Halftime Report

A win for Valparaiso would push their record over .500, and after one quarter of play they've put themselves in a good position to make it happen. They have jumped out to a quick 35-29 lead against Eastern Illinois.

Valparaiso has yet to string together two consecutive wins, but this may be their chance. For now, things are looking good for them.

Who's Playing

Eastern Illinois Panthers @ Valparaiso Beacons

Current Records: Eastern Illinois 1-4, Valparaiso 2-2

How To Watch

What to Know

The Valparaiso Beacons' homestand will continue as they prepare to take on the Eastern Illinois Panthers at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at Athletics-Recreation Center. The Beacons are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 79.5 points per game this season.

Last Thursday, Valparaiso earned a 77-64 victory over Lindenwood.

Among those leading the charge was Cooper Schwieger, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 11 rebounds. What's more, he also posted a 75% field goal percentage, which is the highest he's posted since back in January.

Meanwhile, Eastern Illinois' recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their third straight defeat. They fell 78-69 to DePaul. That's two games in a row now that the Panthers have lost by exactly nine points.

Despite the loss, Eastern Illinois had strong showings from Kooper Jacobi, who went 9 for 16 en route to 22 points plus eight rebounds, and Nakyel Shelton, who scored 17 points in addition to seven rebounds. Jacobi is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games.

The win got Valparaiso back to even at 2-2. As for Eastern Illinois, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-4.

Looking ahead, Valparaiso is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 6.5 points. This contest will be their fourth straight at home (so far over this stretch they are 1-1 against the spread).

Odds

Valparaiso is a solid 6.5-point favorite against Eastern Illinois, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 6.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is 141.5 points.

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