UE back in action Saturday against Robert Morris
 SAVANNAH, Ga. – Blaise Beauchamp reset his season scoring mark with 18 points in Friday’s opening game of the Hostilo Hoops Community Classic against South Alabama inside Enmarket Arena. The Purple Aces fell to the Jaguars by a final of 78-67.
“This was another great team that we faced tonight. We had some good stretches in the first half, but South Alabama just did not miss during that stretch in the second half,†UE head coach David Ragland exclaimed. “There are several positives to take away from tonight and we will be ready for Robert Morris tomorrow.â€
Beauchamp was 6-of-15 from the field in the contest and was one of four double figure scorers for UE. Kenny Strawbridge Jr. tallied 14 while Antoine Smith Jr. and Yacine Toumi recorded 11 and 10, respectively. Marvin Coleman II led the Aces with seven rebounds as each team had 33. Isaiah Moore led the Jaguars with 21 points.
Yacine Toumi got the Aces on the board in the opening possession before South Alabama scored the next seven points. Evansville countered with a 7-0 run of its own to go up 9-2. Preston Phillips got it started with a triple and would add a second field goal during the stretch.
With the score tied at 9-9, Antoine Smith Jr. began what would finish as an 11-point half by hitting his first of four shots to begin a 7-0 run. Blaise Beauchamp hit his second field goal of the game before finding Smith for a 3-pointer to make it a 16-9 game at the 12:15 mark. Over the next six minutes, the Jaguars worked their way back into the contest and used a pair of free throws to get within one at 24-23.
Smith took matters into his own hands, knocking down two more 3-pointers to put the Aces back in front – 32-27 – with four minutes left in the half. Beauchamp drained his first outside shot less than a minute later to push the advantage to 35-29. Over the final moments of the half, USA made another run and hit a shot in the final seconds to make it a 37-37 contest at the half.
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. gave UE the lead to open the second half and would be credited with the assist on a Phillips dunk that gave Evansville a 44-43 edge at the 15:44 mark. Over the next four minutes, South Alabama outscored the Aces by a 12-1 margin to take their largest lead of the night at 55-45. Four in a row by Beauchamp got UE back into the fray but the Jaguars would push their lead to 67-52 with 9:24 on the clock.
Evansville never gave up and used an 8-2 stretch to get within nine entering the last seven minutes. UE continued to keep things within reach as Beauchamp added his sixth made field goal of the game to make it a 72-63 game at the 2:44 mark, but South Alabama had the answer each time and would take the win by a 78-67 final.
Game two of the weekend will see the Aces face Robert Morris on Saturday at 4 p.m. CT.
