Aces Fall In Final Road Game Of The Season
University of Evansville sophomore Jawaun Newton scored a career-high 13 points to lead the Purple Acers in an 84-64 loss to UNI on Wednesday inside the McLeod Center.
Newton hit six of his ten attempts on the night for UE (9-21, 0-17 MVC). Evan Kuhlman also recorded 13 points. He knocked down three triples. Sam Cunliffe chipped in nine points. Newton was the leading rebounder for Evansville, posting five caroms.
“I think that this group has been very in tune and have picked up things as easy as any group I have been around,†Aces head coach Todd Lickliter said. “We have not been able to spend as much time on our own team when we are taking on the type of Valley teams we play in each game. UNI makes you pay for any mistakes you make; they are such a well-balanced team.â€
“They have a great balance, every time we clawed back into the game, they made a big play.â€
A 6-for-7 start saw UNI (24-5, 13-4 MVC) take a 14-8 lead five minutes into the contest. After missing their initial 3-pointer of the game, the Panthers hit two in a row. Evansville fought back with four in a row including a three-point play by Jawaun Newton. K.J. Riley led a comeback that saw Evansville tie the score at 19-19. His 3-pointer cut the deficit to one before a pair of free throws tied the game with just under 12 minutes left in the first half.
UNI countered with a 7-0 stretch while holding the Aces scoreless for over three minutes. Shamar Givance put UE back on the board with a layup. Trailing by nine with 6:11 on the clock, Evansville picked up back-to-back triples courtesy of Sam Cunliffe and Evan Kuhlman to get back within six at 37-31, but the Panthers controlled the remainder of the half.
A 9-2 run sent UNI to the half with a game-high 46-33 lead. They shot 64% in the first half while controlling the free throw line, hitting nine out of 11 tries. Newton paced the Aces with nine tallies in the opening half, hitting four of his five shots.
A basket on their initial possession of the second half pushed the Panther lead to 15 before DeAndre Williams got the Aces on the board with his first triple since his return from injury. His triple was part of a 13-4 run that got Evansville within two possessions at 52-46 with 15 minutes remaining. Kuhlman drained consecutive triples in the rally.
The hot-shooting Panther squad kept the pressure on, extending their lead back to double figures – 58-48 – at the 12-minute mark. What turned into a 10-0 run gave the Panthers their largest lead of 64-48 with the second half reaching its midway point. Two Givance free throws ended the run; Evansville missed six field goals in a row while turning it over once. UNI hit four out of five shots on the way to the 16-point lead.
Over the final moments, the Panthers led by as many as 23 points before wrapping up the evening with the 84-64 victory. AJ Green was one of five double-figure scorers for UNI, scoring 21. Trae Berhow added 16. UNI had a 30-21 rebounding edge on the night while shooting 62.7%. UE shot 43.4%.
Senior Day is set for Saturday’s regular-season finale. UE welcomes Illinois State to the Ford Center for a 1 p.m. game with senior K.J. Riley being recognized at his final home contest.
