UNI Men's Basketball Host Crusaders
1/14/2020 9:43:00 AM | Men's Basketball
WEDNESDAY'S ACTION:
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UNI vs Valparaiso | Wednesday, January 15 | 7 PM | McLeod Center | Cedar Falls, Iowa
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THE SERIES
The Panthers and Crusaders will take the court for the 29th time on Wednesday night. The Panthers have dominated the all-time series against the Crusaders, holding a 25-3 record. The Panthers are on a 13 game win streak in home venues against Valparaiso. Head Coach Ben Jacobson holds a 3-1 record against Valparaiso, going 2-0 inside the McLeod Center and 1-1 on the road. Â
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THE CRUSADERS
•Valpo went 18-of-20 at the free-throw line and held Drake to 2-of-20 from beyond the 3-point arc en route to a 66-61 victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
•Valpo is 6-1 when shooting free throws at 70 percent or better, with the only defeat coming in overtime against Cincinnati.
•Valpo held Drake to 2-of-20 from behind the 3-point arc (10 percent) on Jan. 11, the team's second-best performance this season in terms of 3-point defense behind a Dec. 8 victory over Central Michigan where the Chippewas went just 1-of-17 (5.9 percent).
•Javon Freeman-Liberty has a chance to crack Valpo's all-time record book in a variety of areas by season's end. As only a sophomore, he has already reached the 100-steal milestone for his career, crossing that plateau in the Jan. 11 game vs. Drake.
•Valpo currently leads the Missouri Valley Conference in both steals per game (8.6) and assists per game (16.2).
•Javon Freeman-Liberty became the first Valpo player to enter conference action as the league's leading scorer since 2016-17, when Alec Peters started Horizon League play at 25.5 points per game.
•Freeman-Liberty was also the first Valpo player to enter conference play leading the way in steals since 2016-17, when Lexus Williams topped the Horizon League at 1.8 per game.
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THE PANTHERS
•Head Coach Ben Jacobson is 3-1 against Valparaiso, holding a 2-0 record in the McLeod Center and a 1-1 record on the road against the Crusaders.
•The Panthers are a perfect 9-0 inside the McLeod Center this season. The Panthers have finished undefeated in the McLeod Center twice, the 2009-10 and the 2014-15 seasons.
•Averaging 71.8 PPG in league games, the Panthers lead the MVC in scoring.
• The Panthers average 10.3 offensive rebounds per game in league play, ranking second behind only Bradley (13.0).
• AJ Green leads all players with 25.3 PPG in Valley play.
• Through four league games, Austin Phyfe has averaged 10 RPG, leading the Valley.
•AJ Green has averaged 4.3 three pointers per game in MVC contests while converting his attempts at a .548 clip, both leading the conference.
• Trae Berhow and AJ Green lead the MVC in free throw percentage, Berhow has made 10-11 attempts while Green is a perfect 18-18 at the free throw line.
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UNI vs Valparaiso | Wednesday, January 15 | 7 PM | McLeod Center | Cedar Falls, Iowa
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THE SERIES
The Panthers and Crusaders will take the court for the 29th time on Wednesday night. The Panthers have dominated the all-time series against the Crusaders, holding a 25-3 record. The Panthers are on a 13 game win streak in home venues against Valparaiso. Head Coach Ben Jacobson holds a 3-1 record against Valparaiso, going 2-0 inside the McLeod Center and 1-1 on the road. Â
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THE CRUSADERS
•Valpo went 18-of-20 at the free-throw line and held Drake to 2-of-20 from beyond the 3-point arc en route to a 66-61 victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
•Valpo is 6-1 when shooting free throws at 70 percent or better, with the only defeat coming in overtime against Cincinnati.
•Valpo held Drake to 2-of-20 from behind the 3-point arc (10 percent) on Jan. 11, the team's second-best performance this season in terms of 3-point defense behind a Dec. 8 victory over Central Michigan where the Chippewas went just 1-of-17 (5.9 percent).
•Javon Freeman-Liberty has a chance to crack Valpo's all-time record book in a variety of areas by season's end. As only a sophomore, he has already reached the 100-steal milestone for his career, crossing that plateau in the Jan. 11 game vs. Drake.
•Valpo currently leads the Missouri Valley Conference in both steals per game (8.6) and assists per game (16.2).
•Javon Freeman-Liberty became the first Valpo player to enter conference action as the league's leading scorer since 2016-17, when Alec Peters started Horizon League play at 25.5 points per game.
•Freeman-Liberty was also the first Valpo player to enter conference play leading the way in steals since 2016-17, when Lexus Williams topped the Horizon League at 1.8 per game.
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THE PANTHERS
•Head Coach Ben Jacobson is 3-1 against Valparaiso, holding a 2-0 record in the McLeod Center and a 1-1 record on the road against the Crusaders.
•The Panthers are a perfect 9-0 inside the McLeod Center this season. The Panthers have finished undefeated in the McLeod Center twice, the 2009-10 and the 2014-15 seasons.
•Averaging 71.8 PPG in league games, the Panthers lead the MVC in scoring.
• The Panthers average 10.3 offensive rebounds per game in league play, ranking second behind only Bradley (13.0).
• AJ Green leads all players with 25.3 PPG in Valley play.
• Through four league games, Austin Phyfe has averaged 10 RPG, leading the Valley.
•AJ Green has averaged 4.3 three pointers per game in MVC contests while converting his attempts at a .548 clip, both leading the conference.
• Trae Berhow and AJ Green lead the MVC in free throw percentage, Berhow has made 10-11 attempts while Green is a perfect 18-18 at the free throw line.
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Players Mentioned
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