Wright scores 29, Valparaiso downs Southern Illinois 83-79

Feb 23, 2026, 10:44 am

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- — All Wright had 29 points in Valparaiso's 83-79 victory against Southern Illinois on Saturday night.

Wright shot 10 of 26 from the field, including 3 for 8 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 6 from the line for the Beacons (13-16, 6-12 Missouri Valley Conference). Justus McNair scored 14 points while shooting 4 for 6 (2 for 4 from 3-point range) and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. Cooper Schwieger shot 4 of 12 from the field and 4 for 4 from the line to finish with 12 points, while adding eight rebounds.

Kennard Davis led the way for the Salukis (12-17, 7-11) with 21 points and six assists. Ali Abdou Dibba added 16 points and seven rebounds for Southern Illinois. Damien Mayo Jr. and Drew Steffe had 11 points apiece.

Valparaiso used a 15-2 second-half run to erase a five-point deficit and take the lead at 81-73 with 2:58 remaining. McNair scored 14 second-half points.

NEXT UP

Valparaiso plays Wednesday against Bradley at home, and Southern Illinois hosts Illinois State on Tuesday.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.