Game set for 7 p.m. Wednesday
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the second year in a row, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team opens the Missouri Valley Conference schedule with a home game against Southern Illinois as the Purple Aces and Salukis are set to tangle on Wednesday evening at the Ford Center. Tip is set for 7 p.m. CT with the Purple Aces Radio Network and ESPN+ having the coverage.
Last Time Out
– Up by as many as nine points in the second half, the Purple Aces dropped a 63-56 contest to Fairfield on Sunday to complete the Hostilo Hoops Community Classic in Savannah, Ga.
– Kenny Strawbridge Jr. scored a season-high 25 points in the contest while Yacine Toumi added 13
– While he did not score, Marvin Coleman II finished the night with 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals, all team bests
What an Improvement
– Offensive rebounding is one thing that has been an emphasis for the Purple Aces this season and the work has paid off
– With an average of 9.88 offensive caroms per contest, UE ranks second in the MVC
– That is a start turnaround from last season when the Aces averaged just 4.77 offensive boards to rank 350th nationally and at the bottom of the Valley
Top Performance
– Scoring 25 points against Fairfield, Kenny Strawrbridge Jr. reached the 20-point mark for the fifth time this season
– His top scoring output of the season saw him register 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting
– Strawbridge’s season average of 17.6 points per game puts him 7th in the MVC
– Over the last four games, he is averaging 20.0 points while shooting an even 50% (30-for-60) from the field
– He has attempted at least 13 shots in seven of the eight games while scoring at least 8 points in each contest
Game Winner
– With 16 seconds remaining and his team trailing Robert Morris by two, Blaise Beauchamp hit a 3-pointer to help UE earn a 54-53 win on Saturday
– Over the last five games, Beauchamp is averaging 12.6 points after finishing with just 4.7 PPG in the opening three games
– He has also seen his shooting improve – in the first four games, he was 9-of-33 (27.2%) from the field but the last four games have seen him convert 16 out of 40 attempts (40.0%)
Turning the Corner
– After scoring a total of seven points in his first six collegiate games, Gabe Spinelli has started to turn the corner in the last two outings
– Spinelli recorded four points in the win over Robert Morris before setting his season high with six tallies against Fairfield
– He has converted 5 of his last 8 attempts after starting the season 2-of-11 from the field
Scouting the Opponent
– Southern Illinois enters the MVC opener with a 4-2 record following a 64-61 overtime win against California Baptist on Nov. 23
– The Salukis have wins over Little Rock, Oklahoma State and Tennessee State with the losses coming to USI and UNLV
– Marcus Domask paces the Salukis in both scoring and rebounding
– Domask comes into Wednesday’s game averaging 19.0 points and 7.2 boards per game; he also leads the team with 18 assists and 5 blocked shots
– Lance Jones is averaging 11.2 points per game and paces the squad with 12 steals
