| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOST | 24 | 31 | 55 |
| EVAN | 31 | 33 | 64 |
Smith, Taylor help Evansville edge Missouri St 64-55
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Dru Smith scored 15 points, Ryan Taylor added 13 and Evansville turned back Missouri State 64-55 on Wednesday night.
K.J. Riley had 11 points for the Purple Aces (12-6, 2/3 Missouri Valley Conference) and Dainiu Chatkevicius had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Alize Johnson led the Bears (13-5, 3-2) with 16 points and 14 rebounds and Jarrid Rhodes and Reggie Scurry had 10 points each.
Evansville scored the first six points and led wire-to-wire. The Purple Aces led by as many as 11 points in the first half before settling for a 31-24 advantage at the break. Ronnie Rousseau III scored all nine of his points in less than five minutes as part of a 13-6 burst that helped the Bears cut an 11-point deficit down to four with 8 1/2 minutes to go.
Missouri State's last 3 baskets were 3-pointers, Johnson making it a three-point game with 1:12 to go. But the Bears missed their last five shots and the Purple Aces were 6 of 8 from the line in the last minute, wrapping up a 14 of 20 second half while the Bears were just 2 of 2.
The series is now tied at 34, dating to 1959 when Evansville beat MSU in the championship game of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Tom Eades
- Paul Janssen
- Jeb Hartness
2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana State | 2-0 | - | 8-4 |
| Drake | 1-0 | 0.5 | 11-0 |
| Bradley | 1-0 | 0.5 | 10-2 |
| Belmont | 1-0 | 0.5 | 9-3 |
| Northern Iowa | 1-0 | 0.5 | 7-5 |
| Murray State | 1-1 | 1 | 6-6 |
| Illinois State | 0-1 | 1.5 | 8-4 |
| UIC | 0-1 | 1.5 | 7-4 |
| Missouri State | 0-1 | 1.5 | 7-5 |
| Valparaiso | 0-1 | 1.5 | 7-5 |
| Southern Illinois | 0-1 | 1.5 | 5-7 |
| Evansville | 0-1 | 1.5 | 3-9 |
Men's College Basketball News