Feb. 26, 2011
Final Stats
Post-Game Interview
Play-by-Play Highlights
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Evansville's Colt Ryan fired in a game-high 32 points, including 21 in the second half, as Illinois State fell 73-67 in the final scheduled Purple Aces game in the 55-year history at Roberts Stadium Saturday afternoon.
With the loss, the Redbirds ended the regular season with a 12-18 record and a 4-14 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference, while Evansville snapped its six-game losing streak and improved to 15-14 and 9-9, respectively.
The Redbirds registered three players in double-figure scoring led by Anthony Cousin and Tony Lewis with 12 points apiece. John Wilkins tossed in 10. Lewis also added nine rebounds. Joining Ryan in double figures for Evansville was Lewis Jones with 13 points.
Ryan came out firing for the Purple Aces in the second half sinking a pair of threes and adding a layup during a 13-2 Evansville run, as took a 45-39 edge with 14:51 left in the game. John Wilkins hit his first three of the second half to put the Redbirds back within a point, 45-44, with 13:01 left, but the Aces responded with a 9-3 spurt to take a 54-47 edge.
The Redbirds clawed back with five points from Jackie Carmichael and a three-point basket from Alex Rubin and only trailed 60-58 with 6:44 on the clock. Evansville took its largest lead of the game, 69-58, with 2:11 left, but a layup by Anthony Cousin and a three-pointer from Justin Clark cut the ISU deficit to six points. Illinois State was never able to get any closer.
Illinois State and Evansville battled back and forth throughout the first half, but it was ISU's Tony Lewis rebound basket with 20 seconds remaining that gave the Redbirds a five-point lead, 37-32, the largest by either team. Lewis finished the first half with a team-best 10 points for the Redbirds, while Ryan tossed in 11 first-half points to lead UE.
Illinois State opens the 2011 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Thursday night at 6:07 p.m., against in-state rival Southern Illinois, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.
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