UE set to open the regular season on Tuesday
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Four players finished in double figures on Thursday to lift the University of Evansville men’s basketball team to a 74-64 win over Kentucky Wesleyan in the final preseason tune-up at the Ford Center.
Leading the Purple Aces was Shamar Givance. A 9-of-10 effort from the line saw him finish with 12 points and 6 rebounds. Blaise Beauchamp had an efficient evening, totaling 15 points on a 5-for-8 outing from the field. Evan Kuhlman added 12 points and a team-high 8 rebounds while Noah Frederking hit four of his five attempts to add ten. Givance led UE with four assists while Beauchamp notched a pair of steals.
“Exhibitions are good tools to use different combinations and lineups. There are lessons to be learned and the experience you gain from these games are valuable,†UE head coach Todd Lickliter said. “It definitely served its purpose as well as we could have expected. You will find out in games what the matchups and combinations are. It is good to have these experiences before opening up the regular season.â€
A tenacious Kentucky Wesleyan squad overcame multiple 13-point deficits to keep the game close. The Panthers were led by Jomel Boyd’s 20-point, 12-rebound effort. Wyatt Battaile added 16.
Connecting on three of the opening four shots of the night, the Purple Aces jumped out to a 9-0 advantage over the first four minutes. Shamar Givance hit a triple to get the Aces on the board before the first of the night from Noah Frederking made it a 6-0 game. Frederking added a layup before a free throw by Iyen Enaruna finished off the opening run. Kentucky Wesleyan missed their opening nine attempts of the game before a triple from Jomel Boyd got them on the board at the 15:18 mark.
Following another basket by the Panthers, Aces countered to take their largest lead to that point. A 4-point play by Evan Kuhlman was followed by a triple from Blake Sisley that gave Evansville an 18-5 lead with 11:36 remaining in the opening half. Five minutes later, a pair of free throws by Jawaun Newton reestablished the 13-point advantage at 26-13. That is when KWC made its move, scoring the next ten points to make it a 1-possession game. The Panthers defense held the Aces to six consecutive missed shots while forcing two turnovers. With 1:09 remaining, a triple by Evan Kuhlman ended the stretch before a late basket by the visitors made it a 29-25 game in favor of UE at the break.
In the opening moments of the second half, Kentucky Wesleyan continued to make their way back. After a Givance basket gave UE a 31-27 lead, the Panthers rallied back with consecutive baskets to tie the score at 31-31 two minutes in. A huge turning point for the Aces came when Givance found Frederking for an open three. That basket was the start of a 12-2 stretch that saw UE go back up by double figures at 45-35. Antoine Smith Jr. capped off the run with a 3-pointer. As the game reached under 11 minutes remaining, it was Blaise Beauchamp who helped the Aces add to the lead. Back-to-back baskets by the sophomore saw UE match its largest lead at 51-38.
Kentucky Wesleyan continued to remain within striking distance, getting as close as seven points (59-52) with 5:22 on the clock, but the Aces had the answer each time and were able to fend off the challenges for a 74-64 win,
UE shot 46.9% on the night with KWC finishing at 39.0%. Helping Evansville’s offense was a 12-for-24 finish from outside with the Panthers finishing 4-of-18.
With the exhibition season complete, Evansville now has its sights set on Tuesday’s season opener at Cincinnati.
