The opening stretch of Missouri Valley Conference play wraps up on Saturday when the University of Evansville men’s basketball team plays host to Indiana State in a 1 p.m. game at the Ford Center.
Setting the Scene
– The Aces have won three of the last four home games against the Sycamores
– Evansville enters Saturday’s game with an 8-1 mark in nine home games; UE has excelled at home in recent years, going 10-1 to start the 2017-18 season, 9-1 in its first ten games in 2016-17 and 11-0 to start the 2015-16 campaign
Last Time Out
– Putting together what was arguably its best game of the year, the Purple Aces defeated Loyola by a 67-48 final on Tuesday night at the Ford Center
– UE had its best shooting night of the season, finishing at 52.9%; it was the first time UE finished at 50% or higher this season
– K.J. Riley had 15 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds while Marty Hill and Shea Feehan scored 13 points apiece
– The defense held Loyola to just 37.3% shooting and a 6-to-17 assist/turnover ratio
– Trailing 6-5, UE went on a 13-0 run and led by double figures for the duration
Takeaways from Loyola
– Evansville was 8-of-19 (42.1%) from outside; it was the first time UE shot 40% from 3-point range since finishing at 47.1% (8/17) at Ball State
– Through three MVC games, UE is allowing the opposition to shoot just 19.6% from long range
– In the three game prior to the Loyola contest, Noah Frederking attempted just one shot; he was 2-3 from outside versus the Ramblers with six points
– Dainius Chatkevicius attempted and made his first three in the contest
Putting it together
– Marty Hill is gaining confidence each and every time out and chipped in 13 more points on a 5-of-7 night from the floor against Loyola
– Hill has been on fire from outside, hitting 13 of his last 23 attempts from long range; in the last two home games, he is 8-of-11 from outside
– In the home win over Drake, Hill scored 24 points while hitting five out of seven 3-pointers in 39 minutes of work
Winning with Defense
– After holding Loyola to 37.3% shooting, the Aces have rocketed to the top of the Valley standings in shooting defense; opponents are shooting just 41.5% against UE
– Over its last seven games, Evansville has held each opponent to 40.3% shooting or lower
– The 3-point defense for the Aces is 2nd in the league, giving up just 30.9% of its outside shots; MVC opponents are shooting just 19.6% against UE from outside
Scouting the Opponent
– Indiana State makes its way south on Route 41 with a 9-6 mark and have gone 1-2 to begin Valley play
– The Sycamores opened with a loss at Loyola before earning a 65-60 win over Bradley
– Last time out, they were defeated by Missouri State, 72-57
– Jordan Barnes and Tyreke Key anchor the ISU offense, averaging 18.2 and 16.1 points per game
– Barnes excels from the line, shooting 88.9% while Key is shooting 54.8% from the field and 52.8% from outside
