College basketball returned on Tuesday night at the Athletics-Recreation Center, and so did all of the drama that comes with it. Valparaiso University men's basketball freshman JT Pettigrew (Lisle, Ill. / Bolingbrook) turned in a traditional 3-point play with 10 seconds remaining, and the Beacons held on to beat visiting Eastern Illinois 66-63 to usher in the 2025-2026 campaign. Isaiah Barnes (Chicago, Ill. / Simeon Career Academy [Tulsa/Michigan]) started his Valpo career with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds.
 
How It Happened

• The Beacons scored the game's first five points, including a triple by Mark Brown Jr. (South Phoenix, Ariz. / Bella Vista Prep [Snow College]) that accounted for the first points of the season.
• Valpo held a 12-5 edge, but EIU went on a 9-0 run to take a 14-12 lead with 8:40 left in the first half.
• An offensive rebound by Carter Hopoi (Tauranga, New Zealand / Mount Maunganui College NZ) led to a 3 by Brown to end the Beacon drought and put the hosts back in front.
• A 6-0 Valpo run that finished on a bucket by Barnes with three minutes left in the half lifted the lead to 11 at 27-16.
• Eastern Illinois followed with a 9-0 burst of its own, cutting the lead all the way to two with 55 seconds left in the half.
• Fifth-year senior Brody Whitaker (Green Castle, Ind. / Greencastle [University of Indianapolis / Marian]) splashed in a 3 just before the halftime horn, allowing Valpo to go into the break with a 31-25 advantage.
• Valpo scored the first five points of the second half including another Whitaker 3, stretching the lead to 13 at 38-25.
• EIU whittled the lead to three at 42-39 with 12:04 left in the half, and eventually cut it all the way to one before Rakim Chaney (Rockford, Ill. / Rockford Auburn [212° Sports Academy]) hit a 3 to boost the edge to four at 47-43.
• The Panthers tied the game at 51 on a jumper by Malik Olafioye with 5:45 remaining, then took the lead when he made another shot on the next EIU possession.
• Barnes buried a big 3 with 2:54 on the clock to put Valpo back ahead 58-57.
• Eastern Illinois split a pair of free throws to go up by two at 63-61 with 20 seconds left after they had taken the lead on a layup with 51 ticks on the clock.
• Pettigrew came through with 10 seconds left, driving to the basket and finishing despite being fouled. He completed the 3-point play to inch the Beacons ahead 64-63. A travel was whistled against EIU on a drive to the basket with three seconds to go, and then Chaney drained both free throws to account for the final.

Inside the Game

• Pettigrew became the second freshman to start a season opener under Roger Powell Jr., joining Cooper Schwieger. Before Schwieger, the last Valpo rookie to start the opener was Sheldon Edwards in 2020-21.
• Valpo improved to 10-4 in season openers over the last 14 years.
• The Beacons are now 20-1 in the last 21 home openers including 3-0 during the Roger Powell Jr. head coaching era.
• Valpo extended its head-to-head winning streak against Eastern Illinois to 10.
• Valpo has won its last seven games decided by three points or fewer. Valpo's last two wins have both come by three points or fewer, Tuesday's season opener and last year's MVC quarterfinal vs. UNI (W 64-63).
• Barnes finished with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds in his Valpo debut.
• The 10 boards tied Barnes' career high, which he reached on three prior occasions while at Tulsa, most recently Feb. 19 of last season. This marked his second collegiate double-double and first since Nov. 11, 2023 vs. Incarnate Word while playing for Tulsa.
• Eastern Illinois committed 20 turnovers, the most by a Valpo opponent since Evansville also had 20 on Jan. 25, 2025 and tied for the most by a Valpo Division-I opponent since SIUE's 24 on Dec. 9, 2020.
• Pettigrew and Chaney had 13 and 12 points, respectively, in their collegiate debuts.
• Chaney swiped five steals, the most by a Valpo freshman since Connor Barrett on Jan. 9, 2021 vs. Missouri State. Chaney joined Barrett, Javon Freeman-Liberty and Matt Kenney as the only Valpo rookies in the last 15 years with five steals in a game.
• Hopoi squeezed six boards as part of a trio of rookies who all played at least 24 minutes.
• The Beacons came away victorious while overcoming 14 turnovers, 14 missed free throws (21-of-35) and shooting struggles from the floor (34.5 percent) and from 3 (22.6 percent).
• Valpo held a 16-10 edge on the offensive glass and outscored EIU on second-chance points 17-3.

Postgame Press Conference
Click here for postgame press conference.
 
Up Next
Valpo (1-0) will visit No. 9 Kentucky on Friday at 6 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. ET in Lexington, Ky. The game will air on SECN+.