How to watch Illinois State Redbirds vs. Valparaiso Beacons: Live stream, TV channel, start time for Sunday's NCAA Basketball game

How to watch Illinois State vs. Valparaiso basketball game

By Scout Staff

Jan 14, 2024 at 3:50 pm ET • 3 min read

Halftime Report

Fortunes may be turning around for Valparaiso after losing ten in a row. They have jumped out to a quick 28-20 lead against Illinois State.

If Valparaiso keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 5-12 in no time. On the other hand, Illinois State will have to make due with an 8-9 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

Valparaiso Beacons @ Illinois State Redbirds

Current Records: Valparaiso 4-12, Illinois State 8-8

How To Watch

When: Sunday, January 14, 2024 at 3 p.m. ET
Where: CEFCU Arena -- Normal, Illinois
Follow: CBS Sports App
Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
Ticket Cost: $17.00

What to Know

Valparaiso is 9-1 against Illinois State since January of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Sunday. Both teams will face off in a Missouri Valley battle at 3:00 p.m. ET at CEFCU Arena. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with ten consecutive losses for Valparaiso and four for Illinois State.

It's hard to win when your three-point shooting is a whole 22.5% worse than the opposition, a fact Valparaiso found out the hard way on Wednesday. They took a 77-68 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Salukis. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Valparaiso in their matchups with Southern Illinois: they've now lost five in a row.

Despite their loss, Valparaiso saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Isaiah Stafford, who scored 19 points, was perhaps the best of all.

Meanwhile, Illinois State's game on Wednesday was all tied up 34-34 at the half, but sadly for them it didn't stay that way. They fell 67-60 to the Bruins. That's two games in a row now that Illinois State has lost by exactly seven points.

The losing side was boosted by Jordan Davis, who scored 18 points along with nine rebounds and three steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season.

The Beacons bumped their record down to 4-12 with that loss, which was their fifth straight at home. Those losses could be blamed on the team's lackluster offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 63.4 points per game. As for the Redbirds, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-8.

Valparaiso is hoping to beat the odds on Sunday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. This contest will be their sixth straight as the underdogs (so far over this stretch they are 2-2-1 against the spread).

Valparaiso beat Illinois State 81-76 when the teams last played back in February of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Valparaiso since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.