ST. LOUIS (Interstat) — In a Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinal defined by grit over grace, the Valparaiso Beacons survived a frantic final possession to edge the Indiana State Sycamores 63-62 on Thursday night at Enterprise Center.

The victory, secured when Shon Tupuola blocked Camp Wagner’s driving layup attempt at the buzzer, advanced Valparaiso and ended a frustrating season for Indiana State marked by narrow defeats.

The game was a defensive struggle from the outset, with both teams struggling to find offensive rhythm. The Sycamores leveraged their size early, building a first-half lead behind the interior play of Ian Scott and Markus Harding. Indiana State led by as many as nine points and took a 37-28 advantage into halftime, holding Valparaiso to just 21-of-57 shooting for the game.

Valparaiso’s offense ran almost exclusively through guard Rakim Chaney. The Rockford, Illinois, native scored 18 points and dished out five assists, repeatedly breaking down the Sycamores’ defense to create opportunities. His backcourt mate, Brody Whitaker, added 10 points.

The Beacons chipped away at the deficit throughout the second half, finally drawing even and then taking the lead with under five minutes to play. A key sequence occurred with Valparaiso clinging to a one-point lead in the final minute. After a missed three-pointer by Indiana State’s Xavier Hall, Valparaiso’s Sader Servilus secured a critical defensive rebound and was fouled. He made one of two free throws with 32 seconds left to extend the Beacon lead to 63-62.

Indiana State called a timeout to set up a final play. The Sycamores worked the ball to Wagner, their leading scorer with 13 points, who drove hard to the basket. Tupuola, who had just re-entered the game for defensive purposes, met him at the rim and cleanly swatted the shot away as time expired, triggering a celebration for the Beacons.

The statistical sheet underscored the game’s ragged nature. Both teams finished with identical 61 possessions, with offensive ratings of 102.5 for Valparaiso and 101.8 for Indiana State. The Sycamores shot a higher percentage from the field (46.4% to 36.8%) but were undone by a stark disparity at the free-throw line. Valparaiso attempted 22 free throws, making 13, while Indiana State went to the line only four times, converting three.

Valparaiso also won the turnover battle, forcing 13 Sycamores miscues while committing only eight, and held a 14-10 advantage in offensive rebounds. JT Pettigrew was a major factor on the glass for the Beacons, pulling down 14 points and several key offensive boards.

For Indiana State, Scott finished with 12 points, three assists and three blocks. Enel St. Bernard provided efficient energy off the bench with 10 points in 19 minutes. The Sycamores’ ball movement was limited, registering only four assists as a team.

The most important part of the game was unquestionably the final defensive stand by Valparaiso. After Servilus’s free throw, Indiana State had 12 seconds to win or tie. The Sycamores executed their play, getting the ball to their primary option in Wagner. Tupuola’s game-saving block was a perfectly timed culmination of a half defined by Valparaiso’s defensive resilience, erasing Indiana State’s last chance and sealing a victory that was far from aesthetically pleasing but effective.

The loss concluded a trying season for Indiana State, which finished 11-21. Three of those losses came to Valparaiso, each by a single possession, including a 76-75 defeat on Feb. 15 and a 76-72 overtime loss on Jan. 31. Valparaiso improved to 18-14 and will face Bradley in the tournament semifinals on Friday.

The game failed to reach the projected total, finishing well under the over/under line of 136.5. Valparaiso covered the pregame spread of -2.5 as a slight favorite.