UE Looks For Fourth Win In A Row
 One of the most legendary Purple Aces will be recognized on Saturday as Larry Humes will be honored when the University of Evansville men’s basketball team takes on Miami Ohio on Saturday afternoon at the Ford Center.  The tip is set for 1 p.m. with ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network on the call.
Humes, who was inducted into the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame in the fall and is set to officially be welcomed into the Missouri Valley Conference Hall of Fame in March, will be recognized with an on-court presentation at halftime. Prior to the game, fans are invited to the DoubleTree by Hilton, which is direct across from the Ford Center. At 11:15 a.m., Humes will be on hand for a pregame appearance that will include autographs and fan interaction.
 Setting the Scene
– For the 8th time since 2009, the Aces and RedHawks meet up on the hardwood
– Overall, UE is 11-5 against Miami, but the RedHawks picked up the win last season by a 70-67 final in Oxford
– Since posting two points in consecutive games, DeAndre Williams has gotten back on track, averaging 18.3 points and 10.0 rebounds in the last three contests
– As a team, the Aces have improved in several facets over the recent win streak; in the three losses, UE was outrebounded by 13.3 boards per game – the last three games have seen that number drop down to just 3.4 per contest
– UE’s shooting has gone up – the Aces have shot 48.6% in the win streak while the three losses saw the team finish at 37.9%
Last Time Out
– A back-and-forth contest saw the Aces hold on for a 90-86 win over Western Illinois on Wednesday night at the Ford Center
– Four days after points 20 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists at IUPUI, DeAndre Williams recorded a 21-point, 9-rebound and 4-assist effort; his point and rebound totals were both game-highs
– Sam Cunliffe scored 15 points and hauled in 6 rebounds while K.J. Riley recorded 10
– As a team, the Aces drained 15 3-pointers, the most in Ford Center history
– Evansville trailed at the half for the sixth game in a row, heading to the break trailing by a 43-39 score, but rallied in the early moments of the second half
– Jawaun Newton hit a triple with 1:07 remaining that gave Evansville the lead for good and K.J. Riley added the two clinching free throws with four ticks on the clock
Dialing up from Downtown
– In the win over Western Illinois, the Aces connected on 15 3-pointers, the most for the team in a home game at the Ford Center
– It marked the 11th time the Aces have hit 10 or more triples in 41 games under head coach Walter McCarty
– Between the start of the 2009-10 season and the end of the 2017-18 campaign, the program hit 10+ triples just 11 times in 298 games
Over 50
– Entering the December 4 game against Western Illinois, UE was 0-12 since the start of the 2018-19 season when the opponent shot 50% or higher
– The Aces ended the streak, earning a 90-86 win over a WIU team that shot 55.6%
– UE was 1-1 last season when finishing at 50% or better, but is a perfect 3-0 in that stat this season
Scouting the Opponent
– Miami Ohio brings their even 4-4 mark to the Ford Center
– After starting the season with a 4-1 record, the RedHawks have dropped their last three games, including a 76-54 game against Northern Kentucky on Tuesday
– Nike Sibande averages a team-high 15.1 points per game while Delonte Brown stands with 14.0 points to go along with a team-best 7.4 rebounds and six blocks
– Evansville native Mekhi Lairy is third in scoring with 8.0 points but leads the team with 30 assists on the season
