EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Next up for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team is a home contest against Valparaiso on Wednesday evening inside the Ford Center. Tip is set for 7 p.m. CT with ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network having the coverage.
Last Time Out
– Following a first half that featured five lead changes, the Purple Aces fell to Missouri State by a final of 74-64 on Saturday
– The Bears led by one at the half before taking a lead of 16 points in the final stanza
– Josh Hughes set his career mark with 22 points as he converted 7 of his 10 3-point attempts
– Antonio Thomas recorded 15 points while Yacine Toumi (8 pts, 12 rbs) and Kenny Strawbridge Jr. (9 pts, 10 rbs) were on the cusp of posting double-doubles
Triple Play
– Through his first 16 games this season, Josh Hughes hit a total of six 3-pointers; in the Jan. 13 game against MSU, Hughes converted 7 of his 10 outside attempts on his way to a career-high 22 points
– Hughes’ seven triples is the most by a freshman in the MVC this season and second-highest in a game for any Valley player in 2023-24
– He has made the start in each of the last five games and posted 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals in the first start of his career at Cincinnati
– He has scored at least 7 points in 5 of the last 7 games
Tallying up the Boards
– Highlighted by a career-best 12 rebounds against MSU, Yacine Toumi is 8th in the MVC with 6.8 boards per game and 4th with his average of 5.7 defensive caroms
– Over the last six games, Toumi has averaged 8.5 rebounds per game (91 total)
– He has posted double figures in 7 of the last 9 games and is second on the team with a season mark of 10.6 PPG
– Toumi has averaged 12.2 points over the last nine games (110 total pts) and recorded double-doubles against Tennessee Tech and Indiana State
Putting a Steak Together
– Over the last four games, Antonio Thomas has quietly averaged 9.3 points, including a 15-point effort against Missouri State
– He has recorded 7 or more points in 12 of the last 16 games including 27 in the win over UNI, his top Division I scoring effort
– He recorded 27 points on 8-of-11 shooting and a 9-for-10 effort from long range
– At Bellarmine, Thomas made a run at a triple double, posting 9 points, 8 boards and 5 assists and finished in double figures with 10 points at Indiana State and 10 vs. Murray State
– Thomas is 12th in the MVC with a season free throw mark of 81.8%; he has converted 29 of his last 34 attempts
On a Roll
– In the Jan. 13 game against the Bears, Kenny Strawbridge Jr. had an efficient 9-point, 10-rebound performance
– The rebounding tally was his top of the season and over the last three games, he has hauled in 7 caroms per game
– Over the last eight contests, he has posted an average of 11.4 PPG (91 total points) while seeing his season average rise to 10.1 per contest
– Strawbridge registered 15 points at Indiana State after totaling 14 at Cincinnati
– His season mark of 21 points came in the triumph over UT Martin
Scouting the Opponent– Valparaiso comes to Evansville with a 5-12 overall record and a 1-5 showing in the MVC
– The Beacons are coming off their first Valley win of the season as they defeated Illinois State by a final of 59-50 on Sunday in Normal
– Sunday’s win ended a 10-game losing streak
– Isaiah Stafford paces Valpo with an average of 16.2 points per game and a season mark of 28 triples and 39 steals
– Cooper Schweiger is second on the team with 10.6 points and 5.2 boards
– Their top rebounder is Jaxon Edwards, who checks in with 5.9 per game
