VU Basketball
Max effort boosts Valpo
Joseph's big game makes Lottich a winner in head coaching debut
Matt Lottich screamed and yelled. He contorted and exhorted.
He jumped. He pumped his fist.
He received a warning for leaving the coaching box, ranging near midcourt.
After his first game as Valparaiso's coach, a 79-65 win for the Crusaders over Southern Utah on Friday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center, he exchanged a series of hugs.
“I was very excited coming into this game,” Lottich said. “I tried to calm my nerves. Toward the end of the game, I was just myself. I'm naturally a pretty energetic person, so I started getting energetic on the sidelines.
“The players do feed off me, they feed off the coaching staff. So if I'm a little nervous, they're a little nervous. Toward the end of the game, I definitely got out of my shell, and they definitely got out of theirs.”
Perhaps no player more so than Max Joseph. The junior guard had a career-high 13 points and six rebounds.
The Crusaders (1-0) had a 14-point lead early in the second half shrink to two with seven minutes left before Joseph helped them hold off the Thunderbirds (0-1). In the final 5
“It always feels good,” Joseph said. “I've been preparing for this basically my whole life.”
Joseph's performance was particularly important after Tevonn Walker left the game with 15 minutes left after getting hit in the mouth. He headed to the locker room and did not return. Walker's status was not immediately known, but Lottich said the junior guard chipped teeth.
Lottich had confidence in Joseph.
“Max played fantastic,” Lottich said. “He played great defense in the first half, gave us a lot of energy. I'm not surprised. He's been in a tough situation the last two years. We've had a deep team. But we saw it every day in practice, so we're not surprised to see him performing the way he is. He has a physical frame he can impose on people, and our team really fed off his energy.”
Senior forward Alec Peters had 23 points and eight rebounds for the Crusaders, despite a relatively slow start. He didn't score until the 9:11 mark of the first half, making the second of two free throws. He missed his first six shots before converting on a post-up with 2:15 left in the half, adding two more baskets in a little more than a minute.
Peters made 13 straight free throws after missing his first.
“It's a long season,” Peters said. “You're going to have games like this and games that aren't like this. I just try to get to the free-throw line as best as I can. With the way they're calling things, that's an emphasis for anybody who's not getting their shot to fall. You have to find other ways.”
Valparaiso, which also received 15 points and six rebounds from Shane Hammink, trailed 13-6 with 15:26 left in the first half before taking control.
The Crusaders held Southern Utah, which received 35 points from Randy Onwuasor, scoreless for 7
Valparaiso led 40-28 at halftime.
Before the game, the Crusaders raised banners to commemorate last season's Horizon League regular-season title and NIT championship game appearance.
“You realize your days here are numbered, so you just try to cherish it as much as you can, take it all in, take a moment before the game,” Peters said.
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