Schnitker's three lifts ISU Sycamores to 70-68 OT win over Valpo

TERRE HAUTE, IN (12-9-2004) – Tyson Schnitker’s three-point shot with five seconds left in overtime lifted the Sycamores to a 70-68 victory over Valparaiso in front of 4,519 Thursday night (Dec. 9) at Hulman Center. The win is the third in a row for the Sycamores (4-2), while the loss drops Valparaiso to 0-5.

Sycamore guard David Moss scored a season-high 27 points and hauled in a career-best 14 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. The junior finished 9-of-16 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Jerod Adler added 17 points and Schnitker finished with 10 points.

Dan Oppland led the Crusaders with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Oppland finished 8-of-17 from the field and was 8-of-9 from the charity stripe. Seth Colclasure came off the bench for Valpo to add nine points while Jimmie Myles and Jarryd Loyd each pitched in seven points.

Trailing by 12 at halftime, the Sycamores clawed their way back into the game and tied the game, 55-55, when Eric Gray hit two free throws with 1:53 to play in regulation. After the Crusaders once again tied the game, Moss hit two free throws of his own to give the Sycamores a two-point lead with 11 seconds to go in regulation. The Crusaders moved the ball up the court and got the ball to Oppland who stepped inside the three-point arc and hit a jumper at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.

After Valpo’s Shawn Huff hit two free throws to give the Crusaders a two-point lead with 1:04 to go in overtime, Schnitker hit a crucial three pointer to give the Trees a one point lead (67-66) with 50 seconds to play. On VU’s ensuing possession, Huff hit a jumper to give the Crusaders the lead, 68-67. Moss posted on the left block and passed to Gabriel Moore at the top of the arc. Moore swung the ball to the right where Schnitker hit the game-winner.

The Sycamores finished the game shooting 38 percent from the floor, while Valpo shot 36 percent. The Crusaders out-rebounded ISU 46-36, and scored two more points in the paint than the Sycamores (30-28).

The Sycamores will return to action on Saturday, December 11 when they host the Butler Bulldogs. The game will be televised locally in Terre Haute on WTWO NewsChannel 2. USA-365.com provides live Internet audio streaming with Brian Fritz providing the play-by-play and Jim Waugh with the color commentary. The pre-game show starts at 5:40 p.m., with the tip-off set for 6:05 p.m., CST (7:05 p.m., EST) on www.USA-365.com.

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