Aces hang on for 63-62 win at Valparaiso
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VALPARAISO, Ind. – Kenny Strawbridge Jr. led a balanced attack for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team as the Purple Aces outlasted Valparaiso for a 63-62 victory at The ARC.
Strawbridge recorded 14 points on an efficient 6-of-8 performance. Yacine Toumi and Antonio Thomas recorded 10 points apiece. Toumi converted 4 of his 5 attempts while Thomas drained a pair of clutch triples. Josh Hughes finished with nine points while Ben Humrichous scored eight. Tanner Cuff was the game’s top rebounder with eight. Cooper Schwieger tallied a game-high 22 points while Isaiah Stafford posted 15.
“This was a gutsy win for us. Valpo came into the game playing with a great deal of confidence. They had some success early in the game but we made some defensive adjustments that helped in the second half,†UE head men’s basketball coach David Ragland exclaimed. “Playing any game in our league is tough but playing on the road is even tougher. I am proud of the guys for their response and sticking with it.â€
Valparaiso had a quick start, scoring the first five points of the day before capping a 4-for-4 start from the field to take a 10-3 advantage. Seven in a row from the Purple Aces tied the game just over three minutes in. Antonio Thomas connected from downtown before Kenny Strawbridge Jr. tied it up with a pair of free throws.
Another triple by the Beacons, their third in four tries, put them back up 13-10. Valpo continued to lead until UE rallied to tie the score at 18-18 before a layup by Ben Humrichous gave the Aces their first advantage of the game at 22-20 at the 6:57 mark. Inside of three minutes remaining, Josh Hughes hit a turnaround jumper to match Evansville’s largest lead at 28-25.
Five late points by Cooper Schwieger highlighted a 7-2 run by Valparaiso to end the half. Schwieger’s 16 points in the opening stanza saw VU hold a 32-30 edge at halftime.
Toumi and Humrichous took over on both ends of the floor to open the second half. Each recorded a block in the opening minute while Toumi posted the first four UE points of the period before two Humrichous free throws gave the Aces a 36-32 advantage. The Beacons countered to retake a 40-38 lead at the 15:23 mark before Evansville jumped back in front.
Josh Hughes knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in an 8-0 run that gave Evansville a 46-40 edge, the largest lead either team had enjoyed to that point. Five in a row by the Beacons got them within one, but UE fended off the challenge to go back up by three on a Tanner Cuff bucket. Inside of six minutes remaining, Valpo drained its seventh triple of the afternoon to knot the game at 54-54.
With 3:07 on the clock, Thomas connected on his second 3-pointer of the afternoon to put eh Aces back up by three. The Beacons answered with 1:30 remaining with a game-tying triple. Toumi connected on a short jumper in the next possession before hauling in a defensive board that gave the ball back to UE with 44 ticks left. A missed triple by the Aces put the ball back in the Beacon’s hands for the final 12 seconds. With tie winding down, the Beacons headed to the line to shoot two free throws. After making the first, the second one came up short as UE clinched its first MVC road win in two years.
Evansville shot 46.2% in the contest while holding the Beacons to 41.3%. On the boards, UE finished with a 36-29 advantage. Saturday’s win was the first conference road win for the Aces since a 65-56 victory over Indiana State on Feb. 8, 2022. It was Coach Ragland’s first MVC road triumph and clinched his first season sweep over a league opponent.
