Toumi and Cuff post career highs in win over UIC

Toumi and Cuff post career highs in win over UIC

 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Yacine Toumi and Tanner Cuff recorded career scoring highs while Ben Humrichous made his return for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team in a 77-60 victory over UIC on Wednesday night at the Ford Center.

Toumi led the Purple Aces with 22 points and 7 rebounds in the victory.  He connected on 8 of his 10 field goal tries.  Cuff posted 16 points, two better than his top scoring output of the season.  After missing the last three games, Humrichous was back on the floor and tallied 15 points and four assists.  Isaiah Rivera led four double digit scorers for the Flames with 15 points.

“I’m proud of our guys for the job they did tonight.  UIC is a very good team and we knew it would be a tough game.  We did a good job of limiting their production in the paint and holding them below their average from outside,” UE head coach David Ragland exclaimed.  “We had production across the entire lineup tonight and did a great job of regrouping when they made a run.”

Three-pointers were falling in the early moments as UIC took a 6-0 lead and connected on their first three outside attempts to take an 11-6 advantage.  Gage Bobe got the Purple Aces rolling with a triple, but hot shooting by the Flames saw a 5-of-6 start culminate in a 13-6 advantage just four minutes into the game.

UIC took its largest lead of the period at the 12:53 mark when another 3-pointer pushed the lead to 20-11.  That is the point where Evansville took control on both ends.  After the Flames connected on four of their first five 3-point tries, the Aces held them to just 1-of-11 over the final 12 minutes of the half.  Offensively, UE outscored UIC by a 26-10 margin over the remainder of the half to hold a 7-point lead at the break.

With 9:06 remaining in the half, a basket by Humrichous capped an 11-3 run that got UE within one.  Tanner Cuff got the job done during that rally, scoring seven points in a row.  After the Flames connected on a field goal to retake a 25-22 advantage, Evansville countered with a 7-0 run to take its first lead of the game.  Humrichous got it started with a 3-point play before Cuff posted consecutive baskets to break a 25-25 tie.

Toumi’s third field goal of the night broke a 29-29 tie inside the final three minutes and opened an 8-1 run to end the half.  Antonio Thomas recorded the final four points, including a drive down the lane at the buzzer to solidify a 37-30 lead at the break.

Evansville’s lead remained at seven points (45-38) with 14:44 remaining, but a 4-minute 8-0 stretch by UIC saw them retake a 46-45 lead.  Their defense held UE to 0-for-4 from the field while forcing a turnover.  Cuff put an end to the drought with his sixth make of the night.  His shot opened a 14-2 run that gave Evansville its largest lead of the game at 59-48 as the contest entered its final seven minutes.

Ben Humrichous finished the run in exciting fashion, drilling back-to-back triples to push the lead into double figures for the first time.  Kenny Strawbridge Jr. knocked down a pair of free throws with 2:40 left on the clock to push the lead to 16 before UE took a 19-point lead in the final minute on its way to a 77-60 triumph.

UE’s offense was clicking, hitting 51.1% of its attempts while limiting the Flames to 35.9%.  The Aces finished with a 37-33 edge on the boards.  On Saturday, Evansville returns to the road, facing Valparaiso in a 3 p.m. contest.