ST. LOUIS – For the seventh time at Arch Madness, the University of Evansville men's basketball team will face Indiana State on Thursday. Tip is set for 2:30 p.m. CT with the Purple Aces Radio Network and the MVC TV Network having the coverage.
Setting the Scene
- Evansville enters as the #12 seed and will face the 5th-seeded Sycamores
- This will mark the seventh Arch Madness meeting between the squads, the most meetings between any UE opponent at the tournament
- It is the 6th meeting in St. Louis between the programs since 2011 with the Aces taking two of the last three match-ups
Last Time Out
- Down to just six healthy players in Sunday's regular season finale at Illinois State, UE fell by a final of 72-53
- Kenny Strawbridge Jr. scored 12 points while Gabe Spinelli finished with 10
- Preston Phillips added 7 points and 6 rebounds
He's #1
- Completing the 20-game MVC slate with a 44.0% showing from 3-point range, Gage Bobe led the way for the league
- He was 2-for-5 from outside in the finale versus Illinois State after going 4-of-7 in the final home game against UIC
- Bobe recorded 12 versus the Flames , marking his sixth double figure game of the seasons; five of those have come in the last 12 games
- Hitting 16 of his last 34 attempts from long range, Bobe is shooting 38.6% on the season but is even better in the MVC
Racking up the Minutes
- Playing 34 minutes or more in 20 of the last 21 games, Marvin Coleman II ranks 6th in the MVC with 35.0 per game
- His average of 35.7 minutes in MVC games is 4th-best in the league
- With 11 points versus UIC on Feb. 22, Coleman picked up his 17th double figure scoring effort in the last 21 games
- Hitting 9 of his 13 shots at Southern Illinois, Coleman reset his career scoring high with 25 points
- Over his last 21 games, Coleman is averaging 13.6 points while shooting 40.6%
Scouting the Opponent
- Indiana State comes into Arch Madness with a 20-11 mark while going 13-7 in the Valley to earn the #5 seed
- The Sycamores dropped their final two games of the regular season, falling at Belmont on Feb. 22 before losing to Missouri State in the home finale on Sunday
- Courvoisier McCauley led the Sycamores with 16.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the regular season
- Playing 30 minutes per game, McCauley was a 44.3% shooter from the field
- Cooper Neese (10.6 PPG), Robbie Avila (10.1 PPG) and Cameron Henry (10.0 PPG) also scored in double figures for the Sycamores
