ST. LOUIS — In a significant upset at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday, Valparaiso, seeded 11th, triumphed over the 6th-seeded UIC with a final score of 67-50. This victory propels the Beacons into the quarterfinals where they are set to face Northern Iowa, the No. 3 seed, on Friday.
Leading Valparaiso to their victory, All Wright scored 22 points with a shooting performance of 9 of 16 from the field, including 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. His teammate, Cooper Schwieger, contributed an impressive 17 points alongside 11 rebounds and six blocks. Jefferson Monegro added nine points to the scoreboard, hitting 4 of 11 field goals including a single three-pointer out of five attempts.
In the face of this defeat, UIC was led by Ethan Pickett, who scored 11 points and gathered six rebounds. Filip Skobalj supported with nine points and two steals, while Sasa Ciani contributed eight points.
Valparaiso seized the lead just a few minutes into the first half with 17:14 remaining and maintained their advantage throughout. By halftime, the Beacons were ahead 37-21, largely thanks to Schwieger’s 15 first-half points. The second half saw Valparaiso enforce their dominance with a 10-0 run, turning a 14-point lead into a commanding 24-point advantage. Despite a competitive effort from UIC, Valparaiso outperformed them in the latter half by a slim one-point margin, as Wright led his team with another ten points after the break.
