UE welcomes UIC to the Ford Center
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In the final home game of the season, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team welcomes UIC to the Ford Center on Wednesday evening. Tip is set for 7 p.m. CT with the Purple Aces Radio Network and ESPN+ having the coverage.
Setting the Scene
– Senior Day is set for Wednesday night with Marvin Coleman II and Kenny Strawbridge Jr. set to be recognized
– The teams met in Chicago on Feb. 4 with the Flames winning by a 70-61 final
– Strawbridge was the top scorer in the game, finishing with 20 while Coleman and Antoine Smith Jr. added 10 apiece
– Preston Phillips added 7 points and 7 rebounds
Last Time Out
– On Saturday, the Purple Aces and Racers swapped the lead 12 times before MSU pulled away late for a 74-58 win
– Marvin Coleman II scored a game-high 19 points while Yacine Toumi recorded 12
– Gabe Spinelli scored 11 in the game
Racking up the Minutes
– Playing 34 minutes or more in 18 of the last 19 games, Marvin Coleman II ranks 7th in the MVC with 34.9 per game
– His average of 35.6 minutes in MVC games is 5th-best in the league
– With 19 points at Murray State on Feb. 18, Coleman picked up his 16th double figure scoring effort in the last 19 games
– Hitting 9 of his 13 shots at Southern Illinois, Coleman reset his career scoring high with 25 points
– Over his last 19 games, Coleman is averaging 14.0 points while shooting 42.6%
Finding His Offense
– Entering the Feb. 18 game at Murray State, Gabe Spinelli was averaging 0.5 points in his prior four outings while going 1-of-9 from the field
– He got back on track against the Racers, hitting 5 of his 8 attempts to finish with 11 points, his third double figure game of the season
– In two games against the Racers, Spinelli averaged 11.5 PPG while shooting 60% (9-15)…in his other 25 games, Spinelli is averaging 3.7 points (93 total) while hitting 43.2% of his attempts (41-95)
Scouting the Opponent
– UIC stands at 11-18 overall and 3-15 in their first season in the Missouri Valley Conference
– The Flames earned a 74-73 home win over Valparaiso on Sunday and have the inside track to the #11 seed at Arch Madness
– Jace Carter continues to lead the Flames with 16.3 points per game while adding 6.8 boards
– Tre Anderson has an average of 12.7 points while Toby Okani checks in with 11.5 PPG and a team-high 6.9 rebounds
– Carter was the top player in the first meeting between the teams, finishing with 15 points and 12 boards
