Aces to face Alcorn State
The sixth season at the Ford Center officially begins for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team as they take on Alcorn State on Monday evening at 8 p.m.
Fans with tickets to the men’s game are encouraged to arrive early as your ticket is good for admission to the women’s basketball game against Eastern Illinois, which starts at 5 p.m.
Veteran’s Appreciation Night sponsored by Fifth Third Bank will take place at the game. It will be held in conjunction with the Military Warriors Support Foundation. All veterans and active military members and their family can receive $5 tickets to the game by presenting a valid Military ID at the Ford Center Box Office on game day. At halftime, Military Warriors Support Foundation will be presenting a military veteran with a mortgage-free home in a very special presentation for their contributions.
Evansville got off to a great start at Louisville, but the #13 Cardinals roared back with a 20-0 run on their way to a 78-47 win on Friday in the season opener. Jaylon Brown matched his career mark with 19 points as he drained three triples and hit six free throws. David Howard, making the start at center, finished the night with a team-best seven rebounds.
Freshman Dru Smith played very well in his collegiate debut, seeing 22 minutes of action against the Cardinals. Smith notched five points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal. Perhaps nobody truly appreciated the Aces playing their opener on Veteran’s Day more than Solomon Hainna. After serving in the Air Force for five years, Hainna is now focused on his college basketball career and made his debut on the holiday. Hainna was on the floor for 10 minutes and had a rebound.
Monday’s contest will be the sixth home opener at the Ford Center. The Purple Aces have won four of the five opening games at the arena with the only defeat coming against Buffalo in 2012
Alcorn State opened its 2016-17 campaign on Friday evening at Loyola in Chicago, dropping a 69-44 decision. Pacing the Braves was Marquis Vance, who registered 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds in 29 minutes of work. Denzel Dulin recorded 11 points for ASU. Head coach Montez Robinson enters his second season leading Alcorn State. In his first season, he inherited a team that went 6-26 the previous year and led them to a 15-15 mark and was a finalist for both the 2016 Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year and 2016 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year awards.
