Basketball Game Preview: Valparaiso Vikings vs. 21st Century Charter Cougars

The Valparaiso Vikings will take on the 21st Century Charter Cougars in a holiday battle at at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

Last Saturday, Valparaiso beat Kankakee Valley 55-46. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Vikings.

Valparaiso got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Julian Stokes out in front who posted nine points along with three steals and three blocks. The dominant performance gave Stokes a new career-high in steals. Caden Crowell was another key player, going 5 for 10 on his way to 14 points.

Meanwhile, 21st Century Charter put another one in the bag on Saturday to keep their perfect season alive. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Tindley 101-62. Fans of the Cougars have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.

21st Century Charter's win came from a few key players Valparaiso will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Terrence Hayes, who dropped a triple-double on 32 points, ten boards, and 11 assists. His afternoon made it four games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Lemetrius Williams, who dropped a triple-double on 18 points, 12 rebounds, and ten assists.

21st Century Charter's win was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-0. As for Valparaiso, their victory bumped their record up to 2-3.

Valparaiso didn't have too much breathing room in their match against 21st Century Charter in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, but they still walked away with a 68-64 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Williams, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 11 boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Valparaiso still be able to contain Williams? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.