Valparaiso 75, Illinois-Chicago 70
Ryan Broekhoff collected 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead Valparaiso to a 75-70 victory over Illinois-Chicago in a Horizon League clash Wednesday at the UIC Pavilion.
The league-favorite Crusaders (12-5, 2-1) claimed their second straight win, as Lavonte Dority added 18 points and Kevin Van Wijk had 16.
Valparaiso broke a 61-61 tie on Broekhoff's jumper with 2:23 remaining, the start of a decisive 14-9 surge.
Gary Talton had a game-high 25 points for the Flames (10-6, 1-2), who have dropped five of their last six. Josh Crittle had 16, and Hayden Humes added 12 for UIC. Talton went 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.
Broekhoff snapped a 30-30 tie with a 3-pointer just before halftime as the Crusaders opened a 33-30 lead. Van Wijk closed the first 20 minutes with a game-high 14 points, having gone 8-for-8 on free throws. He didn't attempt a foul shot after halftime.
Both teams resume league play with Saturday road games. The Crusaders are at Milwaukee, while the Flames will battle Green Bay.
