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The University of Evansville wraps up a three-game homestand Tuesday when perennial Missouri Valley Conference power Creighton comes to Roberts Stadium. Tip-off is at 6:00, one hour earlier than usual. Hot dogs, popcorn and Pepsi products are just $1 each, and all seats in rows 19 and above have been discounted to $5.
THE TOP 10 THINGS TO KNOW...UE VS. CREIGHTON JAN. 20
1. Tuesday’s game begins at 6:00 CST. The early start time is due to the game being televised nationally on ESPNU.
2. Creighton is on target to extend the Missouri Valley Conference record for consecutive 20-win seasons. The Bluejays own that record with 10 straight years of 20 victories or more. They come into Tuesday’s game with a 14-5 record. Evansville, Creighton and Drake are tied for fourth place in the Valley at 4-3.
3. Evansville has won five of the last nine games at Roberts Stadium against the Bluejays, including a 60-56 victory last season that was one of only three MVC wins for the Aces. The Aces are 11-1 at Roberts Stadium this season, losing only to Northern Iowa last Tuesday. Overall, Creighton leads the series against Evansville, 19-9.
4. Evansville ranks second among MVC teams and 56th out of 343 nationally in this week’s Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). Creighton is 77th. Here is a look at all 10 Valley schools: 49. Illinois State; 56. Evansville; 75. Bradley; 77. Creighton; 88. Northern Iowa; 105. Drake; 121. Southern Illinois; 147. Missouri State; 197. Wichita State; 227. Indiana State.
5. Shy Ely set the school record for single-game free throw percentage against Creighton last season when he hit all 18 in UE’s 60-56 win at Roberts Stadium. The 18 were two shy of the school record for free throws in a game, set by Matt Webster in 2006-07. Ely led all scorers in the game with a career-high 28.
6. Jason Holsinger was nominated today for the Academic All-America Basketball Team. Holsinger has a 3.89 grade point average and will graduate in May with a degree in economics. He is Evansville’s all-time leader in three-point field goals with 253, ranking him 8th in MVC history. Now 23rd in career scoring at UE with 1,263 points, he needs two more points to catch his head coach, Marty Simmons, who scored 1,265 points in just two seasons at UE.
7. The 12-5 Aces have their best 17-game record since the 1999-2000 season. Until this year, UE had not been above .500 in the MVC this late in the season since 1999-2000. On this date a year ago, the Aces were 5-12 overall and 0-7 in the Valley.
8. Shy Ely’s streak of scoring in double figures ended at 15 games last Tuesday when he was held to seven by Northern Iowa, but he still ranks number one in the MVC in scoring at 16.8. Ely led all scorers with 16 in Saturday’s win over Indiana State. He’s also the Valley’s sixth leading rebounder at 6.4. Ely is 29th in career scoring at UE with 1,122 points.
9. Sophomore forward Clint Hopf became the ninth Evansville player to score in double figures this season when he scored 10 points–all coming in the second half–in Saturday’s 63-57 win over Indiana State. Hopf scored five of the team’s final 10 points to ward off the Sycamores’ comeback.
10. Evansville players in the MVC’s top five this week: Shy Ely (1st in scoring at 16.8, 1st in minutes played at 34.3, 2nd in defensive rebounds at 5.2); Kaylon Williams (2nd in assists at 4.8, 3rd in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.9, 4th in steals at 1.8); Nate Garner (4th in offensive rebounds at 2.5).
For a look at the complete game notes, click on the Creighton Game Notes link on the men's basketball page here at GoPurpleAces.com.
