The Evansville Purple Aces and Illinois State Redbirds will take the court on Sunday at Redbird Arena. Tip-off from Normal, IL, is at 3:00 p.m. ET.
Evansville (5-25 SU, 9-19-2 ATS) lost to UIC on Wednesday. The Purple Aces are 1-4 straight-up in their past five and 1-18 in Missouri Valley Conference competition.
Illinois State (10-20 SU, 10-18-1 ATS) lost to Drake on Wednesday. The Redbirds are 0-5 straight-up in their past five and 5-14 in MVC play.
The Redbirds defeated the Purple Aces 69-61 on January 7. Illinois State shot 48 percent and held Evansville to 37.5 percent. The Purple Aces were efficient from three-point distance (43.8%), however. ISU shot 16-for-17 at the free-throw line and won the rebounding battle 37-24 but kept Evansville in the game with a high turnover count (19 TOs).
The Redbirds lead the all -time series 47-19.
Evansville has won just five games this season but did pick up a win over Northern Iowa on February 8. Do the Purple Aces have a trick up their sleeve for the regular-season finale?
UIC defeated Evansville by six on Wednesday. The Flames led by eight at halftime and shot 50.9 percent, including 47.8 percent from three. The Purple Aces shot 45.5 percent from the field and 81.8 percent at the free-throw line but were only 7-for-20 from long distance (35%). Junior forward Yacine Toumi led Evansville with a career-high 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting.
Yacine Toumi for THREE!
?1:19 | 2H
??66
??78#ForTheAces ?? pic.twitter.com/iR6qlvqepq— UE Men's Basketball (@UEAthletics_MBB) February 23, 2023
The Purple Aces average 62.9 points per game (347th) and shoot 39.9 percent (352nd), including 32.1 percent from three-point range (292nd). They convert 62.9 percent of their foul shots (357th) and average 28.5 rebounds (328th) with a -6.3 rebounding margin. Evansville is 357th in schedule-adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom.
The Purple Aces surrender 75.4 points per game on defense (321st), and their opponents shoot 47.4 percent from the floor (349th), including 37.5 percent from three (349th). Evansville is 266th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
No House Advantage: Bet on player over/unders VS THE HOUSE to 21x your bet OR play in PICK 'EM contests against other people! Click here to get a 1st deposit match up to $100 1st w/ promocode WandW!