Aces near the top in several statistical categories
The official completion of the men’s basketball team has seen the University of Evansville finish near the top of the NCAA in several statistical categories.
Evansville’s top rank was 8th in the country in assists per game. Over the course of the season, the Purple Aces finished with an average of 17.5 per game. That was 3.6 more per game than any other Missouri Valley Conference school. In a similar statistic, the squad finished the season with a total of 595 assists, finishing 11th in the country.
Another top ten ranking came in field goal percentage. As a team, UE shot 49.0% on the year, finishing ninth in the nation. It also was the top percentage in the MVC. Throughout the season, Evansville ranked near the top of the league in several categories. The Aces finished the year ranked in the top three in 13 out of the 21 statistical categories in the conference.
Getting to the line was something that brought great success to the team as it won 25 games overall and 49 combined games in the last two years. With 610 free throws made and 843 attempts, the Aces finished 25th in the nation and tops in the MVC.
Defensively, UE played at an elite level, giving up 65.3 points per game. That total was 33rd in the nation and was the lowest total allowed by a UE team since the 1996-97 squad gave up 64.5. That comes on the cusp of the 2014-15 team that gave up 65.6 PPG.
UE also held opponents to 40.5% shooting on the season. That finished the season 39th in the country and second in the conference. The tenacious defensive effort for the season was the best in 21 seasons for the Aces with the 1994-95 team holding opponents to 39.5% shooting. That was also the second-lowest total given up by a team since the 1963-64 National Championship team.
Behind Egidijus Mockevicius’ nation-leading 11.5 defensive rebounds per game, the Aces were 29th in the NCAA with 27.79 defensive caroms per contest.
To put Evansville’s 25 victories into perspective, it was the first time the program reached that mark since 1988-89. It is also only the second time since the undefeated 29-0 team in 1964-65 that the program reached the 25-win plateau. It tied the Division I program mark.
