Tip set for 6 p.m. at the Ford Center
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Tuesday will mark the Missouri Valley Conference opener for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team who plays host to Belmont at 6 p.m. inside the Ford Center. ESPN+ and Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.
Looking Back
– Last season, the UE excelled against the Bruins, splitting the season series
– Following a close 85-82 home loss, UE earned an 80-75 road win at Curb Event Center on Feb. 2
– Josh Hughes and Connor Turnbull scored 14 points apiece in the road triumph
Last Time Out
– Saturday’s game at Notre Dame saw Connor Turnbull lead the Purple Aces with 17 points and 9 boards in an 82-58 loss
– Josh Hughes added 14 points
– Evansville trimmed a 12-point halftime deficit to just three points (52-49) before UND went on a 26-4 run to pull away
Record-Breaking Performance
– Connor Turnbull set the UE program record with nine blocked shots at WKU and is averaging 6.0 blocks over the last three games
– His total broke the previous Aces mark of eight, which happened on three occasions, and was the most by an MVC player since Ehimen Orukpe of Wichita State had nine against Southern Illinois on Jan. 9, 2013
– On Dec. 8, he was named the MVC Player of the Week after averaging 20 points, 9 boards, and 7 blocks against WKU and BSU
– In the win over Ball State, he posted season highs in points (21) and boards (5) on the way to his second collegiate double-double
– Turnbull is averaging 18.75 PPG over the last four games and has a total of 21 blocks over that span
Still Going Strong
– While AJ Casey has not reached double figures over the last four games, he has registered a solid 6.25 points and 5.75 rebounds per game
– Included in that rebound tally is a career-high 11 caroms in the win over Ball State that saw him add nine points
– Casey is tied for 10th in the MVC with 5.73 boards/game and is tied for 4th in offensive caroms (2.36/gm)
Back to Form
– In the four games leading to the contest at Notre Dame, Josh Hughes averaged 4.0 points per game after posting 13.2 PPG in the first six games
– He knocked down four of his eight attempts from outside to finish with 14 points against the Fighting Irish
– Two of his three career double-doubles have come in the first six games of the season; after opening the season with 15 points and 11 boards at #1 Purdue, Hughes recorded 16 points and a career-best 12 boards in the win over Oregon State
Scouting the Opponent
– Belmont comes into Tuesday’s game with a 10-1 record following an 87-84 win over UIC in their MVC opener on Saturday
– The only loss for the Bruins came against Richmond on Dec. 3
– They have multiple impressive wins this season including Air Force, Oral Roberts, Toledo, Charleston, and Middle Tennessee State
– Four Bruins averaged double figures with Tyler Lundblade leading the way with 15.9 points per game
– Just behind him is Sam Orme, who sits at 14.0 PPG and a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game
– Following them are Nic McClain (12.1 PPG) and Drew Scharnowski (10.3 PPG)
