Valparaiso: 2014-15 Horizon League Men's Basketball Champions

VALPARAISO, Ind. -- Valparaiso fought off key injuries all season, so the adversity the Crusaders faced Monday didn't faze them.

Trailing 39-31 with 11:43 left in the Horizon League tournament championship, they picked up their defensive intensity to spark a 15-0 run and beat Green Bay 54-44 and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

"It's been quite a ride this season," said Alec Peters, who scored nine points and was named tournament MVP. "Being conference champs, tournament champs and now going to the NCAA Tournament . we just had to bear down, play some defense and get some stops because we wanted this more than anything."

Peters had an off game with 3-of-13 shooting, including 1 for 8 from the 3-point line. David Skara led the Crusaders (28-5) with 12 points and E. Victor Nickerson added 11 as Valparaiso, which earned the conference's regular season championship and won its second conference tournament title in the past three years.

Keifer Sykes, the two-time Horizon League Player of the Year, led Green Bay (24-8) with 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting. He came in averaging 29 points in the Phoenix's past three games, all wins.

The Crusaders made his night difficult by double teaming him through most of the second half and denying him good looks at the basket. Valparaiso scored 17 points off Green Bay turnovers, outscored the Phoenix 26-18 in the paint and held a commanding 25-3 advantage in bench scoring.

"They were just doing a good job of taking some things away," Sykes said. "I knew especially when I gave the ball up, it was hard to get it back. And then by the time we'd get it back, we weren't in position to get a good shot or get a good score. They're a good defensive team."

Green Bay led 25-19 at the half and led most of the game until the Crusader's big run in the last 12 minutes of the second half. The Phoenix pulled to 46-44 with 3:24 left on a 3-pointer byAlfonzo McKinnie and two free-throws by Sykes, but Valparaiso scored the final eight points of the game.

McKinnie's 3 was the only field goal the Phoenix got in the final 12:23.

A 3-pointer by Keith Carter with 8:40 remaining gave Valparaiso a 40-39 lead, which was its first time in front since early in the first half. Daeshon Francis had a chance to reclaim the lead for Green by at the free-throw line with 7:19 left, but missed both.

The Phoenix weren't able to get closer the rest of the way.

"We went cold and the story of the game was turnovers," Green Bay coach Brian Wardle said. "You look at turnovers and missed free throws. There was a segment (in the second half) where we got to the foul line with the lead. We had an opportunity to stretch it. When you're on the road, playing in that type of environment, you knock those down you build a little cushion."

Valparaiso earned the league's automatic NCAA bid for the second time in coach Bryce Drew's first four seasons. The victory extended the Crusaders' own school record for wins in a season and improved their record to 15-1 at home this season.

"I thought our players in that second half really embraced what our school's core values stand for," Drew said. "They're a special group and I feel blessed to be able to coach them."

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TIP-INS

Valparaiso: This was Valparaiso's third time playing for the Horizon League Championship in the past four years.

Green Bay: This was the 21st appearance in the Horizon League championship game for the Phoenix, but first since 1998. Green Bay won its lone tournament title in 1995, its first season in the conference.

UP NEXT

Valparaiso: NCAA Tournament.

Green Bay: To be determined.

Valparaiso: 2012-13 Horizon League Champions

For the first time since 2004, the Valparaiso University men’s basketball team is headed to the Big Dance. The Crusaders earned an automatic invitation to the NCAA Tournament by bouncingWright State 62-54 in the Horizon League Championship at the Athletics-Recreation Center on Tuesday night.

Valparaiso held an 11 point halftime lead, only to see Wright State climb back into the game and lead for a significant portion of the second half. Visions of last year’s come-from-behind Detroit victory over Valpo in the title game began to creep into the heads of Crusader fans. However, experience prevailed this time around as the senior-filled Crusaders pulled away from the senior-less Raiders down the stretch.

“I thought the guys really dug deep,” head coach Bryce Drew said.“The last five minutes may be the best five minutes that we’ve played all year.”

After facing a six point deficit with five minutes, 37 seconds remaining, the Crusaders went on a 16-0 run to tie the game, take the lead and break it wide open, all in one fell swoop.

Erik Buggs powered the Valparaiso offense with 22 points en route to earning the Horizon League Tournament Most Valuable Player distinction. Ryan Broekhoff swished a critical three with 1:49 left in regulation to build the lead to four and provide an encore for his Saturday night heroics, a buzzer-beating three to lift Valpo over Green Bay.

Broekhoff, who joined Buggs on the All-Tournament team, scuffled from the field for most of the contest, but maintained the confidence to take a meaningful shot.

“The team and the coaches all came up to me and said, ‘Keep shooting, we want you to keep shooting,’” Broekhoff said. “The shot just before I got really going was just a little bit short. I shot it and kind of held the follow through as long as possible and prayed it went in.”

The Crusaders will find out their next opponent this Sunday, which is “Selection Sunday.” Buggs said he has been watching Selection Sunday ever since he could pick up a basketball. This year he will be watching closer than ever before.

“It just means a lot,” Buggs said. “Just getting over that hump and getting to the NCAA. This not only means a lot to me, but it means a lot to get my brothers (teammates) to do this. It’s just living the dream right now.”

Drew, who played in the 1998 NCAA Tournamentas a member of the Crusaders, does not believe that his team will need much advice on how to handle the biggest stage.

“We have a lot of experience,” he said. “I’m not a coach that sits and talks about what I’ve done or my experiences. It’s about them, it’s about the moment. We’ll just have to see how they respond to practice.”

Wright State kept itself in the game by forcing 25 Valparaiso turnovers. The Raiders outscored the Crusaders 24-8 in points off turnovers and 31-7 in bench scoring.

“I thought Wright State played great defense,” Drew said. “I think a lot of that was just the excitement of the game and wanting to win so bad that they (the Crusaders) were making bad decisions.”

Drew did not make any substitutions over the final 10 minutes, instead electing to ride his five senior starters until the end.

“I really just wanted to give those five a chance to win it or lose it,”he said. “Those five deserved the chance to decide the game.”

After the game, with a large contingent of Valparaiso fans in a ruckus, the Horizon League Champion Crusaders received their trophy and cut down the nets. For the six seniors, this moment was the culmination of four years of effort.

“This means everything,” Broekhoff said. “Obviously, the personal accolades are fantastic, but this is what we put in four hard years for. This is why we go to practice every day. We grind it out. We’ve worked hard in the offseason and during the season and all of that work is for this moment right now. We found a way. That’s what’s been amazing about this team. We find a way.”