As Valparaiso?s players walked, limped or were wheeled out of the locker room on Friday night at the Resch Center in Green Bay, they all shared the same blank and confused looks on their faces.
Losing isn?t something the Crusaders have gotten used to yet this season.
As hard-fought as Friday night?s one-point loss to the Phoenix was, and as long as the trips to Dayton, Youngstown and Green Bay were, the Crusaders have no time to wallow and less time for their bodies to recover.
?We have a game on Monday,? Valparaiso junior E. Victor Nickerson said. ?Plain and simple.?
Nickerson?s comment came after he was asked how long Friday?s loss would sit with the Crusaders. When he mentioned tonight?s home game at Milwaukee, he allowed himself a small smile as he knew getting back on the court would help erase the sting of missing a potential game-winning shot on Valparaiso?s final possession against the Phoenix.
Valparaiso coach Bryce Drew was proud of Nickerson for taking the shot at the end of the game and he referenced several times after Friday?s game how proud he was of his entire team. While the players were understandably somber after the game, especially with the sight of Lexus Williams crumpled on the floor after reinjuring his knee earlier in the night still fresh in their minds, Drew made a point to pull players aside on their way to the bus and preach positivity.
?This was a big game, but now we move on,? Drew said. ?We have a quick turnaround and now we have to get ready for Monday. Everything evens out over time. If we would?ve won this game and then lose on Monday, it would?ve canceled out. We need to get ready for Milwaukee.?
Just how healthy the Crusaders (18-4, 5-2) are going to be come tonight remains up in the air. Williams was already out for the year so his latest injury won?t affect the team, but Alec Peters also suffered an ankle injury against the Phoenix that forced the star sophomore to the locker room for a stretch in the first half. Peters fell to the ground after hitting a 3-pointer which gave the Crusaders a six-point lead with 5:57 left in the first half. With Peters out of the play, Kenneth Lowe raced ahead for a dunk and Peters exited the game several possessions later. He went back to the locker room and returned to the floor less than two minutes later but was clearly not the same player. Peters took just three shots in the second half and was held scoreless.
?We just tried to do anything we could to keep (the ankle) from hurting,? Peters said after the game. ?We taped it up. It hurt. It hurts now. You just have to push through it.?
While Peters should be ready to go for the Panthers tonight, it appears highly unlikely that Keith Carter will be returning to the court. The junior is still in a walking boot and has yet to resume basketball activities.
?It is what it is right now,? Peters said. ?We have a game on Monday and now that becomes our focus. We?ll let this loss sink in, but now Monday becomes the biggest game and it?s one we have to have.?
Losing isn?t something the Crusaders have gotten used to yet this season.
As hard-fought as Friday night?s one-point loss to the Phoenix was, and as long as the trips to Dayton, Youngstown and Green Bay were, the Crusaders have no time to wallow and less time for their bodies to recover.
?We have a game on Monday,? Valparaiso junior E. Victor Nickerson said. ?Plain and simple.?
Nickerson?s comment came after he was asked how long Friday?s loss would sit with the Crusaders. When he mentioned tonight?s home game at Milwaukee, he allowed himself a small smile as he knew getting back on the court would help erase the sting of missing a potential game-winning shot on Valparaiso?s final possession against the Phoenix.
Valparaiso coach Bryce Drew was proud of Nickerson for taking the shot at the end of the game and he referenced several times after Friday?s game how proud he was of his entire team. While the players were understandably somber after the game, especially with the sight of Lexus Williams crumpled on the floor after reinjuring his knee earlier in the night still fresh in their minds, Drew made a point to pull players aside on their way to the bus and preach positivity.
?This was a big game, but now we move on,? Drew said. ?We have a quick turnaround and now we have to get ready for Monday. Everything evens out over time. If we would?ve won this game and then lose on Monday, it would?ve canceled out. We need to get ready for Milwaukee.?
Just how healthy the Crusaders (18-4, 5-2) are going to be come tonight remains up in the air. Williams was already out for the year so his latest injury won?t affect the team, but Alec Peters also suffered an ankle injury against the Phoenix that forced the star sophomore to the locker room for a stretch in the first half. Peters fell to the ground after hitting a 3-pointer which gave the Crusaders a six-point lead with 5:57 left in the first half. With Peters out of the play, Kenneth Lowe raced ahead for a dunk and Peters exited the game several possessions later. He went back to the locker room and returned to the floor less than two minutes later but was clearly not the same player. Peters took just three shots in the second half and was held scoreless.
?We just tried to do anything we could to keep (the ankle) from hurting,? Peters said after the game. ?We taped it up. It hurt. It hurts now. You just have to push through it.?
While Peters should be ready to go for the Panthers tonight, it appears highly unlikely that Keith Carter will be returning to the court. The junior is still in a walking boot and has yet to resume basketball activities.
?It is what it is right now,? Peters said. ?We have a game on Monday and now that becomes our focus. We?ll let this loss sink in, but now Monday becomes the biggest game and it?s one we have to have.?
