Tip slated for 7 p.m.
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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Fresh off its third Missouri Valley Conference win of the season, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team looks for more when they host UIC on Wednesday evening. Tip is set for 7 p.m. CT with ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network having the coverage.
Season Win Notes
– 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
– UE earned its 12th win of the season on Jan. 27 against Illinois State; it is the first time UE has won 12 games since 2017-18
– When Evansville racked up its 11th win on Jan. 17 against Valpo, the program won as many games this season as the last two years combined
Last Time Out
– Another total team effort resulted in the Purple Aces earning a 58-54 win over the Redbirds on Saturday
– After ISU opened the game on a 10-2 run, UE rallied to tie it up at 10-10 and would lead by six at the half
– Evansville’s lead reached 13 points in the second half, but the Redbirds cut their deficit to two in the final minute
– Yacine Toumi led a trio of double-digit scorers with 17 points while Josh Hughes tallied 11 and Tanner Cuff recorded 10
The Run Continues
– Following the Dec. 2 game against UNI, Yacine Toumi’s season scoring average stood at 8.8 points per game
– In the 13 games since, he has scored a total of 173 points, an average of 13.3 PPG
– Toumi has scored 13+ points in each of the last four games and has finished in double figures in 11 of those 13 games
– His efficiency continues to rank among the best in the MVC as his 57.5% shooting is 5th in the league
Back-to-Back
– For the first time this season, Tanner Cuff has posted consecutive double figure scoring games; he scored 13 points at UNI before recording 10 against Illinois State
– Going into the road game against the Panthers, he was averaging 5.0 PPG in the previous six games; he has 11.5 PPG in the last two outings
– Over the last 4 games, Cuff has 8 assists and just 2 turnovers; the 6 games prior saw him post 6 assists and 10 turnovers
– Cuff’s season assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.43 is second in the MVC
You Better Watch Out
– Kenny Strawbridge Jr. has been credited with an average of 1.75 steals per game – third in the MVC
– Over the last four games, he has upped that average to 2.5 with 10 swipes
– While he has averaged 7.3 points in the last 6 games, Strawbridge continues to rank 4th on the team with a 9.6 PPG
Scouting the Opponent
– UIC heads to the Ford Center with an overall record of 8-13 and a 1-9 mark in the MVC
– The Flames have dropped six games in a row after defeating Valparaiso on Jan. 6
– In non-conference play, the Flames were 7-4 with wins over Loyola, Middle Tennessee, George Washington and Jacksonville State
– Isaiah Rivera is the leading scorer for UIC, recording an average of 14.2 points per game
– He is a 46.6% shooter from the field and has converted 41.4% of his 3-point tries
– CJ Jones has posted 11.0 PPG while Toby Okani averages 10.8 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds
