UE puts up another strong performance against MSU

Aces fall by six points

 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Antoine Smith Jr. tied his season scoring mark with 16 points on Sunday with the University of Evansville men’s basketball team falling to Missouri State by a 66-60 final at the Ford Center.

Trailing by 10 in the second half, the Purple Aces rallied to take the lead in the final minutes before the Bears hit three consecutive triples to seal the win.  Smith was 5-for-10 from the field and recorded a team-high six rebounds.  Marvin Coleman II tallied 14 points and Kenny Strawbridge Jr. scored 10.  Alston Mason led the Bears with 18 points with Donovan Clay posting 17.  Jonathan Mogbo led all players with 10 boards.

“It was a hard-fought game and I am proud of our guys.  We were hesitant early in the game and once we started adjusting to them (Missouri State), they adjusted to us,” UE head coach David Ragland said.  “Over the last 11-12 minutes, we adjusted to their presence in the paint and made them beat us in a different way.”

Antoine Smith Jr. converted his first field goal of the afternoon to open the scoring while MSU got on the board with a triple.  Kenny Strawbridge Jr. put UE back in front at 4-3 but it was the Bears who slowly stretched the lead.  The teams combined to hit two of their first 12 field goal tries before Missouri State turned a 12-10 lead into a 21-10 advantage inside of the 8-minute mark.

Hitting four shots in a row, MSU forced an Evansville time out with their lead standing in double figures.  After starting the game 1-for-7 from the field, the Bears hit 8 of their next 12 attempts.  Evansville regrouped and took control on both sides of the floor over the remainder of the half.  Antoine Smith Jr. and Yacine Toumi knocked down consecutive triples to cut into the deficit.

Strawbridge would later add his first triple of the game to continue what would be a 16-7 rally that turned the 21-10 deficit into a 28-27 game in the final minute.  The Bears hit the final shot of the half but the Aces went to the break down by just three at 30-27.  Defensively, UE forced 10 turnovers in the first half.

Smith hit the first basket of the second half to make it a 1-point game once again.  Missouri State countered immediately and would push the lead back into double figures when a free throw with 12:36 remaining made it a 45-35 game.

Gage Bobe provided the response with his second triple of the game before the Bears retook the 10-point lead just past the midway point of the final half.  Trailing 50-40, Evansville clamped down once again on both sides of the floor.  Free throws by Coleman and Preston Phillips got things started while Smith followed with his fourth make of the day to force a time out by MSU with under eight minutes showing on the clock.

Coleman knocked down two more free throws before Strawbridge finished off a 3-point play to tie the game at 51-51 with 6:29 remaining.  Two minutes later, it was Gage Bobe who put UE back in front with a jumper.  Over the final minutes, it was the outside shooting of Chance Moore that gave the Bears a chance as he connected on three consecutive triples.  His efforts were the difference in the 66-60 win.  MSU shot 42.6% while holding the Aces to 39.1%.  The Bears also completed the game with a 37-25 advantage on the boards.

On Wednesday, Evansville travels to Belmont for a 6:30 p.m. game.