Who’s Playing
Valparaiso Beacons @ Illinois State Redbirds
Current Records: Valparaiso 4-12, Illinois State 8-8
How To Watch
What to Know
Valparaiso is 9-1 against Illinois State since January of 2019, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success on Sunday. Both teams will face off in a Missouri Valley battle at 3:00 p.m. ET at CEFCU Arena. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with ten consecutive losses for Valparaiso and four for Illinois State.
It’s hard to win when your three-point shooting is a whole 22.5% worse than the opposition, a fact Valparaiso found out the hard way on Wednesday. They took a 77-68 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Salukis. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Valparaiso in their matchups with Southern Illinois: they’ve now lost five in a row.
Despite their loss, Valparaiso saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Isaiah Stafford, who scored 19 points, was perhaps the best of all.
Meanwhile, Illinois State’s game on Wednesday was all tied up 34-34 at the half, but sadly for them it didn’t stay that way. They fell 67-60 to the Bruins. That’s two games in a row now that Illinois State has lost by exactly seven points.
The losing side was boosted by Jordan Davis, who scored 18 points along with nine rebounds and three steals. As a matter of fact, that’s the most points he has scored all season.
The Beacons bumped their record down to 4-12 with that loss, which was their fifth straight at home. Those losses could be blamed on the team’s lackluster offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 63.4 points per game. As for the Redbirds, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-8.
Valparaiso beat Illinois State 81-76 when the teams last played back in February of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Valparaiso since the team won’t have the home-court advantage this time around. We’ll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Series History
Valparaiso has won 9 out of their last 10 games against Illinois State.
- Feb 11, 2023 – Valparaiso 81 vs. Illinois State 76
- Jan 21, 2023 – Valparaiso 71 vs. Illinois State 51
- Feb 09, 2022 – Illinois State 78 vs. Valparaiso 75
- Jan 02, 2022 – Valparaiso 81 vs. Illinois State 76
- Jan 24, 2021 – Valparaiso 70 vs. Illinois State 66
- Jan 23, 2021 – Valparaiso 69 vs. Illinois State 60
- Feb 15, 2020 – Valparaiso 65 vs. Illinois State 62
- Feb 01, 2020 – Valparaiso 80 vs. Illinois State 70
- Feb 05, 2019 – Valparaiso 69 vs. Illinois State 53
- Jan 02, 2019 – Valparaiso 58 vs. Illinois State 56