UE rallies several times but falls short
Trailing by as many as 14 points, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team staged a furious rally, but a 9-0 start to the second overtime period was enough for UT Martin to take a 93-87 win over the Purple Aces on Wednesday evening inside the Elam Center.
Evan Kuhlman hit what looked to be the game-winning three in regulation, but the Skyhawks (1-0) knocked down a triple at the buzzer to send the game to overtime where they would persevere in the second extra session. UE (0-3) was led by a 22-point game from Noah Frederking. It was his second 20-point outing in a row. Three players had career nights in the contest, led by Shamar Givance. He knocked down 13 out of 15 free throw tries on his way to 17 points. Jax Levitch hit four triples en route to 15 points. His previous best of 14 points came twice in his career at Purdue Fort Wayne.
Thomasi Gilgeous-Alexander had the top game of his career, recording 11 points. He connected on four of his six shot attempts and added five rebounds and four assists. His previous scoring mark was six at Jacksonville State last season.
“You always look back and think about the things you wish you would have done differently,†UE head coach Todd Lickliter said. “At the time, you are playing the percentages and you know why you are doing stuff. To our guys credit, they kept pursuing it and things looked good for us. We gave ourselves a chance to win it; there are always lessons to learn and we will continue to work at it.â€
Evansville did not have the start it was looking for as the Aces faced an 8-0 deficit just over three minutes into the game. UE missed its first four attempts while turning the ball over three times. Noah Frederking drained a triple to put Evansville on the board.
As the first half continued, UE worked to claw its way back. With 12:11 on the clock, Gage Bobe knocked down the first 3-pointer of his career to cut the gap to 15-10. The Skyhawks countered with a 9-0 stretch to push the advantage to a game-high 14 points. Four players scored in the rally, which included a triple by Eman Sertovic.
With 4:31 left in the opening period, UE continued to trial by 14 points at 34-20. That is when the offense began to find its rhythm. Over the final span of the half, the Aces outscored the Skyhawks by an 11-2 margin to get back within five points at the break.
Frederking, who scored a game-high 11 points in the half, started the run with a jumper before Thomasi Gilgeous-Alexander hit a triple just over a minute later. Jax Levtich added a free throw before Frederking was true from downtown with 1:17 on the clock to finish off a 9-0 run. UTM temporarily halted the bleeding thanks o a Jaron Williams bucket, but Gilgeous-Alexander hit a layup in the final second to make it a 36-31 game at halftime.
UT Martin had the first basket of the second half before Shamar Givance and Evan Kuhlman scored to cut the deficit o a possession at 38-35. Just as fast as Evansville rallied, the Skyhawks scored eight in a row including two 3-pointers. At the 16:20 mark, Levitch hit another trey to get the Aces within eight (46-38), but UT Martin slowly added to the advantage, matching its largest of the game at 60-46 inside of the 12-minute mark.
Evansville never relented, cutting the gap to single digits thanks to another basket by Gilgeous-Alexander. He moved into double figures for the first time in his career and made it a 64-55 game with 7:25 left. The defense clamped down, holding the Skyhawks scoreless for a span of nearly eight minutes. Following a Kenton Eskridge bucket at the 9:23 mark, UTM did not score again until 89 ticks were on the clock.
With the defense playing at an elite level, the offense was able to chip away at the free throw line. With 2:59 remaining, the deficit was cut to just five – 64-59 – thanks to a Gilgeous-Alexander free throw. One minute later – it was Givance making a difference – driving to the basket for a layup that brought the Aces within a possession once again. UTM scored on the ensuing trip down the floor, but the Aces kept rolling.
Frederking’s fifth long ball of the evening made it a 2-point game. That was the start of a crazy finish. Two missed free throws by the Skyhawks put the ball back in the Aces hands as the game entered the final minute. Givance found Kuhlman open from outside and the senior came through, giving Evansville its first lead of the game – 67-66 – with 42 seconds remaining.
UE forced a UT Martin miss on the other end before Givance corralled he rebound. He was fouled and went to the line, calmly knocking down both free throws and push the Evansville lead to three. Down to its final possession, UT Martin hit a miracle 3-pointer with exactly one second remaining to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Gage Bobe hit a triple to give Evansville an early 72-71 edge in the extra period. Neither team would lead by more than a possession in the extra period. Down 77-75 in the last minute, it was Givance tying his career mark with his 15th point with two more free throws. In doing so, he also tied the game with the clock showing 34 ticks. Neither team was able to score in the final seconds and the game advanced into a second extra period.
In the double OT session, the Skyhawks scored the first nine points and never looked back as they fended off the Aces for the win.
Eden Holt was the top scorer for UT Martin, posting 23. The Skyhawks finished the game shooting 47.0% while the Aces shot 42.6%. In the second half, Evansville was 12-of-19 from the field (63.2%). UE had a 41-38 edge on the boards.
With three games away from home, the Aces are set to open the Ford Center slate on Wednesday, December 9 against Eastern Illinois.
