Box Score (PDF)

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Shooting over 50% for the fourth game in a row, the University of Evansville men's basketball team defeated Loyola, 74-66, in Missouri Valley Conference action on Tuesday night at the Ford Center.
 
In front of a national audience on the CBS Sports Network, 5-time MVC Player of the Week Egidijus Mockevicius posted his second-consecutive 20-rebound effort while scoring 23 points to lead everyone.  D.J. Balentine was also stellar for the Purple Aces (17-3, 6-1 MVC).  It was lucky seven's for the senior as he hit seven field goals, seven free throws and registered seven assists.
 
Jaylon Brown was held scoreless in the first half, but hit four out of five attempts in the second to finish with 11 points.  Adam Wing rounded out the double figure scorers with 10.  He hit a pair of triples.
 
Tyson Smith was the top scorer for Loyola (8-11, 1-6 MVC), tallying 15 points.  He hit four shots, including a pair of triples.  Milton Doyle hit seven buckets on his way to 14 points while Donte Ingram notched 13 points and a team-best seven rebounds.
 
Loyola had the upper hand early on, scoring the first two buckets of the game before taking a 6-2 lead.  Evansville found its groove and took its first lead of the game at 7-6 on a Balentine trey.  After the Ramblers tied it up at 10-10, Adam Wing took matters into his own hands, hitting a pair of long jumpers, one being a three, to give the Aces a 15-10 lead.
 
After Loyola punched back again to tie it up at 17-17, the Aces took the lead for good, reeling off the next ten points as Blake Simmons hit an and-one to spearhead the run.  A turning point on the night came when LUC cut the gap to just a pair at 29-27.  With a chance to tie or take the lead, the Ramblers were called for an offensive foul and a technical in a fast sequence.  Those events resulted in three UE points before Wing capped off the first-half scoring with a three near the buzzer to send the Aces to the locker room up 35-27.
 
In the first three minutes of the second half, Evansville added to its lead, scoring the first eight points to go up 43-27.  The largest lead of the night came with 7:42 left as an old-fashioned 3-point play by Jaylon Brown put the Aces up by 19 at 60-41. 
 
The feisty Loyola team never gave up, despite trailing by 16 with just 67 ticks remaining.  In the last three minutes, the Ramblers hit seven shots in a row, getting within six with eight seconds left.  Balentine ended the game, hitting all four free throws in the final 15 seconds.
 
Evansville treks to the road for its next two games, beginning with a ride up north to Terre Haute to face Indiana State on Sunday afternoon.  Game time is 3 p.m. CT.  Fans can still register to the pregame pep rally.  To do so, click here.
 

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