Game Notes
The Aces' men's basketball team would love to grab a tie on Saturday in the first Missouri Valley Conference game of the 2007-08 season. No, not in the outcome of Saturday night’s 7:05 CST game at Roberts Stadium against Indiana State. The Aces need a victory in order to tie the 87-year-old series against Indiana State. The series stands at 73-72 in Indiana State’s favor after 145 games dating back to 1920-21. Evansville has won four in a row and six of the last seven against ISU. The Aces have won the last three played between the two at Roberts Stadium.
Both teams come into Saturday's game with 5-5 non-conference records. The game can be heard on the UE Radio Network, including WUEV-FM in Evansville, WSJD-FM in Mt. Carmel, Ill. and WNTC-FM in Madisonville, Ky.
LOTS IN COMMON, INCLUDING 2 OPPONENTS
Evansville and Indiana State have shared two regular season opponents. Butler whipped the Sycamores 76-48 at Indianapolis on Nov. 14, and three days later came to Evansville and beat the Aces 60-47. Evansville went to Ball State on Nov. 24 and edged the Cardinals 51-50. Ball State lost at Indiana State on Dec. 8, 59-48. Both the Aces and Sycamores are 5-5 so far this season, and both have first-year coaches. Indiana State’s Kevin McKenna was a nine-year assistant coach at Creighton under Dana Altman, and also spent four years as head coach at Division II Nebraska-Omaha, from 2001-2005. UE’s Marty Simmons spent 11 years here at UE as an assistant, and five years as head coach at Division II Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.
UE FINALLY HAS A SENIOR
Evansville's only senior, forward Victor Gomez, played his first nine minutes of the regular season last Saturday in UE's 80-71 win over Norfolk State. Two days after leading the Aces in scoring (14) and rebounding (10) in a November exhibition game against Oakland City, Gomez suffered a fractured bone in his foot.
BALANCE AT THE TOP
Jason Holsinger took over Evansville's team scoring lead from Shy Ely by scoring a season-high 24 points in Saturday's win over Norfolk State. There's not much difference between Holsinger and Ely in scoring. Through 10 games, Holsinger has 132 points and Ely has 128.
OFFENSE PICKING UP ITS PERCENTAGE
The Aces scored their most points of the season in the 80-71 victory over Norfolk State. The Aces shot between 40 and 42 percent in each of their first five games. In their last five, the Aces have have shot between 48 and 51 percent in each game.
GRANGER FINDING RANGE...
Guard Darin Granger is one reason why UE has shot 48 percent or better in each of its last five games. Granger was 3-for-13 from 3-point range in his first three games, but he's found the range since then, hitting 17 of 28 from behind the arc in the last seven games. He totaled 13 points and hit some key second half shots in last Saturday’s 80-71 win over Norfolk State.
...AND SO IS HOLSINGER
Guard Jason Holsinger averaged 12.6 points as a freshman and 11.5 last year as a sophomore. He has a team-high 13.2 scoring average going into Saturday’s game. Holsinger scored 24 points, the most by a UE player this season, in last Saturday’s win, and also led all players with seven assists.
