Aces fall to Flames by 82-76 final
 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Yacine Toumi recorded a career-high 20 points in Wednesday’s home finale inside the Ford Center that saw the University of Evansville men’s basketball team fall to UIC by a final of 82-76.
Toumi was 9-for-18 from the field and tied for the game-high with eight rebounds. Kenny Strawbridge Jr. added 18 points with Gage Bobe and Marvin Coleman II finished with 12 and 11, respectively. Jace Carter led the Flames with 22 points and 8 rebounds. Tre Anderson completed the contest with 18 tallies.
Both teams shot well to open the game with UIC hitting their first four attempts to take a 9-4 lead while Evansville was 4-for-6 with a Gage Bobe triple tying the game at 9-9 less than four minutes in. After UIC went back in front at 14-12, the Purple Aces made their move, recording eight in a row.
Preston Phillips got things started with a score off a UIC turnover while Kenny Strawbridge Jr. converted a 3-point play and a triple to give UE a 20-14 lead at the 10:34 mark. The Flames countered with a 9-0 stretch over the next three minutes to retake the lead. They hit three field goals in a row along with two free throws. Evansville missed four shots and turned it over twice in that span.
Bobe connected on his second triple as the Aces knotted the score at 25-25 but the Flames continued to have the answer. Up 28-27, the Flames went on a 12-2 run to take a 40-29 advantage, their largest of the half. Marvin Coleman II hit a three to finish the half with UIC leading, 40-32.
After completing the first half on an offensive run, the Flames kept up the intensity as they opened the second stanza by scoring ten in a row. Facing the 50-32 deficit, the Aces responded with a 10-0 rally. Strawbridge had two 3-point plays and eight total points in the run to make it a single digit game at the 14-minute mark.
Two minutes later, Chris Moncrief knocked down his second shot to get his team within six before finding Phillips for a dunk to cut the deficit to five at the midway point of the half. With 8:15 remaining, the Aces made it a one-possession game when Toumi drove to the basket for his sixth make of the night. A 10-2 UIC run cemented a double-digit lead entering the final five minutes.
Evansville continued to battle in the final minute, getting as close as four points before the Flames wrapped up the 82-76 victory. UIC shot 50.9% on the night while tallying 35 rebounds. UE checked in at 45.5% and a total of 34 boards.
Regular season play comes to a conclusion on Sunday when the Aces visit Illinois State.
