HAMMOND, La. – Southeastern Louisiana will open its four-game stretch in the Savannah Invitational Sunday against Valparaiso at 3 p.m. in the Athletics-Recreation Center in Valparaiso, Indiana.

    The game between the Lions (1-2) and Crusaders (3-0) will be broadcast by ESPN3. It can be heard live in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM 90.9 and online at www.LionSports.net/listenlive. Live stats, provided by Valparaiso, will be accessible on the Southeastern men's basketball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.

    Southeastern will be looking to stop a two-game losing streak after falling 86-75 at ULM on Thursday. Junior guard Keith Charleston had his third career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Senior guard Eddy Polanco led the Lions with 23 points. Senior forward Jordan Capps added 14 points while junior forward Moses Greenwood contributed nine points and eight rebounds. Junior guard Marlain Veal had seven assists. The Lions shot 40.3 percent from the field, including 50 percent (11-of-22) on 3-pointers.

    Valparaiso has won its first three games, the latest a 94-69 win at SIUE on Wednesday. Senior guard Tevonn Walker led three Crusaders in double figures with 22 points. Redshirt-sophomore guards Bakari Evelyn tossed in 14 points and Markus Golder 10. Valparaiso shot 52.7 percent from the field, including 56.3 percent (9-of-16) on 3-pointers.
 
NOTES
Southeastern
    Southeastern is averaging 80.0 points on 42.5 percent shooting from the field, including a Southland Conference-best 42.9 percent on 3-pointers. The Lions also lead the conference in both free throw attempts (87) and made (59), ranking 19th and 32nd, respectively, in the nation.
 
    Southeastern is allowing 80.0 points per contest on 50.6 percent shooting, including 42.2 percent on 3s. The Lions are averaging 36.7 rebounds while giving up 35.7.
 
    Veal leads Southeastern with 16.0 points per game and is second in the league with 16 assists. He is also eighth in the SLC with seven steals.
 
    Polanco has made 17 straight free throws to open the season - tied for best in the country with Xavier (Ohio)'s Trevon Bluiett - while averaging 14.3 points.
 
    Capps is averaging 12.0 points and 4.7 rebounds. Greenwood (7.7 ppg) tops the team with 8.7 rebounds per game, fourth-best in the league. He is also third with 26 total rebounds and fourth with four blocks.
 
    This is the first meeting between Southeastern and Valparaiso.
 
    Southeastern is 2-6 against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference, going 1-1 against both Northern Iowa and Indiana State, 0-1 against Illinois State and 0-3 against Southern Illinois. Southeastern has not played a current member of the MVC since defeating Northern Iowa, 64-60, at home in 1980.
 
    Southeastern is playing in Indiana for the fifth time and the first since losing at Purdue, 105-59, on Dec. 5, 1979. The only other times the Lions have played in Indiana were against Indiana State at the Mid-Western Tournament in Terre Haute in 1951 and at Indiana State and Taylor in 1953.
 
Valparaiso
    Valparaiso is in its first season in the Missouri Valley Conference after earning a share of the Horizon League title in 2016-17. The Crusaders advanced to the NIT before losing at Illinois in the first round to finish at 24-9.
 
    Six letterwinners and two starters return, led by Walker, a 2016-17 Horizon League All-Defensive Team selection who is currently averaging a team-high 15.7 points with nine steals.
 
    Golder, a transfer from North Idaho College, leads the Crusaders with 6.3 rebounds per contest while averaging 13.0 points. Sophomore guard Micah Bradford (11.0 ppg) and sophomore center Derrik Smits (10.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg) are also scoring in double figures. Evelyn, who sat out last season after transferring from Nebraska, has a team-high 12 assists.
 
    Valparaiso is averaging 88.3 points per game on 50.0 percent shooting, including 41.2 percent on 3s. The Crusaders are allowing 53.7 points (16th in the country) on 31.4 percent shooting (10th-best nationally) and are out-rebounding opponents 43.7-32.0. Valparaiso has also forced an average of 21.0 turnovers (14th nationally), 33 coming on steals (ninth).
 
    Valparaiso leads the nation in free throw attempts (113) and is third in free throws made (78).
   
    Matt Lottich is in his second season as head coach of the Crusaders.
 
QUOTES:
Southeastern head coach Jay Ladner:
On Valparaiso…
    "Valparaiso has a great basketball tradition. They are big, talented, well-coached guys who have a high basketball IQ. They have several 7-footers, including Derrik Smits. We don't have those big, ole boys down here in Louisiana and Mississippi. They are big and very good. We are going to have our hands full but we're looking forward to getting back on the court. It's going to be a great challenge for us."
 
On the Lions creating free throw attempts…
    "I knew we were doing a good job of getting to the line. That is one of the things we want to do by pumping the ball inside, either by the pass or driving the ball."
 
On both teams creating turnovers…
    "That is certainly important to us, being able to force turnovers and get our hands on the ball and I know it is for them as well after watching them on film. They do a great job. We're just going to have to play smarter, play better, a little bit tougher, but I have been pleased with our progress so far."
 
UP NEXT:
   Southeastern continues play in the tournament at Kent State Tuesday at 6 p.m. (Central Time).