ROCHESTER, Mich. -- Meeting Oakland for the first time since joining the Horizon League four years ago, Valparaiso overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to post a 103-102 victory at the O'Rena on Tuesday night. The 103 points were the most scored by a League team against a Division I opponent this season.
Valparaiso (9-4) won its second straight game, this one coming at the expense of the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major No. 9 team; Oakland had vaulted to the spot after an upset at No. 7 Tennessee last week.
Brandon Wood and Cory Johnson, both of whom earned preseason All-Horizon League honors, showed exactly why at the O'Rena, scoring 35 and 33 points, respectively. The duo was a combined 24-for-33 from floor, including a 7-for-10 effort from three-point range.
Johnson gave the Crusaders their first lead of the second half with a three-point play to put Valpo up 61-59, capping an 11-3 run. The push continued for Valpo, as they opened a 12-point cushion after back-to-back threes from Michael Rogers and Erik Buggs with 98 seconds left in the game.
Oakland would close the gap to a single point with two seconds to play, but Ryan Broekhoff secured the win by grabbing an offensive rebound off a missed free throw.
Wood had 19 of his game-high 35 points in the opening half, in which the Crusaders shot 58.6-percent from the floor but trailed, 52-45, after being outscored at the free-throw line, 21-5. The game's final 20 minutes saw Valpo continue its torrid shooting, knocking down 67.9 percent of its shots while hitting seven more freebies than the Grizzlies.
The point outputs for both Wood and Johnson were the top two marks in the Horizon League this season.
With Valpo outscoring Oakland, 42-32, in the paint behind Johnson's 33, Summit League Preseason Player of the Year Keith Benson was limited due to foul trouble, finishing with 5 points and four personal fouls.
Johnson earned tournament MVP honors while Wood was named to the All-Tournament Team. The title was the second of the year for the Crusaders, who captured the Upper Division championship of the Las Vegas Invitational in November.
Tags: Valparaiso - Men's Basketball
