Aces and Bears to tangle at 3 p.m.
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A pivotal Missouri Valley Conference battle will take place on Saturday at the Ford Center as the University of Evansville men’s basketball team will play host to Missouri State at 3 p.m.
Over the course of the last six games between the squads, the Purple Aces have won five times. UE has also won five of the last six home tilts dating back to the 2010-11 campaign.
Wednesday’s game saw Evansville grab a double-digit lead in the first half and extend it to 12 in the final 20 minutes at Indiana State, but the Sycamores shot 57.1% in the second half to overcome the deficit and defeat the Purple Aces by a final of 85-84 in overtime.
Hitting all 16 free throw attempts, Jaylon Brown finished the game with 25 points while playing 43 out of 45 minutes. Ryan Taylor finished the game with 18 points while Christian Benzon had 12 and Dru Smith finished the night with 10. After shooting 63.6% in the first half, UE was 37.5% in the final 20 minutes of regulation before going 1-4 in the overtime period.
Making his 7th start of the season on Wednesday at Indiana State, Dru Smith had one of his best all-around games against the Sycamores. Along with his 10 points, Smith dished out seven assists and notched three steals in 36 minutes of play. Smith’s seven helpers tied his career mark while his steal and minute total were his best of the season.
Missouri State enters Saturday’s game with a 15-9 mark and a 6-5 record in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bears are in a tie for third place in the league, matching the 6-5 mark of Loyola and Southern Illinois.
Two Bears score in double figures, led by Alize Johnson; Johnson has notched 14.8 points per game and an MVC-leading 10.8 rebounds. Dequon Miller checks in with 12.6 PPG and is the defending conference Newcomer of the Year. MSU has played three overtime games in a row, most recently earning an 82-81 home win over Loyola.
A 55-51 win in Springfield last month gave Missouri State a 34-32 lead in the series over the Aces. UE has won five out of the last six games overall and five out of the last six meetings that have taken place in Evansville.
