EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Looking to clinch its first 5-game Missouri Valley Conference win streak since the 1998-99 campaign, the University of Evansville men's basketball team travels to Murray, Ky. to face Murray State on Saturday.  Tip is set for 3 p.m. CT with ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network on the call.
 

Evansville at Murray State
Game Information	Saturday, Feb. 10 | 3 p.m. CT | CFSB Center | Murray, Ky.
Game Coverage	ESPN+ | Live Stats | Live Audio | Game Notes
UE Basketball	Men's Basketball Home Page | Twitter

 
Last Time Out
- Avenging a 36-point loss in Peoria on Jan. 10, the Purple Aces hung on for a 73-70 win over Bradley on Wednesday evening
- It also halted an 11-game win streak the Braves had enjoyed against UE, dating back to Jan. 6, 2018
- Evansville opened the night on a 15-2 run and held a 32-27 halftime lead
- The Braves jumped in front by as many as three points in the second half before UE hit all six free throw tries in the final minute to seal the victory
- Ben Humrichous led the team with 14 points while Josh Hughes and Tanner Cuff scored nine apiece
 
Making it Look Easy
- Antonio Thomas is one of the most efficient free throw shooters in the MVC and his most important effort came against his former squad
- With UE clinging to the lead in the final minute against Bradley, Thomas calmly hit all four of his attempts to clinch the victory
- He has hit 85.7% of his attempts this season and is 5th in the Valley; he has converted 15 attempts in a row since 1/17
- Thomas has returned to form over the last 3 games, averaging 9.0 PPG
 
Taking Matters Into His Own Hands
- Entering the final minute in the win over Bradley, Ben Humrichous would not be denied as he converted a 3-point play that gave UE the lead for good
- He led the team with 14 points and picked up 3 assists and 3 steals in 27:46 (his highest minute total since Dec. 18)
- At Valpo, Humrichous played 24 minutes and tallied 8 points and 3 boards; in his first game back against UIC, his presence was immediately felt as he finished with 15 points, 5 boards and 4 assists after missing the 3 previous games and 8 out of 9
- He remains one of the most versatile players in the MVC and the stat rankings are indicative of that: scoring (11th | 15.0 PPG), FG% (8th | 51.8%), 3PT% (2nd | 43.0%), blocks (7th | 1.19/game)
 
Four More
- Kenny Strawbridge Jr. is absolutely locked in on the defensive side of the floor
- Over the last 7 games, he has 18 steals (2.6/game) and has multiple swipes in each of those outings, including 4 in the win over Bradley
- His season average continues to rise and he is second in the league with 1.87/game
- Offensively, he led UE at Valpo with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and is fourth on the team with 9.5 PPG on the season
 
Picking His Shots
- Over the last two games, Josh Hughes is 6-for-9 from the field and 3-4 from outside while scoring nine points in both contests
- Since Jan. 13, Hughes is shooting 53.8% (14/26) from long range
- Evansville is 11-1 in games where Hughes converts at least 50% of his attempts
- Hughes has a block in 5 consecutive games and is tied for 5th in the MVC with 1.25/game
 
Scouting the Opponent
- Murray State enters Saturday's game with a 9-15 overall mark and are tied with UE in the MVC standings at 6-7
- The Racers fell to Belmont by a 69-64 final on Wednesday in Nashville after earning a 71-43 road win at UNI last Saturday
- MSU took the first meeting against UE on Jan. 6 by a score of 81-59
- Four players average double figures for the Racers with Rob Perry pacing the squad with 12.8 points per game
- JaCobi Wood and Quincy Anderson hold averages of 12.2 and 11.6 PPG, respectively
- Nick Ellington averages 11.0 points and a team-high 6.1 caroms