Boxscore

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Shy Ely kept the Aces close for 30 minutes, but a 10-0 run by Illinois State was too much to overcome Friday night as the #3 seed Redbirds turned back #6 Evansville 78-68 in the quarterfinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.

UE is now 17-13, and hopeful of a post-season bid in the NIT, College Basketball Invitational or CollegeInsider.com Tournament.  Those pairings will be announced March 15.

Ely led all scorers with a career high 29 points, but the Redbirds' 9-for-22 three-point shooting proved to be the difference.  Illinois State led by as many as 10 points in the first half, and still led by nine late in the half before the Aces whittled the deficit to four at 28-24.  Illinois State led at the half 35-30.  Evansville eventually took its first lead at 40-39 with 16:16 to play, but with UE down just one at 44-43, the Redbirds scored the next 10 points.  Evansville couldn't get closer than six the rest of the way.

Freshman Kaylon Williams also scored a career high for UE with 16 points, and Jason Holsinger added 10.