10 of the last 11, dominated the boards, outrebounding the Thunderbirds 52-29.
2/13/2003
Balanced Attack Propels Valpo Past Chicago State
Five Crusaders scored in double figures as first-place Valpo defeated Chicago State 81-70. Raitis Grafs led the Crusaders with 18 points, while Roberto Nieves and Stalin Ortiz added 15 each. Kikas Gomes tallied 12 points and Greg Tonagel scored 10. Ali Berdiel dished out a career-high nine assists for Valpo (14-8, 8-1 Mid-Con). The Crusaders, who have won three straight games and nine of the last 10, made 64 percent of their shots, including eight of 14 from 3-point range.
2/12/2003
First-Place Valpo Begins Two-Game Road Swing at Chicago State
First-place Valpo (13-8, 7-1 Mid-Con) plays the second of three straight road games on Thursday night at Chicago State (3-20, 0-9 Mid-Con). The Crusaders defeated the Cougars 80-48 on Jan. 18 in Valparaiso.
2/8/2003
Ortiz Scores 18 As Valpo Defeats Western Illinois
Stalin Ortiz led four Crusaders in double figures with 18 points as first-place Valpo defeated Western Illinois 74-62. Raitis Grafs tallied 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Kikas Gomes and Ali Berdiel added 10 points each for Valpo (13-8, 7-1 Mid-Con).
2/7/2003
First-Place Valpo Travels To Play Western Illinois
The second half of the Mid-Continent Conference season begins Saturday as first-place Valpo (12-8, 6-1 Mid-Con) journeys to Macomb to play Western Illinois (6-13, 2-5 Mid-Con). The Crusaders won the first meeting between the teams 74-57 on Jan. 11 in Valparaiso.
2/4/2003
Ortiz Scores Career-High 29 as Valpo Defeats Charlotte
Stalin Ortiz scored a career-high 29 points and Raitis Grafs added 17 as Valpo (12-8) defeated Charlotte 73-59. The 49ers (8-11) were led by Curtis Nash with 17 points.
2/3/2003
Valpo Hosts Charlotte In Final Non-Conference Game
After finishing the first half of the Mid-Continent Conference season in first place with a 6-1 record, Valpo (11-8) concludes the non-conference portion of its schedule by hosting Charlotte (8-10) Tuesday.
2/1/2003
Valpo Falls To UMKC In Overtime; Crusaders' 20-game Homecourt Win Streak Snapped
UMKC made four free throws in the final 22 seconds of overtime and survived a last-second 3-point miss to defeat Valpo 71-68. The loss ended the Crusaders' school-record homecourt win streak at 20. Valpo (11-8, 6-1 Mid-Con) was led by Raitis Grafs with 24 points and eight rebounds. Stalin Ortiz recorded a double-double with 14 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Michael Watson scored a team-high 24 for the Kangaroos, including 11 in the second half and eight in overtime.
1/29/2003
Valpo Hosts Oral Roberts In Battle of Mid-Con's Top Teams
The most significant game in the first half of the Mid-Continent Conference season will take place Thursday night as Valpo (10-7, 5-0 Mid-Con) hosts Oral Roberts (13-5, 4-1 Mid-Con). The Crusaders, who own a five-game win streak, are coming off a sweep of a two-game road stretch at IUPUI (72-62) and Oakland (72-70) last week.
1/27/2003
Valpo's Grafs Selected Mid-Continent Player of the Week
Raitis Grafs was named Mid-Continent Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for his performances in two wins last week. The senior from Riga, Latvia helped the Crusaders become the first Mid-Con squad in six years to open conference play with five straight wins.
1/25/2003
Gomes' Late Free Throws Lift Valpo To Comeback Win Over Oakland
Kikas Gomes made two free throws with four seconds left and Valpo survived a 30-foot desperation miss at the buzzer to edge Oakland 72-70. The victory was the fifth straight for the first-place Crusaders (10-7), who improved their Mid-Continent Conference record to 5-0. Stalin Ortiz made a 3-point shot with 24 seconds left to tie the game at 70-70. Raitis Grafs scored 22 points for Valpo, which won despite a 37-point performance by Oakland's Mike Helms.
1/23/2003
Hot-Shooting Crusaders Earn Road Win Over IUPUI
Raitis Grafs scored 18 points, including 14 in the second half, as first-place Valpo (9-7, 4-0 Mid-Con) defeated IUPUI 72-62. The Crusaders shot 55 percent overall in earning their first road win of the season. Ali Berdiel tallied 13 points and Stalin Ortiz added 12 for Valpo, which extended its win streak to four.
1/21/2003
First-Place Valpo Hits the Road at IUPUI; Crusaders Own 3-Game Win Streak
After winning its first three Mid-Continent Conference games at the ARC, Valpo (8-7, 3-0 Mid-Con) begins a two-game road swing on Thursday in Indianapolis against IUPUI (8-10, 2-1 Mid-Con).
1/18/2003
Ortiz Scores 25 As Valpo Wins Its 19th Straight Home Game
Stalin Ortiz tied his career-high with 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help Valpo (8-7, 3-0 Mid-Con) defeat Chicago State 80-48 for its 19th straight win at the ARC. Joaquim Gomes scored 11 and Raitis Grafs added 10.
1/17/2003
First-Place Valpo Entertains Chicago State; Nieves Continues Hot-Shooting
Valpo concludes a three-game homestand on Saturday by hosting Chicago State. The Crusaders (7-7, 2-0 Mid-Con) took over first place in the Mid-Continent Conference with Thursday's 74-44 victory over Southern Utah. The win extended Valpo's homecourt win streak to 18.
1/16/2003
Strong Defense, Balanced Attack Propel Valpo To Mid-Con Win Over Southern Utah
Three Crusaders scored in double-figures as Valpo (7-7, 2-0 Mid-Con) defeated Southern Utah 74-44 to win its 18th straight at home. Roberto Nieves led all scorers with 15, Raitis Grafs contributed 13 and Dan Oppland scored a career-high 10.
1/15/2003
Valpo Hosts First-Place Southern Utah; Crusaders Continue Three-Game Homestand
On Thursday, Valpo will entertain Southern Utah in a key early Mid-Continent Conference game. The Crusaders (6-7, 1-0 Mid-Con) are coming off a 74-57 victory over Western Illinois last Saturday at the ARC in the Mid-Con opener.
1/14/2003
Tickets On Sale for Mid-Continent Conference Basketball Tournaments
Tickets for the 2003 Conoco Mid-Continent Conference Men's & Women's Basketball Tournaments are on sale through the Valpo Athletic Ticket Office. Both tournaments will be held March 8-11 in Kansas City's Kemper Arena. The women's tournament takes place March 8, 10-11 and the men's tournament will be played March 9-11.
1/11/2003
Nieves Scores Career-High 16 To Lead Valpo Past Western Illinois In Mid-Con Opener
Roberto Nieves scored a career-high 16 points and Raitis Grafs also tallied 16 as Valpo (6-7, 1-0 Mid-Con) defeated Western Illinois 74-57 in the Mid-Continent Conference opener. Valpo drained a season-high 11 three-pointers on 26 attempts (42 percent).
1/4/2003
Valpo Falls To 6th-Ranked Notre Dame In Heartbreaker At United Center
Valpo came back from a 14-point deficit and had an opportunity to win the game in the final seconds before falling to 6th-ranked Notre Dame 55-53 at the United Center. Kikas Gomes led the Crusaders (5-7) with 17 points, including 10 in the second half. The game was played in front of a crowd of 11,716.
1/3/2003
Valpo & Notre Dame Tip Off 40th Meeting; Crusaders Play At United Center For First Time
On Saturday afternoon, Valpo (5-6) entertains Notre Dame (11-1) at Chicago's United Center in the 40th meeting between the schools on the hardwood. The Crusaders will be playing at the United Center for the first time in school history.
12/30/2002
Despite Solid First Half, Valpo Falls To Missouri
After trailing by one point at halftime, Valpo fell to Missouri 65-47. Stalin Ortiz led the Crusaders (5-6) with 13 points, while Kikas Gomes added 12.
12/28/2002
Strong First Half Propels Purdue Past Valpo
Purdue made nine, 3-point baskets in the first half and went on to defeat Valpo 87-55. The Boilermakers led 52-17 at halftime after limiting the Crusaders to 25 percent shooting in the first half. Raitis Grafs topped Valpo (5-5) with 15 points.
12/23/2002
Grafs' 21 Points, Staunch Defense Key Win Over Central Michigan
Raitis Grafs scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half to lead Valpo (5-4) to a 65-51 victory over Central Michigan (6-2). Grafs, who made eight of 16 shots, also grabbed six rebounds, blocked three shots and snagged two steals. The Crusaders, who have won three straight games, extended their homecourt win streak to 16.
12/22/2002
Valpo Hosts Central Michigan On Monday; Crusaders Enter Homestand Finale With 2-game Win Streak
Just prior to celebrating Christmas, Valpo (4-4) entertains Central Michigan (6-1) on Monday. The contest completes a three-game homestand.
12/20/2002
Grafs, Ortiz, Gomes, Colclasure Score In Double Digits To Lead Valpo Past Belmont
Valpo (4-4) placed four players in double figures as it defeated Belmont 83-65. Raitis Grafs led all scorers with 19 points, Stalin Ortiz tallied 13, Joaquim Gomes had 12, and Seth Colclasure added 10.
12/19/2002
Valpo Continues Homestand Against Belmont; Crusaders Fresh Off Final Exams & Double-Overtime Win
On Friday, Valpo entertains Belmont in the second of a three-game homestand. The Crusaders (3-4) are coming off final exams and a thrilling 87-79 double-overtime victory over Samford last Saturday.
12/16/2002
Grafs Selected Mid-Con Player of the Week
Senior Raitis Grafs was selected as the Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Week. The 6'11" center from Riga, Latvia scored a season-high 28 points to lead Valpo to an 87-79 double-overtime win over Samford Saturday.
12/14/2002
Grafs Scores Season-High 28 As Valpo Defeats Samford In Double Overtime
Stalin Ortiz drove and scored on a lay-up to beat the buzzer at the end of the first overtime to help Valpo (3-4) eventually defeat Samford (4-3) 87-79 in two overtimes. Raitis Grafs was a big factor as well, scoring a season-high 28 points.
12/13/2002
Valpo To Host Samford Saturday
On Saturday, Valpo (2-4) begins a three-game homestand by hosting Samford (4-2) from the Atlantic Sun Conference.
12/11/2002
Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Three-Point Shooting Propels Win Over Valpo
Four Valpo players tallied double-figures, but Valpo lost to Wisconsin-Milwaukee 75-61. Raitis Grafs led the Crusaders with 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
12/9/2002
Crusaders Travel to Face Red-Hot Wisconsin-Milwaukee
On Wednesday, Valpo (2-3) will conclude a three-game road stretch at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (5-2).
12/7/2002
Strong First Half Propels Loyola Past Valpo
Three Crusaders scored in double-figures, but Valpo lost to host Loyola 80-62 Saturday afternoon. Raitis Grafs led Valpo (2-3) with 14 points and nine rebounds.
12/5/2002
Valpo Continues Road Stretch At Loyola; Crusaders and Ramblers Play For First Time In 20 Years
A blast from the past can be seen on Saturday when Valpo (2-2) travels to Chicago to play Loyola (2-2) in a 1 p.m. tipoff. The schools will meet on the court for the first time in 20 years.
12/2/2002
Valpo Falls To Cincinnati
Cincinnati made 12 three-point baskets en route to a 76-50 victory over Valpo (2-2). Raitis Grafs led Valpo with 11 points.
11/30/2002
Valpo Defeats Northern Illinois As Grafs Scores 23
Raitis Grafs scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead Valpo to a 78-67 victory over the Northern Illinois Huskies.
11/26/2002
Valpo Wins Big in Home Opener As Grafs Scores 25
Valpo opened with a 10-0 run on its way to an 81-56 victory over Indiana State. Raitis Grafs led all scorers with 25 points, including 20 in the first half. Joaquim Gomes added 14 points, while Ali Berdiel scored 12 points.
11/24/2002
Valpo Falls To Syracuse In Season Opener
Valpo placed three players in double figures, but dropped its season opener to Syracuse 81-66. Raitis Grafs led the Crusaders (0-1) with 18 points, while Stalin Ortiz added 15 and Joaquim Gomes recorded a double-double with 14 points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
11/22/2002
NEW ERA BEGINS SUNDAY; Valpo Travels To Syracuse As Scott Drew Makes Coaching Debut
Sunday's game at Syracuse is not an ordinary season opener for Valpo. For the first time in 15 seasons, the Crusaders will be under the guidance of a new coach.
11/13/2002
Valpo Inks Four In Highly-Regarded Class
Valparaiso University men's basketball coach Scott Drew announced that four players have signed national letters of intent to attend Valpo and play basketball. The 2002 class includes Kenny Harris of Griffith (Ind.) HS, Jimmie Miles of Rich Central HS in Olympia Fields, Ill, Oumar Sylla of Our Savior New American HS in Centerreach, N.Y. and Moussa Mbaye of Life Center Academy in Burlington, N.J.
11/9/2002
Second-Half Offensive Blitz Lifts Valpo to Exhibition Win
Valpo outscored Northwest Sports 62-25 in the second half as the Crusaders won its second exhibition game 108-74. Stalin Ortiz led five Crusaders in double figures with 20 points, including 11 in the second half.
11/8/2002
Valpo Hosts Northwest Sports Saturday In Final Exhibition
After defeating International Select 73-62 last Sunday, the Valpo men's basketball team hosts Northwest Sports Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
11/3/2002
Valpo's Balanced Attack Keys Exhibition Win Over International Select
Raitis Grafs led four Crusaders in double-figures with 17 points and Joaquim Gomes recorded a double-double as Valpo defeated International Select 73-62 in an exhibition game.
10/30/2002
Valpo Opens Exhibition Season Sunday By Hosting International Select
The Scott Drew Era begins Sunday when the Valparaiso University men's basketball team hosts International Select in an exhibition game. Tipoff is 4:30 p.m. in the ARC.
10/2/2002
Valpo to Celebrate "Midnight Mayhem" Friday, October 11
Valparaiso University will celebrate the beginning of men's and women's basketball practice with "Midnight Mayhem" on Fri., Oct. 11 at 11 p.m. in the Athletics-Recreation Center arena.
9/19/2002
Valpo Men's Basketball to Conduct Fall Coaches Clinic
The Valparaiso University men's basketball staff will conduct a Fall Coaches Clinic on Sat., Oct. 5 in Valpo's Athletics-Recreation Center.
9/19/2002
Valpo To Host Father/Son Basketball Camp Featuring Homer & Scott Drew
Valparaiso University's Homer & Scott Drew will conduct a Father/Son Basketball Camp on Sat., Oct. 5 between 2-4 p.m. at Valpo's Athletics-Recreation Center. The camp is for boys in kindergarten-8th grade.
9/13/2002
Valpo-Notre Dame Basketball Tickets To Be On Sale Monday
Tickets for Valparaiso University's men's basketball game against Notre Dame on Jan. 4 at the United Center in Chicago will be on sale beginning Monday, Sept. 16 at the Valpo Athletic Ticket Office.
9/5/2002
Gomes Stars For Angola National Team
Valpo's Joaquim "Kikas" Gomes, a starter on Angola's National Team, has turned in some impressive performances at the World Basketball Championships in Indianapolis. The 6'9" junior forward has averaged 12.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in six contests.
9/4/2002
Valpo Basketball Season Tickets On Sale
Valparaiso University men's and women's basketball season tickets are now on sale at the Valpo Athletic Ticket Office in the Athletics-Recreation Center. The ticket package includes 16 men's games, including the Jan. 4 game against Notre Dame at the United Center in Chicago, and 14 women's games.
8/29/2002
Valpo Names Bowen Assistant Men's Basketball Coach
Valparaiso University head men's basketball coach Scott Drew announced the addition of Matthew Bowen as an assistant coach.
8/13/2002
Valpo, Cincinnati To Begin Three-Year Hoops Contract Dec. 2
The Valparaiso University men's basketball team will play at the University of Cincinnati on Dec. 2
8/1/2002
Valpo to Host Notre Dame at Chicago's United Center January 4
Valparaiso University will host Notre Dame in men's basketball at Chicago's United Center on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2003.
