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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Non-conference play for the University of Evansville men's basketball team will wrap up on Thursday as the Purple Aces welcome Mount St. Joseph to the Ford Center for a 7 p.m. game.
 
Jaylon Brown scored 25 points while Christian Benzon added a career-best 18 to lead the Aces to a 77-69 win at Austin Peay on Saturday.  Trailing by seven with six minutes remaining, UE finished the game on a 20-5 run to finish off the win.  Defense was the key in the final six minutes as the Aces held APSU to 0-3 with six turnovers in that span. 
 
Evansville is a perfect 5-0 this December and has won six in a row overall, matching a 6-game streak from last season.  The Aces have won 19 of their last 21 games played in the month of December.
 
Over two games last week, Ryan Taylor averaged 23.5 points per game while shooting 53.3% from the field on his way to MVC Newcomer of the Week accolades.  Taylor opened the week with a career-high 38 points against Norfolk State, hitting 13 shots, six triples and posted 4 rebounds and 4 assists in the win.  He hit another triple and two more free throws on his way to a solid 9-point effort at Austin Peay as the Aces earned their first road win of the season.  His scoring average of 16.3 PPG is fifth in the MVC.
 
In the victory at Austin Peay, Jaylon Brown scored a game-high 25 points and pushed his season average to 20.6 PPG, tops in the Valley by 1.2 points.  He hit 9 out of 18 shots against the Governors and put forth another perfect effort (6/6) from the free throw line.  Brown is an unbelievable 41-43 (95.3%) from the free throw line in the month of December; in November, he was just 27-of-39 (69.2%).  In the last five games, Brown has posted an average of 23.4 points, scoring at least 18 each time out.
 
A member of NCAA Division III, Mount St. Joseph comes from Cincinnati, Ohio to Evansville with an 8-2 record.  The Lions are 3-1 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play and are coming off of a 73-66 win over Defiance on Saturday.  Andrew Finley, a 44.8% shooter from long range, paces MSJ with 17.4 points per game.  Adam Goetz is just behind him with 13.4 PPG while hitting 91.3% of his free throw attempts.
 

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