Shorthanded Aces put up a strong fight on the road
UE falls to Cincinnati in road match-up
DECEMBER 30, 2023
 CINCINNATI, Ohio – Without the services of Missouri ValleC Conference Newcomer of the Week Ben Humrichous and Freshman of the Week Chuck Bailey III, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team puts up a fight before falling short against the University of Cincinnati on Friday evening. Evansville held a 10-point lead in the early moments of the second half before the Bearcats stormed back to take a 76-58 win inside Fifth Third Arena.
Yacine Toumi led all players with 17 points and 9 rebounds while Kenny Strawbride Jr. finished with 14 points. Tanner Cuff registered 13 points in the contest. Five Bearcats recorded double figures with John Newman III leading the way with 15.
Knocking down their first two shots, the Bearcats took a 5-0 lead. Josh Hughes found Cam Haffner for a basket to get UE on the board. Following another field goal by UC, Kenny Strawbridge Jr. scored five in a row to tie the score at 7-7. Five in a row by Cincinnati saw them retake a 12-7 edge, but a tenacious Aces group responded with six in a row. Yacine Toumi hit two shots before Strawbridge gave Evansville its first lead at 13-12 with 13:53 on the clock.
Cincinnati wrestled away a 21-18 advantage as the period reached the midway point and that is when both offenses kicked it into high gear. Over the next six minutes, seven lead changes ensued. Hughes got the Aces back on track with back-to-back makes to put the lead back in Evansville’s hands. After UC took a 29-28 edge, Evansville kept rolling. Six in a row from Tanner Cuff capped a 10-0 stretch that put UE up 38-29 with 1:29 left in the period.
In total, Evansville converted nine out of 11 attempts on during the run. After Cincinnati hit a late 3-pointer, Toumi converted on the final possession to send his squad into the break with an 8-point lead. He posted a game-high 13 points in the half as the Aces shot 58.1%
Picking up right where he left off in the first half, Toumi opened the second half with his 15th point to give Evansville its largest lead at 42-32. Eight in a row, including two triples, saw the Bearcats storm right back. The run made it a 2-point game in the opening two minutes of the second half. Their run continued as they would tie it at 45-45 with 15:41 remaining before jumping back in front less than a minute later. Their rally turned into a 26-4 stretch that saw them turn a 42-32 deficit into a 58-46 lead at the 11:09 mark.
Evansville stayed within 10-12 points over the next sequence, but as the game entered the final minutes, Cincinnati added to its lead and would cruise to the 78-56 victory. For the game, the Aces shot 41.4% while UC finished at 39.1%. The Bearcats owned the battle on the glass by a 49-29 margin.
UE opens the new calendar year at Indiana State on January 3.
Why were the “services” of the two players unavailable?
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