Aces drop 83-65 game at Ford Center
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Yacine Toumi connected on eight of his 16 field goal attempts to finish with a career-best 19 points on Wednesday evening as the University of Evansville men’s basketball team fell to Indiana State by a final score of 83-65 on Wednesday night at the Ford Center.
Toumi’s performance eclipsed his previous scoring high of 18, which came against Campbell and Valparaiso. Kenny Strawbridge Jr. recorded 17 while Antoine Smith Jr. and Marvin Coleman II scored eight apiece. Indiana State was led by Cooper Neese’s 19-point game with Courvoisier McCauley scoring 18 points and hauling in a game-high 11 rebounds.
“We had a much better start tonight. Indiana State is a great team and we knew they would respond. What I was really happy about is how we finished the first half to make it a 1-point game at halftime,†Purple Aces head coach David Ragland said following the game. “In the second half, they were able to get out in transition, build a double-digit lead, and it was difficult to overcome.â€
An exciting first half featured big runs by both squads. Evansville connected on five shots in a row to take a 12-2 lead in the opening four minutes. After the Sycamores took a 2-0 lead, Yacine Toumi hit a jumper to tie it up. Antoine Smith Jr. followed with a triple before Gage Bobe and Kenny Strawbridge Jr. added buckets to push the lead to 9-2. Marvin Coleman II capped the run with a triple to force a time out by Indiana State.
Following the stoppage, Indiana State drained five baskets to go up 16-12 less than three minutes later. Three triples and a 3-point play opened the run as ISU went up 16-12. Toumi ended the Sycamore run but they kept the pressure on and pushed the lead to as many as 14 points – 37-23 – with 3:44 remaining in the period.
Evansville refused to back down, grabbing the momentum right back in the final minutes and it was Strawbridge leading the way in a 13-0 run. He opened the rally with a pair of free throws and knocked down three 2-point shots to make it a 37-33 game at the 1:17 mark. As the seconds ticked down, UE retook possession and Strawbridge drained a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to cut the Indiana State lead to 37-36 at the break. Evansville hit five of its final six attempts in the half while ISU’s final six possessions included three missed shots and three turnovers.
Bobe opened the second half with a triple to tie the game at 39-39 but it was another ISU run that pushed the lead back into double figures. Up 42-41, ISU knocked down four field goals in a row to open a 52-41 edge. Antoine Smith Jr. ended the stretch with his second field goal of the night and would hit three free throws to get UE back within six at 52-46 with 14:19 left in the game.
Indiana State would not let the Aces get any closer. Another three by McCauley was the start of a 20-7 run that gave ISU its largest lead at 72-53 with 6:17 on the clock. Evansville closed the gap to as few as 12 points in the final minutes before the Sycamores took the game by a final score of 83-65.
Highlighted by a 57.7% shooting performance in the second half, ISU completed the game at 53.8%. UE shot 41.8%. The Sycamores wrapped up the night with a 35-27 advantage on the boards. Next up for the Aces is a road game on Saturday at UIC with tip set for 1 p.m.
