CANCUN, Mexico – With under 10 seconds remaining, University of Evansville redshirt junior Ryan Taylor hit a jumper to give the Purple Aces men's basketball team a 59-57 victory over Fresno State in the Cancun Challenge at Hard Rock Riviera Maya.
Taylor hit the bucket with the shot clock going down to put UE (5-0) on top for good. The Gary, Ind. native scored a game-high 21 points while draining three more from outside.
"I saw the shot clock going down and I tried to make a play for the team," Taylor said.
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With the win, Evansville will play Louisiana Tech on Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m. CT in the Riviera Division Final. CBS Sports Network will have live coverage.
Blake Simmons also finished in double figures, knocking down three clutch triples on his way to 11 points. Dru Smith got into early foul trouble, but came back with eight second-half points.
"I am proud of the team and the way they competed. It wasn't pretty but when you play a team like Fresno, it's not going to be," UE head coach Marty Simmons said. "It was a heck of an individual play that Ryan made."
Entering the game, Fresno State (2-2) was averaging 86.7 points per game before the Aces held them to just 57.
"They are tough to guard," Simmons added. "The assistant coaches did a great job of preparing the team and the players did a great job of listening. Fresno State missed some shots they would have hit earlier in the year. For the most part, I think we did a decent job of getting them out of their rhythm."
The Bulldogs were led by a 12-point outing from Deshon Taylor while Bryson Williams and Jahmel Taylor registered 11 apiece.
It was a defensive struggle in the first half as both teams shot under 43%. Ryan Taylor got the scoring started with a triple and was responsible for 12 of the Aces first 14 points of the contest. Following Taylor's opening trey, the Aces missed their next three shots while turning it over on three occasions as the Bulldogs took their first lead at 5-3.
Evansville made its way back, going up 14-9 as Taylor registered seven UE points in a row. After Fresno State tied it up at 14-14, Noah Frederking connected on a pair of free throw to give UE the lead. With the Aces trailing 23-21 inside of the four-minute mark, Frederking struck again, hitting a three to make it a 24-23 game in UE's favor. FSU reeled off five in a row in the final minute to open up their largest lead at 28-24 before John Hall hit a layup in the final seconds to send the game to halftime with the Aces trailing, 28-26.
Turnovers played a large role in the opening stanza as UE turned it over 11 times with the Bulldogs turning them into 14 points. Entering the game, UE's season high in turnovers was 13.
Dru Smith got into early foul trouble in the first half and was held scoreless. That did not last long as he recorded the first five points of the half to give the Aces a 31-28 lead. Fresno State tied the game on two occasions and held a 44-43 lead at the midway point of the half.
That is when UE put it in gear, reeling off six in a row thanks to treys by Simmons and Smith. The Bulldogs countered with a three from Jahmel Taylor, but Simmons had another trey up his sleeve as Evansville took a 55-50 lead. Each time the Aces went up by five, the Bulldogs cut the gap right back to a one-possession game.
A layup by Duane Gibson inside of the 4-minute mark made it a 57-52 game in favor of the Aces, but the Fresno State defense clamped down, forcing the Aces to go 0-for-3 with two turnovers in its next five possessions. Their offense managed to tie it up as Deshon Taylor hit three free throws with 36 second remaining. On the ensuing possession, Taylor hit the game-winner with the shot clock heading to zero.
For the game, UE shot 43.1% while holding FSU to 38.6%. Evansville also took the rebounding advantage, 36-30.
Next up tomorrow will be Louisiana Tech. Coach Simmons commented on the upcoming match-up.
"They are long, athletic and very well set up," he said. "They press and play multiple defenses. It is a quick turnaround. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to play for a championship."
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