Game Notes

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville men’s basketball team returns home on Wednesday, playing host to the University of Northern Iowa on Wednesday evening at 7:05 p.m. inside the Ford Center.
 
Drake completed the regular season sweep of the Aces thanks to a 78-54 win on Sunday night at the Knapp Center.  Evansville never led in the game, but overcame a double-digit deficit to get within a point (40-39) with 13 minutes remaining.  UE missed four shots that would have given them the lead and the Bulldogs made them pay.  Drake hit 10-of-12 shots while holding Evansville to 0-9 shooting and forcing four turnovers in 24-4 run.  That stretch came in a span of less than five minutes.  The Bulldogs were also sharp from three-point range, hitting a season high 11 treys, connecting on 11-of-22 attempts.
 
Colt Ryan has had just three games this season where he has not reached double figures and two of them came against Drake while the other was at North Carolina.  In two games against the Bulldogs, Ryan has scored a total of 13 points while hitting a pair of buckets in each game.  A 41.4% shooter on the season, the junior has shot just 28.6% (4-14) in the two contests, both losses for the Aces.
 
Following a 24-point outing at Bradley, Ryan’s blazing scoring pace has slowed down over the last three games.  Ryan notched 17 points or more in 11 of the first 12 MVC games for UE, but has not been able to score more than 14 points over the last three games.  A 41.4% shooter on the year, the Batesville, Ind. native has been successful on 9 out of 31 shots in over that span, 29%.  His scoring average has gone down to 20.0 PPG, pushing the 2-time MVC Player of the Week recipient to 13th in the nation in scoring.
 
Senior Kenneth Harris has been a force this season for the Aces, averaging 11.6 PPG, second behind only Colt Ryan.  Last season, his first with the Aces, Harris posted 11 double-digit scoring efforts.  He has improved immensely this season, notching 19 efforts of 10 or more points including six of the last seven outings.
 
It has been a tale of two seasons for the Panthers, who began the season with a 10-1 mark before losing three in a row, including their first two MVC games.  Since that streak, UNI has hung around the .500 mark, going 7-6.  Northern Iowa has been on a roll lately, going 3-1 in their last four contests, including a 65-62 home win over Creighton.  Anthony James is the lone Panther averaging double digits, scoring 13 points per game.  Aside from James, the Panthers spread the ball around as five players average between 6.9 and 9.3 PPG.
 
On New Year’s Day, Evansville grabbed its first win in Cedar Fall since the 2002 season, rallying for a 76-65 victory over the Panthers.  Northern Iowa opened up the game on a 22-8 run, but was unable to hold it as the Aces got within six points at the half before making another run in the second half.  With nine minutes remaining, Denver Holmes hit a trey, which gave UE the lead for good.  UNI got within three with under two minutes remaining, but it was the free throw shooting of UE that made the difference.  Evansville was a perfect 18-for-18 from the charity stripe in the final two minutes while going 24-26 for the game.  Another game-changer was Colt Ryan.  After being held scoreless in the first half, Ryan exploded for a game-high 29 points in the second stanza.
 
The UNI game will mark a stretch of UE playing three of its final four games at home. On Saturday, the Aces will face Western Illinois in its Sears Bracketbusters game at 7:05 p.m. before wrapping up the 2011-12 regular season on the 25^th, playing host to Missouri State at 1:05 p.m.

The University of Evansville Student-Athlete Advisory Committee will be holding a canned food drive on Wednesday, February 15 at the UE men’s basketball game against Northern Iowa. The collected items will be donated to Evansville’s North Park Baptist Church Food Pantry, located on First Avenue.
 
Fans who donate three or more canned food items will receive a lower bowl end zone ticket for just $9, which is a $5 discount from the regular price. Donations will be accepted at the Carson Center ticket office leading up to the game on February 15. Fans can also donate at the Ford Center Box Office on the day of the game to receive the discount.