Aces and Redbirds set for 2 p.m. match-up
NORMAL, Ill. – The University of Evansville men’s basketball team rings in the New Year on Thursday afternoon with a 2 p.m. game at Illinois State. ESPN+ and Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.
Last Time Out
– After opening Monday’s game at Bradley on a 13-0 run, the Purple Aces battled to the finish before dropping a 76-68 decision
– AJ Casey had a career night, converting 8 of his 11 attempts on his way to 21 points
– Josh Hughes drained four 3-pointers and tallied 14 points and 7 caroms while Bryce Quinet finished the night with 11 points
12 and Over
– Through his first three MVC games, AJ Casey is averaging 15 points per game
– After scoring 12 in the opening two league games, Casey registered a career-high 21 points at Bradley on 8-of-11 shooting
– Casey now has seven double digit games on the season and is averaging 9.4 PPG
– Casey picked up three steals in the first two MVC games and is 8th in the league with his season average of 1.43/game
– He is UE’s second-leading rebounder with 5.4 per game including 11 versus Ball State
– Casey is 14th in the MVC with 5.43 boards/game and is 5th in offensive rbs (2.50/gm)
Making his Mark
– Alex Hemenway hit three more triples in the road game at Bradley on the way to a 9-point game
– Over his last seven games, Hemenway is averaging 8.3 PPG while going 14-of-33 from downtown
– He is shooting 36.1% from long range on the season tying him for 13th in the Valley
Triple Play
– Looking to regain the edge he had in the opening games of the season, Josh Hughes has started to find his shot from long range
– Over the last four games, Hughes has converted 9 of his 19 3-point tries
– He opened the season averaging 13.2 PPG through the first six games while scoring at least 12 points in each contest
– In the last eight games, Hughes has reached double figures just twice and is averaging 6.6 PPG
– His top games over that stretch were 14 points at Notre Dame and Bradley
