UE faces MSU on Wednesday
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Looking for its first Missouri Valley Conference win of the season, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team travels to Missouri State on Wednesday evening. The tip is set for 7 p.m. CT with the Purple Aces Radio Network and ESPN+ having the coverage.
Last Time Out
– Murray State jumped out to a 23-1 lead on New Year’s Day as they defeated the Purple Aces by a final of 78-61 at the Ford Center
– The Racers held a 41-21 halftime lead before UE got within 12 points in the final 20 minutes
– Marvin Coleman II led Evansville with 13 points while Gabe Spinelli reset his career scoring mark with 12 points
Double Digits Again  Â
– Gabe Spinelli’s strong play continued against Murray State as he reset his scoring high with 12 points
– This came on the heels of a 10-point game at Indiana State on Dec. 28
– Over the last two games, Spinelli has averaged 11 PPG while connecting on 9 of his 16 field goal tries
– He hauled in his top total of four rebounds against the Racers
– His performance continued a nice turnaround that has seen him record 6.4 PPG over the last nine outings
– Spinelli’s shooting has also improved in that time as he is 26-of-49 (53.1%)
Team Leader
– Marvin Coleman II scored a team-high 13 points versus Murray State on the way to his fourth double-digit scoring effort in the last five games
– Coleman is averaging 13.6 PPG in the last five games including his first double-double at UE with 14 points and 10 boards at Indiana State
– Prior to his recent streak, Coleman was averaging 5.4 points but has seen his average rise to 8.1
– Three days after scoring a career-high 18 points against Campbell, he led the Aces with 17 points at Ball State
– In the win over Campbell, he set career-highs in scoring (18 points), field goals (7), triples (4), and minutes (38:20)
– Coleman entered the Campbell game hitting just two of his first 22 3-point tries but is 10-for-24 in the last five outings
Scouting the Opponent
– Opening the calendar year with a 52-49 win over preseason MVC favorites Drake, Missouri State enters Wednesday’s game with a 7-7 record and sit at 3-1 in the league
– MSU defeated UIC to open its Valley schedule and earned a win at Northern Iowa on Dec. 28
– Chance Moore leads the Bears with 12.6 points per game
– A 50.4% shooter from the floor, Moore has connected on 41.4% of his attempts from outside
– Kendle Moore is just behind him with 8.1 points per game
– Donovan Clay is the top rebounder for the Bears, hauling in 5.9 per game
