EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Following a 2-game road swing through Iowa, the University of Evansville men's basketball team returns to the Ford Center on Saturday to face Illinois State. Tip is set for 1 p.m. CT with ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network having the coverage.
Last Time Out
- From start to finish, the Purple Aces were right in the thick of the battle in Tuesday's road game at UNI
- After the Panthers opened on a 7-0 run, UE rallied to hold a 31-28 halftime lead
- The Panthers used a 10-0 run in the second half to retake control as they fended off a late challenge to take the 70-63 win
- Yacine Toumi tied his career scoring mark with 20 points while adding 6 boards
- Chuck Bailey III added 14 points while Tanner Cuff fell one short of his career mark, registering 13
Tying His Mark
- For the third time in his UE career, Yacine Toumi scored a career-best 20 points on Tuesday at UNI
- He was 9-of-16 from the field and posted 6 boards and 3 assists
- Toumi has been on a roll over the last nine games, averaging close to a double-double with 12.7 points and 7.6 rebounds
- He has recorded double figures in scoring in 10 of the last 12 games
- Toumi posted a career-best 12 boards versus Missouri State and is 8th in the MVC with a season mark of 6.6
Trending Upward
- Going into the road game at UNI, Tanner Cuff was averaging 5.0 points per game in the six prior outings
- Converting 5 of his 11 attempts, Cuff scored 13 points against the Panthers, just one short of his UE career high
- Tanner Cuff continues to post one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the MVC, ranking 3rd at 2.30
- After scoring a total of five points against Indiana State and Murray State, Cuff recorded 9 tallies at Bradley and in the home victory over Valparaiso
- Cuff put together is top performance of the season against UT Martin, recording a career-high 14 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists
Back on Track
- Entering Tuesday's game at UNI, Chuck Bailey III averaged 8.0 points in the previous 6 contests
- He rebounded to score 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting versus the Panthers
- His efficiency has improved over the last 3 games as he is shooting 52.2% (12-of-23)
- Bailey made the first start of his career at Drake and recorded four of UE's opening six points while grabbing four boards
- An efficient 5-for-7 shooting game saw him post 13 points in the win over Valpo
Turning the Corner
- Tuesday's game at UNI may prove to be a turning point for Cam Haffner
- With UE staging a second-half comeback, Haffner converted back-to-back triples and finished the day with 6 points, 3 assists, 2 steals and a season-high 7 boards
- He played a pivotal role in the Valpo win, posting 5 points and 3 assists to help his team extend its lead
Scouting the Opponent
- Wins at Missouri State and at home versus Belmont have seen Illinois State even its record at 10-10 while improving to 4-5 in the MVC
- On Tuesday, the Redbirds picked up a 77-67 home triumph over the Bruins
- Prior to their 2-game win streak, ISU had dropped six games in a row
- Three Illinois State players average double figures led by Darius Burford's 13.4 points per game
- Myles Foster is second with 10.9 PPG and paces the Redbirds with 7.3 rebounds
- Dalton Banks checks in with an average of 10.0 points and leads the team with 73 assists
