Aces host Murray State on Wednesday at the Ford Center

Tip set for 7 p.m.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In search of a split in the season series, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team plays host to Murray State at 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening at the Ford Center.  ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.

Last Time Out

– Evansville put forth a dominant road performance on Saturday, earning a 78-68 victory over Valparaiso at the ARC

– After shooting 66.7% in the first half, UE finished the game at 58%

– Tanner Cuff registered a career-high 22 points while Gabriel Pozzato completed the game with 21

– Connor Turnbull added 11 points while tying his high with six blocked shots

Second in the Valley 

– Tayshawn Comer continues to perform at his best against league competition

– Averaging 16.9 points versus MVC foes, Comer is second in league games

– He has been on the floor for all 160 minutes of the last four contests

– On January 6, he was named the MVC Player of the Week after averaging 25 points against Southern Illinois and Indiana State

– He reset his career scoring high with 26 against the Salukis, passing his previous high of 23 when he was at Eastern Kentucky

– Over the last eight games, Comer is averaging 18.6 PPG

Another Freshman Award

– For the second time this season, Gabriel Pozzato was named the MVC Freshman of the Week on Jan. 27

– Pozzato averaged 17 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds in games against UIC and at Valparaiso

– He scored 21 points in the win over the Beacons – it was his top game since the season opener at North Texas

– After missing eight games in December and January, he returned on Jan. 18 against Belmont

On a Rol

– Connor Turnbull has been on an absolute roll since the calendar has turned to 2025

– In eight games, Turnbull has posted 9.1 points, 5.1 boards and 2.3 blocks per game

– He matched his career high with six blocks at Valpo and paces the MVC with 1.67/game; he has a block in 13 of the last 15 contests

– His total of 35 blocks is 35th in the nation while his average is 55th nationally

– Offensively, he has scored eight or more points in 7 of the last 8 games to improve his season average to 6.5 PPG

Scouting the Opponent

– Murray State comes into the midweek contest with an 11-10 record while posting a 5-5 mark through the opening 10 MVC games

– The Racers have dropped two of their last three games including a 95-77 home game against Belmont on Saturday

– MSU won the first meeting against UE this season by a 63-61 final

– JaCobi Wood leads the Racers with his average of 12.9 points per game and season total of 110 assists

– Kylen Milton, Terence Harcum and AJ Ferguson hold scoring marks of 11.9, 11.8, and 11.8 PPG, respectively

– Ferguson averages a team-best 5.4 rebounds

-www.GoPurpleAces.com-

• Macon Mayhem:
  • Record: 13-19-3, 29 Points, 9th Place
  • Leading Goal Scorer: Jake Goldowski (11 Goals)
  • Leading Point Scorer: Tao Ishizuka (25 Points)
  • Primary Goaltender: Bailey Brkin (7-10-2, .910 Save %)
  • Thunderbolts Record vs MAC: 1-0

VU Bowling pulls weekend double at Jordan and Burris Memorial tournaments

JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. – The Vincennes University Bowling team was back in action this past weekend as they took part in the weekend double feature of the MSC Lynne Jordan Memorial tournament Saturday and the MSC Thomas N. Burris Memorial tournament Sunday in Jeffersontown, Ky.

The VU bowlers looked to get back into competitive mode with the VU Varsity team taking 12th place on Saturday and placing 11th on Sunday.

The Trailblazer varsity bowlers were headlined Saturday by freshman Colton Martin (Breese, Ill.) who placed 58th overall with a tournament total of 767 pins in four games.

Sophomore Dakota Waskom (Louisville, Ky.) was the second VU varsity bowler on the leaderboard, posting a tournament score of 758 to take 65th place overall.

Senior Brighton Lucas (Salem, Ill.) finished Saturday’s tournament with 577 pins in three games, while freshman Nick Gregg (Salem, Ill.) posted a score of 540 in three games.

The Trailblazer varsity scores were rounded out by the trio of freshman Carter Martin (Breese, Ill.) with 393 pins in two games, sophomore Dylan Lewis (Louisville, Ky.) with 340 pins in two games and freshman Ryan Webber (Evansville, Ind.) with 314 pins in two games.

The Trailblazers finished the four-game team portion of the tournament with a total of 3,689 pins, before closing out the day with 1,526 pins in eight Baker games to finish with a tournament total of 5,215 pins to finish in 12th place overall.

The Trailblazer junior varsity squad got some action this weekend too, led by freshman Jonathan Soderling (Vincennes, Ind.) who led the Trailblazers on Saturday with 802 pins in four games, including a team-high game of 244 to close out the traditional games.

Sophomore Ethan Ennis (Kokomo, Ind.) also posted a solid tournament score Saturday, finishing the four traditional games with 721 pins.

Junior Carson McDivitt (Richmond, Ind.) came away with 703 pins in four games, while freshman Tad Harvey (Indianapolis, Ind.) ended with 698 pins in four games.

Freshman Zane Anderson (Lafayette, Ind.) closed out the day with 580 pins in three games played, with freshman Hunter Meyer (Morgantown, Ind.) posting a 136 in his only game played Saturday.

The VU junior varsity team posted a team total of 3,640 pins and a score of 1,438 pins in the Baker games for a daily total of 5,078 to place 11th among the junior varsity teams.

The Trailblazers then returned to the lanes Sunday for the Thomas N. Burris Memorial tournament, where Nick Gregg finished as the top Trailblazer, posting a score of 790 in four games to take 34th place overall.

Colton Martin was close behind him though, finishing with 780 pins in four games to take 40th place overall.

Brighton Lucas was the third VU bowler to finish all four games, placing 66th on the day with a total of 734 pins.

Ryan Webber played three games on Sunday and finished with 561 pins, while Dylan Lewis and Dakota Waskom each played two games with Lewis finishing at 360 pins and Waskom posting a score of 325 pins.

Carter Martin rounded out the VU varsity traditional games with a 156 in his only game played.

Vincennes as a team finished the four traditional games with a total of 3,706 pins, with 1,431 pins in the eight Baker games for a daily total of 5,137 to finish 11th overall.

The VU JV squad also had a good day on the lanes, led by Ethan Ennis who finished his four games with 648 pins.

Carson McDivitt and Tad Harvey each bowled all four games, with McDivitt finishing with 602 pins and Harvey ending at 552 pins.

Zane Anderson and Hunter Meyer each bowled three games with Anderson posting a score of 484 and Meyer closing out the games with 467 pins.

Jonathan Soderling rounded out the VU JV scores with 286 pins in two games Sunday.

The Trailblazer JV team finished the traditional games with a team total of 3,039 pins, with 1,508 pins in the Baker games for a tournament total of 4,547 to take 14th place overall.

The Vincennes Bowling team will look to close out the regular season strong as they get set for their last tournament of the 2024-25 regular season Saturday, Feb. 8 and Sunday, Feb. 9 at the Bakers Challenge in St. Clair, Ill.

The Trailblazers will then wait to see where they will be placed for the 2025 USBC Sectionals in March.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

LYNNE JORDAN MEMORIAL RESULTS

VARSITY RESULTS

VU (11th) – 914, 909, 907, 959 – 3689. Baker – 1526. Total – 5215.

Colton Martin (58) – 206, 203, 168, 190 – 767

Dakota Waskom (65) – 191, 173, 197, 197 – 758

Brighton Lucas (132) – 171, x, 198, 208 – 577

Nick Gregg (149) – x, 184, 195, 161 – 540

Carter Martin (171) – x, 190, x, 203 – 393

Dylan Lewis (183) – 181, 159, x, x – 340

Ryan Webber (191) – 165, x, 149, x – 314

JUNIOR VARSITY RESULTS

VU (11th) – 765, 971, 945, 959 – 3640. Baker – 1438. Total – 5078.

Jonathan Soderling (38) – 150, 184, 224, 244 – 802

Ethan Ennis (88) – 176, 215, 188, 142 – 721

Carson McDivitt (94) – 156, 161, 174, 212 – 703

Tad Harvey (96) – 147, 212, 164, 175 – 698

Zane Anderson (129) – x, 199, 195, 186 – 580

Hunter Meyer (224) – 136, x, x, x – 136

THOMAS N. BURRIS MEMORIAL RESULTS

VARSITY RESULTS

VU (11th) – 914, 998, 879, 914 – 3706. Baker – 1431. Total – 5137.

Nick Gregg (34) – 180, 261, 159, 190 – 790

Colton Martin (40) – 209, 238, 161, 172 – 780

Brighton Lucas (66) – 197, 178, 198, 161 – 734

Ryan Webber (128) – 169, x, 201, 191 – 561

Dylan Lewis (176) – x, x, 160, 200 – 360

Dakota Waskom (192) – 159, 166, x, x – 325

Carter Martin (213) – x, 156, x, x – 156

JUNIOR VARSITY RESULTS

VU (14th) – 784, 767, 743, 745 – 3039. Baker – 1508. Total – 4547.

Ethan Ennis (98) – 148, 143, 165, 192 – 648

Carson McDivitt (113) – 199, 119, 147, 137 – 602

Tad Harvey (131) – 135, 156, 147, 114 – 552

Zane Anderson (147) – 181, 173, 130, x – 484

Hunter Meyer (151) – x, 176, 154, 137 – 467

Jonathan Soderling (200) – 121, x, x, 165 – 286

Screaming Eagles lose a heartbreaker at Morehead State, 66-65

MOREHEAD, Ky. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball lost a heartbreaker at Morehead State University, 66-65, Thursday evening in Morehead, Kentucky. The Screaming Eagles are 9-12 overall and 4-7 in OVC action, while the MSU Eagles go to 14-8, 9-2 OVC.

USI started quick and had a 12-9 lead by the 14:09 mark before hitting an offensive drought that lasted for the next six minutes and allowing Morehead State to take a 19-12 advantage with 7:55 left in the half.

The Screaming Eagles would bounce back with a 9-2 surge to even the score, 21-21. Junior guard Jayland Randall led the USI offense back to life with six of the nine points during the run with 2:34 left before halftime.

Morehead State took back the momentum and sprinted to a nine-point lead, 35-26, on a 14-5 run in the final minutes of the half. Randall paced the Screaming Eagles with 14 of the 26 first half points.

Early in the second half, Morehead State extended its lead to nine points, 39-30, with 14:32 left in the game when USI started to make a push.

The Screaming Eagles started by getting to five points, 50-45, when sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi hit a jumper with 9:18 to play. The MSU Eagles continued to hold off USI until the Screaming Eagles made another push and cut the deficit to two points, 60-58, on a three-point bomb with 4:10 on the clock by graduate forward Jack Mielke.

USI closed the gap to one point four times (60-59, 62-61, 64-63, 66-65) in the final two minutes, but it could not get over the top. The Screaming Eagles were unable to convert on three possessions in the final 45 seconds before the MSU Eagles closed out the game, 66-65.

The Screaming Eagles had three players in double-digits, led by Randall with 16 points. He was followed by Olowoniyi and Mielke, who had 13 points and 12 points, respectively, in the second half.

Next Up For USI:
USI returns to the friendly surroundings of Liberty Arena for a three-game homestand, beginning Saturday with Tennessee Tech University. Tipoff is slated for 3:30 p.m.

The Golden Eagles of TTU snapped a four-game losing streak with an 89-85 overtime win on Saturday at the University of Tennessee at Martin. TTU, which visits Morehead State Thursday before coming to USI, is 6-4 in the last 10 games, including a five-game winning streak.

USI lost on the road, 68-64, in the first meeting of this season with TTU. Olowoniyi led USI with a double-double, 26 points and 13 rebounds, while junior guard Damoni Harrison added 20 points.

The homestand continues next week with a pair of games during the 2025 Homecoming. USI is scheduled to play the University of Arkansas at Little Rock February 6 and Southeast Missouri State University February 8. Both games are scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

Tickets for the homestand and all USI home dates are on sale now at USIScreamingEagles.com.

Eagles lock down Morehead State in road win

MOREHEAD, Ky. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball locked down Morehead State University in the second half Tuesday evening, capturing a 72-52 victory to close out a three-game road stretch for the Screaming Eagles.

Tuesday’s win was USI’s second positive result during the three-game road swing. Southern Indiana ended the day back to 10 games over .500 with a 16-6 overall record and an 8-3 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play. Morehead State dropped to 7-14 this season and 2-9 in the OVC after a fifth consecutive setback. Southern Indiana and Morehead State was the only game in the OVC on Tuesday, as USI moved up to sole possession of fourth in the conference standings.

It took a few minutes for the teams to settle into Tuesday’s contest. Neither side could create an early run, as Southern Indiana led 8-7 midway through the opening quarter. The Screaming Eagles extended its lead to six, 15-9, after graduate forward Madi Webb’s second bucket of the game with a minute left in the first. However, Morehead State scored once more before the end of the period to make it a four-point USI advantage through the first 10 minutes.

The score differential remained at four after both teams capitalized on their first two possessions of the second quarter. Morehead State trimmed the difference down to one possession in the middle of the second and tied the game at 24 with 4:42 remaining in the first half. The back-and-forth affair continued into the final minutes of the first half. Senior guard Vanessa Shafford scored five straight points to put Southern Indiana ahead 35-32, but last-second free-throws by Morehead State made it a 35-34 halftime lead for USI.

Out of the intermission, Morehead State scored the second half’s first basket to retake the lead, but Southern Indiana responded in a big way. The Screaming Eagles went on a 13-0 run over a span of six and a half minutes to surge ahead 48-36. Six different Screaming Eagles scored during the run. Following a strong defensive quarter, junior guard Ali Saunders put an exclamation point on the third with a stepback jumper before the clock hit zeroes to give USI a 54-41 lead going to the fourth.

The stout defense carried over into the fourth period. Southern Indiana scored six straight points and held Morehead State scoreless in the first 2:30 of the frame, allowing USI to extend its advantage to 19 points, 60-41. Morehead State tried to fight back in the middle of the fourth but could not climb back to within 14 points of USI. Southern Indiana put its final stamp on the contest when graduate forward Meredith Raley cashed in on a basket and the foul with under 30 seconds left to produce the final score, 72-52. The three-point play pushed Raley past a milestone mark of 1,500 career points and just 66 points shy of moving into the top five in the USI record books.

Southern Indiana shot an even 50 percent (26-52) in the game and 33 percent (3-9) from three-point land. USI also shot a solid 89 percent (17-19) at the free-throw line. The Screaming Eagles won the rebounding battle, 35-27. Raley posted a game-high 14 points to lead a balanced scoring effort for USI. Webb tallied 11 points and Shafford added 10 points. Three other Screaming Eagles chipped in eight points.

Morehead State was 37 percent (20-54) shooting overall and 24 percent (4-17) from long range. Morehead State went 8-10 at the foul stripe. Freshman guard Chrishawn Coleman led the Eagles with 11 points.

The Screaming Eagles return home to Liberty Arena for the start of a three-game homestand this Saturday when USI hosts Tennessee Tech University at 1 p.m., presented by Tristate Orthopaedics. Saturday is Mental Health Awareness Day. Tickets for all home games at Liberty Arena can be purchased online at usiscreamingeagles.com or the USI Ticket Office.

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball concludes its three-game road swing Tuesday when it visits Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. (CST).
 
The USI Screaming Eagles (9-11, 4-6 OVC), who have won three of their last four games, split last week in OVC action. USI started last week with a tough loss at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 82-76, before bouncing back to defeat Eastern Illinois University, 64-60.
 
USI sophomore forward Stephen Olowoniyi led the Eagles last week with 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Junior guards Damoni Harrison and Sam Kodi rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10.5 points per game.
 
For the season, Harrison and junior guard Jayland Randall lead the team with 14.5 points apiece. Olowoniyi follows with 13.6 points per game and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per contest.
 
The MSU Eagles (13-8, 8-2 OVC) leads the OVC despite a split last week. Morehead State opened with a 73-66 win at EIU before falling at SIUE, 65-54, Saturday. Morehead State has won five of six games and 10 of the last 12.
 
Morehead State extended its all-time series lead over USI to 4-1 after winning at Liberty Arena, 70-68. Harrison led USI with a game-high 24 points, while junior guard Braxton Jones came off the bench to score 20.
 
Following the game at Morehead State, the Screaming Eagles return to Liberty Arena to start a three-game homestand. USI begins the three-game set February 1 by hosting Tennessee Tech University at 3:30 p.m.
 
The Golden Eagles of TTU snapped a four-game losing streak with an 89-85 overtime win on Saturday at the University of Tennessee at Martin. TTU, which visits Morehead State before coming to USI, is 6-4 in the last 10 games, including a five-game winning streak.
 
USI lost on the road, 68-64, in the first meeting of this season with TTU. Olowoniyi led USI with a double-double, 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Harrison added 20 points.  
 
All of the USI Basketball action can be seen live on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on ESPN 97.7FM (http://listentotheref.com) and 95.7FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com).
 
Tickets for all USI home dates are on sale now at USIScreamingEagles.com.
 

Honor is the second of the season for Pozzato

  ST.LOUIS – For the second time this season, University of Evansville men’s basketball forward Gabriel Pozzato has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week.

In two games over the last week, Pozzato averaged 17.0 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game. Pozzato added a total of eight assists and a pair of steals while playing 77 out of a possible 80 minutes.

Against UIC, Pozzato scored 13 points while picking up six boards and five assists. He followed that up with a 21-point game in the win at Valparaiso while tying his career mark with seven boards. He drained three triples in five attempts.  The effort in the win over the Beacons was his top performance since missing eight games in December and January.

Pozzato’s first MVC award came on Nov. 11 following the opening week of action.