Game Notes

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the second time this season, the University of Evansville men's basketball team will face off against Bradley with this meeting coming at Carver Arena in Peoria, Ill. on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m.
 
I n a hard-fought defensive battle, Missouri State took a 66-54 victory over the Purple Aces on Wednesday at the Ford Center.  After trailing by as many as 15 points in the first half, the Aces went on a 12-1 run to trail by just four at the half, but the Bears opened up the second half on a 9-0 run on their way to the 12-point win.
 
Egidijus Mockevicius led the Aces with 14 points and 10 boards as he finished with his fourth double-double of the season; Blake Simmons posted 12 points while D.J. Balentine finished the night with 11 points as a late shot in the final two minutes helped him clinch his 23rd double figure effort in 24 games.
 
It took just over 38 minutes, but Balentine made it 23 out of 24 games posting double figures as he tallied 11 in the home game against Missouri State.  Balentine's average of 22.6 points per game continues to lead the MVC and is 8th in the nation.  On Monday, he shared MVC Player of the Week honors with Anthony Beane of SIU, it was his league-high third honor of the year.
 
For the fourth time in his sophomore campaign, Mockevicius posted a double-double as he led the Aces with 14 points and 10 rebounds.  Mockevicius' ten caroms bumped his MVC average to 8.4 per game, just ahead of Seth Tuttle for the league lead; he and Tuttle are the only players in the MVC to rank in the top four in both offensive and defensive rebounds.
 
He hit 4 of his 9 attempts versus Missouri State as his shooting percentage stands at a league-best 59.7%; his performance this season is the 8th-best in program history.
 
Bradley improved its record to 10-14 while winning for the fifth time in 11 tries in conference play with a 63-54 road win at Loyola on Thursday.  The Braves are 4-2 in their last six contests and have defended their home floor to the tune of a 9-4 overall mark while winning four out of five home league outings.  Allowing just 65.9 points per game, the Braves are the second-rated defense in the conference; they also perform well on the offensive glass, posting 11.3 offensive boards per game, 2nd in the league; in the first meeting against the Aces, BU finished with 12.
 
Senior Walt Lemon Jr. is one of the top players in the league on both the offensive and defensive ends; he ranks third in the league with his 17.3 points while his tenacious defense has resulted in 51 steals on the season, second in the MVC.  When it comes to rebounding, Tyshon
Pickett has hauled in 7 per game, a tally that is third in the conference; he is the top rebounder on the offensive end in the league with 2.6 per game.  In their win at Loyola on Thursday, Lemon led the Braves with 21 points, 3 assists and 3 steals while Pickett chipped in 13 points and tied for the game high with 9 caroms.
 
A 66-60 win on Jan. 26 helped UE cut its series deficit to 19-24; the Aces have won four of the last five games against the Braves while posting victories in its last four home contests.  The road has been a different story for the Aces as they are just 3-17 in 20 trips to Peoria; in the last ten games at Carver Arena, UE is 1-9 with the win coming in 2012 by a final tally of 92-62.