McNair scores 17 off the bench, Valparaiso knocks off Southern Illinois 69-63

By Canadian Press on January 21, 2026.

VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) — Justus McNair helped lead Valparaiso past Southern Illinois on Wednesday with 17 points off of the bench in a 69-63 win.

McNair shot 6 for 8, including 4 for 6 from beyond the arc for the Beacons (10-10, 4-5 Missouri Valley Conference). Brody Whitaker scored 12 points, shooting 1 of 4 from the field and a perfect 9 for 9 from the line. Isaiah Barnes finished 3 of 5 shooting to add eight points.

The Salukis (8-12, 2-7) were led in scoring by Jalen Haynes, who finished with 17 points and five assists. Drew Steffe added 14 points, and Prince Aligbe also had 10 points and eight rebounds.

Whitaker led Valpo with 12 points in the second half as the Beacons were outscored by 13 points over the final half but held on for the victory.

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

The Associated Press