Aces back in action on Monday evening
A huge run to end the first half was the difference as 13th-ranked Louisville defeated the University of Evansville men’s basketball team by a final of 78-47 on Friday evening at the KFC Yum! Center.
Jaylon Brown was the top performer for the Purple Aces (0-1) as he registered 19 points. He knocked down five of his 13 attempts while matching his career mark with three triples. Ryan Taylor, Christian Benzon, Dru Smith and Sergej Vucetic each notched five points apiece.
“We got off to a nice start tonight and were able to get the momentum early on, but give Louisville credit, they battled back and were able to take control later in the game,†UE head coach Marty Simmons said. “They are a very good team. What I am focusing on is our team, we are a far better team than what we showed tonight and we’ll get back in the gym and be ready for Monday.
Evansville played extremely well in giving the Cardinals everything they had. After missing their first three shots, the Purple Aces got on the board with a Ryan Taylor triple after the Cardinals (1-0) scored the first four points of the night.
David Howard‘s layup at the 16:57 mark gave the Aces their first lead of the night at 7-5. UE remained within a possession and was able to extend its lead later in the half. Back-to-back triples by Jaylon Brown saw Evansville go up 26-20 with nine minutes remaining in the half.
At that point, Louisville buckled down. They scored the next 20 points while holding the Aces scoreless for 7 minutes and 48 seconds as a Brown free throw put UE back on the board. The Cardinals took a 43-27 lead into the halftime break.
Out of the half, the Cardinals continued to roll. Their run extended from the first half and finished out at 27-1 before Duane Gibson hit UE’s first shot in 10:03. Louisville added to the advantage from that point before taking the 78-47 triumph.
Jaylen Johnson matched Brown’s game high tally of 19 points. He also led everyone with 14 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell had 15 points while Anas Mahmoud finished with ten. The Cardinals shot 47.6% on the night and finished with a 52-29 edge on the boards.
David Howard was UE’s top rebounder with 7 while Ryan Taylor hauled in five.
Monday night will mark the home opener for the Aces as they welcome Alcorn State to the Ford Center. Game time is set for 8 p.m. and will be a doubleheader with the UE women’s basketball team, who faces Eastern Illinois at 5 p.m. Fans can get into the women’s game with their ticket to the men’s contest.
