Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – It was another Senior Day triumph as the Purple Aces men's basketball team posted its fifth win in a row on that special day, taking an 84-68 victory over Indiana State on Saturday afternoon at the Ford Center.
 
In his final regular-season home game, Colt Ryan led all players with 31 points on an 11-of-19 shooting effort.  He also finished with 8 assists and 5 rebounds.  His career tally stands at 2,173 points and is just 63 points away from tying the all-time scoring record set by Larry Humes.
 
Ryan Sawvell notched 12 points and 6 rebounds while Jordan Nelson finished with a career-high 11 points.  Nelson sunk his opening four buckets as his play helped the Aces hold strong in the first half.
 
With the win, the Purple Aces (18-13, 10-8 MVC) earn their first 18-win season since the 1999-2000 campaign.  Evansville also enters next week's MVC Tournament with a top four seed.  Should Northern Iowa fall to Illinois State tonight, UE will be the third seed for the second year in a row.  If UNI takes the win, the Aces clinch the No. 4 seed.  Indiana State finishes the regular season at 17-13 and 9-9 in the league.
 
Troy Taylor got the Aces on the board as they scooted out to a 4-0 lead before a layup by Jake Odum marked the first points of the game by the Sycamores.  Evansville continued to play at a solid pace in the early going as a #D.J. Balentine# bucket made it a 7-point lead before an and-one by Jordan Nelson gave the Aces a 21-12 edge.
 
Nine of the opening 19 shots were good as Colt Ryan sunk a pair of free throws inside the 8-minute mark that put the lead at double figures for the first time at 25-14.  The Sycamore punched back in a quick way, tallying consecutive treys by Odum and R.J. Mahurin, to get back within five tallies.
 
That stretch turned into an 8-0 one for ISU, but one of the heroes in the win at Wichita State, Jordan Nelson, ended that with a trey.  Nelson hit his first four shots as he set his career high in scoring with 11 points in the first half.  Despite his play, along with 11 first-half points by Ryan, the Sycamores made their way back into it, cutting the deficit to just one at the half, 37-36.
 
Nelson and Ryan led UE with 11 in the period while Odum was 6-10 en route to 17 first-half points.
 
Out of the break, Mahurin tallied his fourth bucket of the game as ISU took its first lead at 38-37.  A three by Devonte Brown made it a 41-37 lead before Colt Ryan hit the Aces' first basket of the second half.  Evansville connected on four out of five buckets to go back in front, 45-43.
 
That rally started what turned into a 16-0 stretch as the Aces came back to take their largest lead of the game at 57-43.  Evansville hit 6-of-8 shots in the stretch while Indiana State was 0-4 with three turnovers.  Mahurin hit a trey that ended the run.
 
As they had in the first half, the Sycamores rallied in the second half, getting back within six at 62-56, but another run, this one a 7-0 stretch, saw the lead drawn back out to 13.  From that point on, the lead would not go under ten as the Aces finished with the 16-point victory.
 
In one of the most unselfish games you will see, the Aces registered assists on 26 out of 31 baskets while finishing the game with a 38-30 rebounding edge.  The Aces also shot 54.4% while Indiana State finished the night at 42.4%.  The Aces were on fire in the second half, connecting on 18 out of 29 attempts.
 
Odum was the top scorer for the Sycamores, tallying 20 points to go along with 6 rebounds and 5 assists.  Mahurin finished the day with 16 tallies and a game-high 9 boards.  Dawon Cummings was the third ISU player in double figures with 13. 
 
Evansville's six seniors were honored Saturday for their contributions as Colt Ryan, Ned Cox, Troy Taylor, Lewis Jones, Andy Chinn and Brandon Williams played their final regular-season home contest.  UE will next be in action on Friday in the MVC Tournament.  The opponent and game time will be determined later tonight following the completion of the other MVC games.