Valparaiso comes up short despite Jack Smiley's strong performance

By Team Reports Feb 11, 2024, 11:50am

Recap: Valparaiso Vikings vs. Crown Point Bulldogs

It was a good run, but the Valparaiso Vikings unfortunately witnessed the end of their five-game winning streak on Friday. They fell just short of Crown Point by a score of 58-55. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat Valparaiso has suffered since November 22, 2023.

When it comes to explaining why Valparaiso lost, one person who can't be blamed is Jack Smiley. Despite the final result, he scored 28 points along with six assists and five rebounds. That was a full 50.9% of Valparaiso's points, marking the fourth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Caden Crowell was another key contributor, scoring 12 points.

Valparaiso's loss ended a ten-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 16-5. As for Crown Point, they are on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 15-4 record this season.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Valparaiso's homestand continues as they prepare to take on Michigan City at 7:00 p.m. on February 13th. Valparaiso has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 448 points over their last seven matches. As for Crown Point, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Lake Central at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.