Aces defense stellar in 67-35 win over Bradley

Balentine and Simmons lead the way

 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Redshirt junior Willie Wiley had a career-best 8 points while Blake Simmons hit a pair of triples to finish with 13 as the University of Evansville men’s basketball team led wire-to-wire in a 67-35 win over Bradley on Saturday afternoon at the Ford Center.

“We were ready to play and had a lot of intensity.  It was good to see,” UE head coach Marty Simmons said.  “Bradley is a good team who missed some open shots that they will hit in the future.”

Defense was the name of the game for the Purple Aces (14-3, 3-1 MVC) as they held Bradley to a Ford Center record of 35 points.  It was the best defensive effort since November of 1999 when UE held Northwestern to just 26 points.  The Aces finished the game shooting 53.2% while Bradley (2-15, 0-4 MVC) shot 26.1%.  D.J. Balentine was the top scorer for UE, finishing with 16 points on an accurate 5-of-9 day from the floor.

“We wanted to make a statement in the first 4-8 minutes of the game,” Balentine said.  “I was happy to take fewer shots and that is a big key for me.  I would rather shoot less and score more.”

Blake Simmons had a stellar game, recording 13 points while hitting a pair of triples.  Jaylon Brown was strong once again, posting 14 points as he knocked down 6 out of 8 shots.  Having his best game as an Ace was Willie Wiley, who connected on four out of six attempts to record 8 points.  He also had a pair of blocks and steals.

Donte Thomas was the leader for the Braves with 11 points.  He was 4-for-5 from the floor.

Evansville jumped to an early 8-0 lead as Blake Simmons started it off with a layup and D.J. Balentine added a three.  After missing their six shots, Antoine Pittman knocked down a three to get the Braves on the board.  That started a 5-0 run as BU got within three at 8-5.

Simmons continued to play well and his efforts were pivotal in a 13-1 run to give the Aces a 21-6 lead at the midpoint of the half.  Pittman struck again with another trey, halting a 2-for-14 shooting streak to begin the game for the Braves.  The Aces led by as many as 19 in the half, but after Bradley cut the lead to 15, Balentine nailed a three at the buzzer to make it a 36-18 game at the half.

Balentine led everyone with 13 points in the half as the Aces shot 55% while holding the Braves to 23.1%.

In the second half, Evansville outscored the Braves by a 31-17 margin.  UE led by as many as 32 points, which was the final margin at 67-35.  The Aces had a 34-29 rebounding advantage behind eight Egidijus Mockevicius caroms.

On Tuesday, the Aces are right back in action at the Ford Center, facing Drake at 7 p.m.  Fans can purchase tickets for just $5 with the coupon from the Courier and Press.  It will also mark the annual visit by the ZOOperstars, who will perform at halftime.