Aces resume play today at Cincinnati
UE enters the game with a 10-2 record
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Non-conference play comes to an end on Friday evening when the University of Evansville men’s basketball team squares off against the University of Cincinnati. Tip is set for 6 p.m. CT with ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network having the coverage.
Noting the Start  Â
– For the first time in five seasons, the Purple Aces have won double-digit games, earning win #10 of 2023 with an 82-51 victory over Tennessee Tech on Dec. 20
– With the win, UE clinched its first 10-win season since earning 11 victories in 2018-19; the 10th win also doubled the win total from the entirety of last season
– The 31-point win margin was the most for the Aces against a Division I program since Feb. 24, 2018 when UE defeated Southern Illinois by a final of 75-44
Last Time Out
– In one of its most dominant efforts of the season, Evansville earned an 82-51 win over Tennessee Tech on Dec. 20
– UE led by as many as 40 in the second half and trailed just once in the early minutes
– Three UE players reached double figures with Chuck Bailey III leading the way with 18 points; Ben Humrichous recorded 15 while Yacine Toumi had his first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 boards
Award #4
-Â For the second week in a row and the fourth time this year, Chuck Bailey III was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week on Dec. 27
– He garnered the accolade on Dec. 18, Dec. 4 and Nov. 14
– Bailey led UE with 18 points in the win over TTU and averaged 15 points in a pair of games last week
– In the win at Bellarmine, he scored 12 points and had a 4-point play that broke a tie in the final four minutes to give the Aces a lead they would not give up
– He followed that up with 12 points against UT Martin while adding 6 rebounds
– Bailey is second on the squad with 10.7 points per contest
Perfection From Outside
– In the victory over Tennessee Tech, Ben Humrichous was a perfect 5-for-5 from long range on his way to 15 points and was recognized as the MVC Newcomer of the Week for the second time in 2023
– His season average of 16.3 points continues to lead the Aces
– He scored 15 against UT Martin and 12 in the road win at Bellarmine and has scored at least 8 points in all 12 contests thus far
– Humrichous set his season mark with 9 boards in the games at Bellarmine and versus the Skyhawks; he is averaging 6.8 boards over his last five games
The Mark of Efficiency
– Joshua Hughes has quietly averaged 7.8 points over the last five games while shooting 61.5% from the field and 66.7% from long range
– He is tied for 6th in the MVC with 1.25 blocks per game
– Converting 8 of his 12 attempts in the Nov. 25 win over SEMO, he reset his UE scoring mark with 21 points
– For the season, he is averaging 8.3 points and 4.7 boards
– Hughes scored 11 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting day in the UNI win
Scouting the Opponent
– Cincinnati comes into Friday’s match-up with an identical 10-2 record
– On Dec. 19, the Bearcats earned a 65-49 win over Merrimack; the only losses for UC have come against Xavier and Dayton
– Following the game against the Aces, Cincinnati travels to BYU for its first-ever Big 12 game
– Three players average double figures for the Bearcats with Viktor Lakhin leading the way with 13.8 PPG; he is second on the squad with 8.5 rebounds
– Day Day Thomas and Dan Skillings Jr. average 11.5 and 11.3 PPG, respectively
– Aziz Bandaogo checks in with 9.2 points and a te
