The Valparaiso University men’s basketball team fell 79-49 on Wednesday in a pre-Thanksgiving matinee at Samford. The Beacons were led in scoring by Kobe King (La Crosse, Wis. / La Crosse Central [Wisconsin]) who posted 20 points. Freshman Ibra Bayu (Flevoland, Netherlands) made his collegiate debut after missing the first four games due to a hernia.

How It Happened

• Samford scored the game’s first nine points before King helped Valpo scratch the scoreboard three minutes in.
• The Bulldogs went on a 13-0 run to increase the lead to 26-6 by the half’s midway mark. By halftime it was 52-22.
• Freshman Maximus Nelson (Appleton, Wis. / Appleton North) made a 3 at the 14:43 mark of the second half, his second 3 of the game after he also knocked down a triple late in the first half.
• King scored seven points in a span of just under a minute from the 13:11 mark to the 12:06 mark of the second half.
• The Beacons drilled several 3s late in the second half with Darius DeAveiro (Kanata, Ottawa, Canada) at the 6:40 mark and Quinton Green (Columbus, Ohio / Homeschool [Cedarville]) at the 5:34 mark.
• Bayu had his first collegiate basket via the dunk with 13 seconds to go.

Inside the Game

• King finished with 20 points including 5-of-6 at the foul line. He has scored in double figures in all five games this season including four with 15 points or more. This was his second 20-point output of the year and the fourth of his career.
• Senior Ben Krikke (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada / Jasper Place) squeezed nine rebounds to pace the team, while Bayu pulled in six boards in just 14 minutes.
• The Beacons played the Bulldogs even in the second half, 27-27.

Up Next

Valpo (2-3) will head to Savannah, Ga. for the Hostilo Community Classic, a multi-team event that begins on Friday at 12:30 p.m. against South Dakota State. The streaming for the game will be behind a paywall, or as always the Valpo radio broadcast is available free of charge.