Aces travel to Missouri State
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Off to the best start in close to 60 years, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team opens its Missouri Valley Conference slate on Wednesday with a trip to Missouri State. Tip is set for 7 p.m. in Springfield with ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network having the coverage.
Looking at the Start
– Victories over Chattanooga and Southeast Missouri State in the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Classic saw the Purple Aces improve to 6-0 on the season
– It is the first time UE has won its first six games since the 1964-65 undefeated national championship team
– Just as impressive – UE has eclipsed its win total from the entire 2022-23 campaign
Last Time Out
– Saturday’s finale in Chattanooga saw the Aces take a 93-74 win in their rematch against SEMO
– Leading from the outset, UE was up by as many as 27 points in the first half before the Redhawks stormed back to get within single digits before the Aces regrouped to pull away for the win
– Ben Humrichous finished with 27 points while Joshua Hughes set his career mark with 21 points
 What a Comeback
– With 11:40 remaining in Friday’s game against Chattanooga, the Aces faced a 62-42 deficit
– In what was tied for the 8th-largest comeback in MVC history, the Aces stormed back to take a 2-point lead in the final minute before clinching an 85-77 victory in overtime
– Chattanooga was shooting 53.3% from the field at the time they assumed the 20-point lead; over the final 11:40 of regulation and the 5-minute overtime period, the UE defense held the Mocs to a tally of just 16.7%
Newcomer of the Week
– Averaging 27.5 points per game while leading the Aces to a pair of wins at the Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Classic, Ben Humrichous was named the MVC Newcomer of the Week on Nov. 27
– He opened the week with a season-high 28 points versus the Mocs before tallying 27 against the Redhawks
– Humrichous has scored at least 11 points in each game and ranks third in the MVC with 19.0 PPG
– Humrichous’ MVC stat rankings include: blocks (T-5 | 1.83/gm), FG% (6th | 62.0%) and 3-point% (6th | 48.5%)
Spreading the Word
– UE head coach David Ragland was named the HoopDirt.com D1 Coach of the Week on Nov. 27 following UE’s 6-0 start to the season
– Ben Humrichous was recognized as the Field of 68 Mid-Major Breakout Player of the Week for his efforts in the wins over Chattanooga and SEMO
– The Aces rose to #13 in the Field of 68 Cinderella Top 25
Top Contest
– Converting 8 of his 12 attempts in the Nov. 25 win over SEMO, Joshua Hughes reset his UE scoring mark with 21 points
– Over the last three games, Hughes is averaging 13.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 62.5% (15/24)
– For the season, he is averaging 9.7 points and 5.3 boards
– With 2.00 blocks per game, Hughes is tied for second in the MVC; he has multiple blocks in five out of six games
Double-Double
– Evansville’s first double-double of the season came from Tanner Cuff
– He recorded 10 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Chattanooga
– Cuff has been one of the most efficient players in the nation, accumulating 18 assists against just two turnovers this season
– His assist-to-turnover ratio of 9.00 paces the MVC
Scouting the Opponent
- Missouri State enters Wednesday’s game with a 5-1 record
– Following a loss to West Virginia in the season opener, the Bears have won five in a row
– On Saturday, they picked up a 92-74 win over South Carolina State
– Four Bears average double figures with Alston Mason leading the way with 15.8 points per game
– He is shooting 50% from the field and 47.1% from outside
– Donovan Clay has notched 14.3 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per contest
– Matthew Lee and Chance Moore check in with 13.5 and 11.6 PPG, respectively
