Evansville Basketball Faces Tough Matchup Against Illinois State in MVC Tournament Opener
Today marks the opening day of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, with a first-round matchup between the 10th-seeded Evansville and seventh-seeded Illinois State. The
Game outlook
Today marks the opening day of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, with a first-round matchup between the 10th-seeded Evansville and seventh-seeded Illinois State. The winner of this game will move on to face second-seeded Drake in the quarterfinals on Friday. Both teams are coming off losses in their regular season finales, with Evansville falling to Belmont and Illinois State losing to Valparaiso. Illinois State holds a 49-20 advantage in the all-time series, though the teams split their two meetings this season, with Illinois State winning the most recent matchup. The current line has Illinois State favored by 3 points.
Betting Odds
Moneyline: Aces +135 | Redbirds -160
Spread: Aces +3 (-110) | Redbirds -3 (-110)
Total: Over/Under 136.5 (-110)
Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Illinois St. will win straight-up is 62%.
Evansville Aces
Evansville closed out the regular season with a disappointing loss to Belmont, finishing with a 15-16 overall record and a 6-14 conference record. Despite leading early in the game, Evansville ultimately fell behind and could not recover, shooting 36.8% from the field while allowing Belmont to shoot 50%. Kenny Strawbridge Jr. led the team with 14 points and eight rebounds in the loss. The Purple Aces are ranked 226th in offense and 244th in defense this season, with key players like Ben Humrichous, Yacine Toumi, and Kenny Strawbridge Jr. contributing to their scoring efforts. Evansville shoots 45.3% from the field as a team and 34.5% from beyond the arc, while also maintaining a 72.2% free throw percentage. On the defensive end, Evansville allows an average of 44.4% field goals and 73.68% free throws, ranking 221st and 297th in the nation respectively. The Aces rank 312th in three-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot 35.8% from beyond the arc. Overall, Evansville has struggled defensively this season, allowing an average of 74.1 points per game. Despite their challenges, the team will need contributions from key players like Joshua Hughes, Chuck Bailey III, and Antonio Thomas to succeed. Overall, Evansville will need to improve their defensive efforts and maintain their offensive consistency in order to find success in future games. 7:49 | 2H 🟣 48 | 🐻 67 Hughes leading the Aces outside the arc w/3⃣ 🏀 #ForTheAces pic.twitter.com/KkC1UoUBa9