Game Notes
The final month of the regular season begins Wednesday for the Purple Aces at Roberts Stadium, where they will take on the Wichita State Shockers. Game time is 7:05 CST.
THE WICHITA STATE SERIES
Evansville’s longest losing streak to an MVC opponent is nine straight losses to Wichita State. That includes the last four games at Roberts Stadium. Evansville’s most recent win over the Shockers came on Jan. 29, 2003 at Roberts Stadium, 75-74. Overall, Wichita State has a 15-11 lead over the Aces in the series that dates back to 1994-95.
THE LAST MVC RIVAL WE HAVEN’T SEEN
Evansville has played Indiana State, Southern Illinois and Bradley twice this season, but still hasn’t seen Wichita State once. The return game is Tuesday, Feb. 26 at Wichita.
HOLSINGER JOINS ELITE GROUP
Evansville now has its 42nd member of the 1,000 Point Club (see the entire list on the next page of notes). Junior guard Jason Holsinger joined the club in Saturday's game against Bradley, and goes into Wednesday's game against Wichita State with 1,001. He's on target to reach UE's top 30 before the end of the season, and the top 15 in 2008-09 as a senior. Jason averaged 12.6 points as a freshman, 11.5 as a sophomore, and is averaging 13.2 this season.
ELY’S COMING Evansville's other junior co-captain, Shy Ely, has been the Aces' offensive leader for the past month. He scored a game-high 22 Saturday against Bradley. Ely is averaging 19.6 points in his last seven games, since Jan. 12. His total in those seven: 28 at Illinois State, 21 vs. Southern Illinois, 20 at Bradley, 13 at Indiana State, 17 vs. Missouri State, 16 at Southern Illinois, 22 vs. Bradley. In the six games before that, Ely's scoring average was 7.8.
OH, BROTHER
Wednesday’s game brings together Evansville sophomore Jay Couisnard against his older brother, Wichita State senior P.J. Couisnard. P.J. leads WSU in scoring at 12.0. Jay is averaging 3.6 for the Aces. Jay had one of his best games last season as a freshman against Wichita State, totaling seven points and four steals. The four steals are still his career high in that category.
LOOKING FOR SOME POINTS
Evansville and Wichita State are the bottom two teams in the MVC in scoring. The Aces are averaging 61 points and Wichita State is averaging 60.5. The Aces do rank number one in the MVC in one category, shooting a league-high 41 percent from three-point range (114-for-281).
THE ONE STAT THAT MATTERS
Speaking of three-point shooting, here is one stat that matters. The Aces are 5-2 this season when they outscore the opposition from three-point range, and 1-13 when they do not.
ELY JOINS MVC STAT LEADERS
Evansville is now in the MVC’s top five in seven categories. Shy Ely has joined the list for the first time this season. He’s fifth in scoring at 13.9. Here are the other six: #1 in Minutes Played Per Game--Jason Holsinger (35.6). #2 in Offensive Rebounds--Nate Garner (2.43). #3 in 3-Point Field Goals--Jason Holsinger (2.62). #4 in Assists--Jason Holsinger (4.52). #4 in 3-Pt. FG %--Jason Holsinger (.462). #5 in Free Throw %--Jason Holsinger (.817).
COACH MARTY SIMMONS
Evansville’s Dec. 5 victory over Princeton was the 100th in first-year coach Marty Simmons’ career. Simmons goes into the Wichita State game with a career record of 104-87. He was head coach one year at Wartburg (Iowa) University and five years at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, compiling a record of 98-73 in those six years. Simmons played two years at UE after transferring from Indiana University, and led the Aces to a conference championship in 1987 and the second round of the NIT in 1988, when he was the nation’s sixth leading scorer at 25.9. He was an assistant coach at UE for 11 years under head coach Jim Crews, and helped lead UE to three NCAA Tournaments (1992, 1993, 1999) and one NIT(1994).
