Senior guard Tevonn Walker nailed a 3-pointer, a fitting start to Valparaiso’s exhibition Thursday night against Robert Morris.
He finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the Crusaders’ 117-69 win against their overmatched NAIA Division II opponent at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
But Walker was far from the only player to contribute in a game that turned into an up-and-down dunkfest, highlighting the athleticism on Valparaiso’s reconfigured roster.
“I’m pretty pleased with the effort,” Crusaders coach Matt Lottich said. “We looked like a team ready to play against someone else. It was fun to coach.”
Valparaiso used all 11 available scholarship players by the 7:57 mark of the first half, and each played at least 10 minutes. Each scored at least three points, with seven in double figures.
Albeit in an exhibition, the Crusaders scored their most points since a 118-83 win over Chicago State on March 3, 1996, in the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament. They took advantage of Robert Morris’ press.
“It’s a pace and type of style we want to keep up with,” Walker said. “Coach tells us all the time if someone gets a rebound to push it and try to score under seven seconds. If not, we get into our sets.
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“The fast pace is something we want to play off of.”
Micah Bradford had 17 points. Markus Golder, a junior college transfer from North Idaho, also scored 17 points and had three of the Crusaders’ eight dunks.
“One through 12, we’re all pretty athletic,” Golder said. “We shared the ball very well, which put us in athletic positions to make plays.”
Freshman Mileek McMillan, a Merrillville graduate, had 12 points. Max Joseph, Jaume Sorolla and Joe Burton all added 11 points.
Burton, who sat out last season after transferring from Oklahoma State, didn’t miss a shot. He went 3-for-3 from the floor, including 2-for-2 from 3-point range, and 3-for-3 from the foul line.
“It was a relief,” Burton said. “It was just great to be out there in that atmosphere.”
Joseph also had six assists. Bakari Evelyn, who sat out last season after transferring from Nebraska, added five as the Crusaders had 23 assists, although they did have 22 turnovers.
Parker Hazen, a freshman who started at power forward, had 10 rebounds. Valparaiso held a 59-33 rebounding advantage over Robert Morris, which did not list a player taller than 6-foot-7.
Among eligible scholarship players, the Crusaders have three transfers and three freshmen who have yet to appear in a regular-season game for the team.
“They played pretty well,” Walker said. “Possibly some guys were nervous, but they didn’t really show it.”
John Kiser was not in uniform Thursday because of a nose injury. He likely will also miss Saturday’s hurricane relief exhibition at Chicago State. The Crusaders hoped he would be ready for their regular-season opener against North Park.
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