Grand Canyon, Valpo meet in U.S. Virgin Islands

Valparaiso (3-1) vs. Grand Canyon (2-3)

U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam , Virgin Islands Sport & Fitness Center, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Friday, 1 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Valparaiso is set to take on Grand Canyon in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam. Grand Canyon earned a 69-56 win over Montana State on Tuesday, while Valparaiso won 74-60 against North Dakota on Sunday.

STEPPING UP: The explosive Javon Freeman-Liberty is averaging 22.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and two steals to lead the way for the Crusaders. Nick Robinson is also a primary contributor, maintaining an average of 11.3 points and six rebounds per game. The Antelopes have been led by Carlos Johnson, who is averaging 14 points and 6.4 rebounds.

CREATING OFFENSE: Freeman-Liberty has been directly responsible for 44 percent of all Valparaiso field goals over the last three games. Freeman-Liberty has 26 field goals and nine assists in those games.

ASSIST-TO-FG RATIO: The Antelopes have recently used assists to create baskets more often than the Crusaders. Grand Canyon has an assist on 44 of 65 field goals (67.7 percent) over its previous three games while Valparaiso has assists on 51 of 80 field goals (63.8 percent) during its past three games.

DID YOU KNOW: Valparaiso is ranked second among MVC teams with an average of 78 points per game.