CHICAGO — Derrik Smits earned his second straight start for Valparaiso even though Jaume Sorolla returned from Spain after visiting his ill father.
And the redshirt freshman delivered Friday with the best game of his young career.
Smits had 11 points and six rebounds, both his highest totals with the Crusaders, as they topped Illinois-Chicago 70-59 in a Horizon League opener at the Pavilion.
His comfort level continues to increase as he has gained minutes.
“I just was going hard,” Smits said. “The ball was bouncing to me right, so I figured I might as well stay aggressive. They harp on me all the time about staying aggressive every time I come in. I attacked from the start.”
Smits received a medical hardship waiver last season after undergoing surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his right ankle. The 7-foot-2 center has been dealing with tendinitis in his left knee.
So Valparaiso coach Matt Lottich appreciates Smits’ persistence.
“Credit to Derrik for staying with it, for staying in the gym, getting reps, keeping his confidence,” Lottich said. “When his opportunity came, he’s played really well. We’re excited for him. That’s why we recruited him, for games like that.”
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Sorolla had started the previous three games before Smits’ two starts, with the Crusaders (11-3, 1-0) playing without senior Jubril Adekoya for the fifth straight game. Sorolla, a freshman center, missed the game against Chicago State as he traveled home during Christmas.
“Playing college basketball is a privilege, starting’s a privilege,” Lottich said. “Derrik played well against Chicago State. Jay can’t control his circumstance, but Derrik was at practice. He deserved it.
“This is what I wanted — I wanted to keep a big ‘five’ in there, a fresh one, and both of them gave us huge minutes. It’s a little bit of a two-headed monster. We’re going to try to continue to build on this.”
Tevonn Walker scored a season-high 23 points against the Flames (7-7, 0-1), shooting 8-for-9.
During a stretch in the second half, the junior guard scored 13 straight Valparaiso points. After UIC drew to 38-37, the final eight of his run came in less than two minutes, on a 3-pointer with the shot clock winding down, another three and a transition layup off Sorolla’s block.
“I just took open shots and stayed aggressive,” Walker said. “I felt that I could put the team on my back at that point.”
Lottich liked what he saw from Walker.
“I’ve told Tevonn for a long time, there’s not many guards in the country who are better than him,” Lottich said.
“He has a level of athleticism, a level of toughness, that when he’s engaged, he’s a top guard. Those moments where he’s aggressive, there’s not many people who can stop him.”
Walker’s sequence gave the Crusaders a 46-40 lead with 11:20 left. Their advantage dipped to three points before they led by as many as 12.
Alec Peters had 18 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 5-for-15 from the floor but 7-for-8 from the foul line. The senior moved into second place on Valparaiso’s career list for both rebounds and field goals, and into eighth on the Horizon League’s career scoring list.
The Crusaders outrebounded the Flames 41-28 to win their 16th straight game in the series.
“We matched their intensity, we matched their physicality,” Lottich said. “The turning point was our relentless pursuit of rebounds.”
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