The Crusade Continues

Valparaiso proved it was more than merely a one-shot wonder from a small Hoosier town in basketball-crazy Indiana.

The Crusaders, champions of the unheralded Mid-Continent Conference, beat Florida State, 83-77, in overtime Sunday to continue their surprising run through the NCAA tournament.

“We’re a school of 3,500 and [the Seminoles] are a school of 30,000,” Valparaiso Coach Homer Drew said. “Only in America and only in the NCAA tournament can you have the opportunity to go against the best athletes and best programs in America. We beat two schools from the best conferences in America.”

Valparaiso made it to the round of 16 when Bob Jenkins and Antanas Vilcinskas made follow shots in the final two minutes of overtime of the Midwest Regional game.

On Friday in St. Louis, The Crusaders (23-9) will play Rhode Island, which shocked top-seeded Kansas, 80-75.

Bryce Drew, the coach’s son whose buzzer-beating three-point basket knocked out fourth-seeded Mississippi, 70-69, in the first round, scored 22 points and made two free throws to seal the victory with 8.3 seconds left.

But the follow shots by Jenkins with 1:31 to play and Vilcinskas with 25.3 seconds remaining knocked out the Seminoles, the 12th-seeded team and final at-large team selected for the tournament.

Valparaiso’s appearance in the final 16 will be only the second time in history of the tournament that a 13th-seeded team has made it that far. Richmond did it in 1988.

The Crusaders’ Bill Jenkins made one of two free throws with 30.5 seconds left to tie the score, 75-75, after Ronald Thompson had missed a free throw for Florida State.

Florida State was led by Randell Jackson and Kerry Thompson with 16 points each.