Several set career marks for Purple Aces
  Ryan Taylor and Jaylon Brown each matches their career highs in scoring as the University of Evansville men’s basketball team picked up an 82-59 victory over Alcorn State on Monday night at the Ford Center.
“I like how we bounced back from the other night,” UE head coach Marty Simmons said. “Once our guys settled down, I thought we did a nice job defensively. Overall, I think our staff is pleased. Everyone who played did something positive and we have to build on that.”
Taylor hit five of his seven attempts, four triples and seven free throws to match his mark of 21, which came in his freshman season at Ohio University against Appalachian State.
“It felt good, Taylor said. “Coach Novsek talked about preparation and it was good to see my first few shots go in.”
For the fifth time in his career at UE (1-1), Brown scored 19 points. It also marked the second game in a row that the Fishers, Ind. native scored 19.
“Any time you come off of a loss, you want to come back strong,” Brown said. “When you can pick up a win over a good team, it feels good.”
A 5-0 run. Got the Aces off to a nice start. Jaylon Brown hit a layup to open the night before Ryan Taylor drained a triple. Alcorn State (0-2) came back to tie it up at 5-5. After tying his mark with three triples in Friday’s opener at Louisville, Brown hit his fourth of the season to put the Aces back on top at 16-13.
That bucket was the first of seven in a row as UE took a 20-13 lead nine minutes into the game. After the Braves ended the run, Brown notched another trey on the ensuing possession to give UE a 23-15 edge. After the tenacious Braves squad got within three at 24-21, the UE offense came back with six in a row as Ryan Taylor’s second trey of the evening spurted the stretch, which led to a 30-21 Aces lead.
Evansville’s lead reached 14 at the break as Willie Wiley hit a bucket with 12 seconds remaining. UE hit 14 buckets in the first half with 13 of those coming from the starters.  Brown and Taylor each had 13 in the period.
The lead continued to grow in the second half and reached the 20-point mark when a Taylor free throw made it a 61-41 game midway through the stanza. With six minutes remaining, Jaylon Brown’s great start to the year continued as he matched his career-high of 19 points. It marked the second game in a row and fifth time in his career that he hit the mark. Just minutes later, another senior was able to set his career mark. Christian Benzon notched his 10th point of the night, marking his first double-digit game at UE.
Over the final minutes of the game, the Aces lead never went under 19 points as they cruised to the 82-59 win. Evansville finished the night shooting a strong 56.3% while holding the Braves to 37.3%. Alcorn State did finish with a 34-33 rebounding advantage. They were led by Marquis Vance, who notched 19 points and a game-high seven rebounds. For the second game in a row, David Howard was the Aces’ leading rebounder, totaling six on the night. Willie Wiley and Duane Gibson each notched five. Sergej Vucetic connected on a pair of shots and hit five of his six free throws to finish the game with a career-best nine points.
At the half, a special presentation was made to former U.S. Army Specialist Michael Edds. Sponsors Walmart, Royal Crown Bottling Company, 7-UP and Snapple, in conjunction with Military Warriors Support Foundation, presented Edds with the keys to a mortgage-free house. Edds was injured in September of 2011 and was honored for his service to the United States and for being a true American hero.
FanFest will take place on Saturday morning from 10 a.m. until noon in front of the Ford Center. Several great activities will be available free of cost prior to the Aces home contest against Morehead State, which is set for a noon start time.
