| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILST | 26 | 30 | 56 |
| VAL | 26 | 32 | 58 |
Golder's half-court shot lifts Valparaiso over Illinois St.
Valpo wins on buzzer-beater beyond half court
Valparaiso's Markus Golder hits a 3-pointer from beyond half court at the buzzer to win the game 58-56 vs. Illinois State.
VALPARAISO, Ind. -- Markus Golder put up a leaping, one-handed shot from half court , the ball snapping through the net at the buzzer as Valparaiso completed a wild last-minute comeback to defeat Illinois State 58-56 in a Missouri Valley Conference opener Wednesday night.
Golder finished with 10 points and all seven of his second-half points came in the final 1:15 as the Crusaders (8-6, 1-0) rallied, outscoring Illinois State 12-2 over that span. The Redbirds (7-7, 0-1) held a 54-53 lead and had leading scorer Zach Copeland at the line with two seconds remaining. Copeland missed both free throws with Golder rebounding, sprinting up court in a crowd and putting up the winner.
Ryan Fazekas led Valparaiso with 14 points and Derrik Smits added 10 with nine rebounds.
Copeland scored 21 points with five 3-pointers to lead Illinois State and Phil Fayne added 14 points.
Breaking away from a 26-26 halftime tie, Illinois State opened the final period on a 12-1 run and held the lead up until Golder's half-court buzzer-beater.
Game Information
- Referees:
- James Durham
- Tom O'Neill
- John Hampton
2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana State | 2-0 | - | 8-4 |
| Drake | 1-0 | 0.5 | 11-0 |
| Bradley | 1-0 | 0.5 | 10-2 |
| Belmont | 1-0 | 0.5 | 9-3 |
| Northern Iowa | 1-0 | 0.5 | 7-5 |
| Murray State | 1-1 | 1 | 6-5 |
| Illinois State | 0-1 | 1.5 | 8-4 |
| UIC | 0-1 | 1.5 | 7-4 |
| Missouri State | 0-1 | 1.5 | 7-5 |
| Valparaiso | 0-1 | 1.5 | 7-5 |
| Southern Illinois | 0-1 | 1.5 | 5-7 |
| Evansville | 0-1 | 1.5 | 3-9 |
Men's College Basketball News