Mastodons Look to Carry Momentum to Valparaiso

PREGAME NOTES

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The IPFW men's basketball team will look to carry the momentum from its thrilling Homecoming victory over Miami (Ohio) into Valparaiso on Wednesday afternoon, when the squad faces off against the Crusaders of Valparaiso in an 8 p.m. EST tip.

Opponent: Valparaiso Crusaders (5-2)
When: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 | 8:05 p.m. EST
Where: Valparaiso, Ind. | Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000)
Radio: WKJG ESPN Radio 1380 AM (Kent Hormann, play-by-play; Jeff Parrish, analyst)
Live Stats: Valparaiso GameTracker
Streaming Video: Horizon League Network

SCOUTING THE CRUSADERS

Valparaiso, ranked 18th in the latest CIT Mid-Major Top-25 poll, come into the mid-week meeting with a 5-2 overall record, falling this season at Nebraska, and most recently at Saint Louis on Sunday.

In the last loss, three players, Ryan Broekhoff, Kevin Van Wijk, and Matt Kenney each scored 10 points. Valparaiso led by four with 8:03 to play in the first half, but a 10-0 Billiken run gave the hosts a six-point lead, one that they would not give up for the remainder of the game in the 13-point loss. Broekhoff pulled down a team-best seven rebounds, while Erik Buggs gave out four assists.

For the year the team is led by 2011-12 Horizon League Player of the Year Broekhoff, who averages 16.0 points per game, while Van Wijk is not far behind at 15.1 points per game, as the pair were named to the Preseason All-Horizon League First Team.

Kenney (8.0), Ben Boggs (7.0), and Jordan Coleman (6.9) all average at or near seven points per game, with Broekhoff pulling down a team-best 7.1 rebounds per game, as the Crusaders out-rebound their opponents 33.0-to-27.9. Erik Buggs and Kenney have dished out 31 and 22 assists, each, while Broekhoff has a team-high nine steals.

ALL-TIME SERIES

Wednesday will be the 12th all-time meeting between the schools, as the Crusaders hold a 8-3 lead in the all-time series; however, the Mastodons have had their run of the series as of late, winning three of the last four meetings, including an 85-76 IPFW win in Fort Wayne a season ago.

In the game last season, IPFW out-scored Valparaiso in each of the two halves, and were led by Frank Gaines who scored 24 points, leading four players in double-figure scoring. Trey McCorkle scored 16, while John Peckinpauch chipped in 13 and Jonny Marlin 10 and seven assists. Valparaiso's Ryan Broekhoff scored 20 points, as Will Bogan and Kevin Van Wijk each scored 15 points in the loss.

~ Feel the Rumble ~

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics

Mastodons Look to Carry Momentum to Valparaiso

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