Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – #Colt Ryan# scored 23 points as the University of Evansville men's basketball team overcame a late 7-point deficit to force overtime before grabbing a 54-51 win over the University of Northern Iowa on Tuesday evening at the Ford Center.
 
Ryan shot 8-17 to lead UE (13-9, 6-4 MVC).  He connected on 3-of-8 3-pointers while dishing out a game-high nine assists.  He was the only player in double figures for Evansville.  Egidijus Mockevicius and Troy Taylor posted dominant efforts on the glass as Mockevicius hauled in a career-high 13 boards while Taylor checked in with 12.  Mockevicius also was responsible for eight offensive boards.
 
"Our guys showed tons of character tonight and I cannot give them enough credit for the plays they made on both ends," UE head coach Marty Simmons said.  "They never quit and never thought they were out of it.  I could not be more proud of a bunch of guys as I was for our group tonight."                                                                                   
 
Taylor and Ryan led a hot start by UE as they hit four of their first six shots en route to a 9-3 lead at the first media timeout.  Taylor scored the first four points for the Aces before Ryan scored five in a row.  UNI (11-11, 4-6 MVC) began the game 1-for-4 with three turnovers before hitting three buckets on six attempts to tie it up at 9-9.
 
The Panther run continued as they took their first lead of the game at 13-11 as Max Martino converted a steal into an easy layup.  Assisting in that effort was a drought from the floor as UE missed 12 out of 13 shots before an Adam Wing jumper with just over six minutes left in the half put UE back on the board and cut the deficit to 15-13.
 
Wing's bucket started a rally as Evansville knocked down three buckets in a row to retake the lead at 17-15.  Part of that success came on the offensive glass as the Aces hauled in the first eight offensive boards of the game.  Northern Iowa ended an 8-0 UE run and a scoring drought of five minutes as Seth Tuttle knocked down his first bucket of the game.  Over the 5-minute span, UNI missed three shots while turning the ball over four times. 
 
The Aces held on to a 23-19 halftime edge as they held UNI to under 20 points in a half for only the second time this year as the Panthers shot just 37.5% from the floor and 11.1% from long range.  Inside the arc, UNI was 8-of-15.  Colt Ryan scored a game-high 11 points in the opening stanza while Egidijus Mockevicius hauled in nine rebounds.
 
UNI came out of the break firing on all cylinders, hitting their first three shots on their way to a 7-of-9 start as they took their largest lead at 37-30 six minutes in.  After scoring just 19 points in the opening frame, UNI posted 18 in the first six minutes of action in the second.  The quick start was quickly halted as UE began the half 3-6 before missing seven in a row.  Following its stellar beginning to the second half, UNI missed three shots in a row while recording four turnovers.
 
Freshman #D.J. Balentine# got UE back on the right track with a trey at the 10:25 mark for Evansville's first bucket in over six minutes of play.  Matt Bohannon answered with a 5-point spurt as UNI retook a seven point lead of 42-35 inside of eight minutes to play.
 
With under two minutes remaining, Marc Sonnen connected on his third trey of the game to give the Panthers a 47-41 lead, but Ryan fought back as UE got back within a possession as he knocked down a 3-pointer of his own go make it a one possession game.  Following a UNI turnover, it was Ned Cox's turn as his trifecta knotted the game up at 47-47 with 28 ticks remaining.  UNI was unable to convert its final possession of regulation as the game went to overtime.
 
After a UNI turnover on its first possession of the extra period, Mockevicius converted a field goal before Cox hit a jumper from the line to give UE its first lead since the opening two minutes of the second half.  With one minute remaining, Deon Mitchell hit a layup for UNI's first points of the overtime period before Ryan countered with a jumper seconds later. 
 
With UE clinging to a 2-point lead, Adam Wing went to the line, but missed both free throw attempts.  Following a UNI miss, Troy Taylor went to the line and made one of his two, giving the Panthers one more possession where a trey by Anthony James fell short giving UE the 54-51 win.
 
Despite the strong rebounding efforts by Mockevicius and Taylor, the battle of the boards was tied at 39.  Evansville is now 10-0 when it is not outrebounded by the opposition.  UE is also a perfect 6-0 when winning the opening tip.  The Aces have also been stellar at home this year, winning all five MVC games and 11 out of 13 overall.
 
Sonnen was the only Panther to register double figures as his 11-point effort led UNI.  Three others scored eight or more points. 
 
Road trips to Missouri State and Bradley are on tap for UE this weekend.  On Saturday, Evansville travels to Springfield, Mo. to take on Missouri State at 2:05 p.m. before squaring off at Bradley next Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Carver Arena in Peoria, Ill.