Redbirds to Battle Aces on Wednesday

NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State Redbirds and Evansville Aces meet on Wednesday evening, with each of the two squads looking to snap out of their current losing streaks.

GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (6-14, 1-7 MVC) vs. Evansville Aces (9-12, 0-8 MVC)
When: Wednesday, Jan. 29
Tip-Off: 7 p.m.
Location: Normal, Illinois
Arena: Redbird Arena
TV: ESPN+
    Scott Warmann, play-by-play
    David Kaplan, analyst
Radio: WJBC 93.7 & 1230 AM
    Dick Luedke, play-by-play
    Mike Matthews, analyst

QUICK HITTERS

• Over the last two weeks, Illinois State senior Zach Copeland has averaged 21.15 points while making 20-of-37 shots (54.1 percent) from three-point distance
• With his 32-point, 7-assist, 8-three-point, 0-turnover game against Drake, he is one of just three student-athletes since 2010-11 to have reached that stat line.
• Illinois State held Southern Illinois to 17 first-half points on Saturday afternoon, which stands as the 11th-lowest single-half scoring total that the Redbird defense has allowed since the turn of the century.
• Copeland is one of 15 student-athletes this season with a game of 30+ points and 7+ assists, and is one of just three to do it with no turnovers.
• Against Drake on Jan. 16 Illinois State committed just six turnovers, the fewest turnovers in a game since the finale of the 2017-18 season against Loyola.
• This season the Illinois State defense holds opposing offenses to a 19.3 second-per-possession length, the longest-such time on defense in the country, as Washington, who is second on the list, averages 19.2 seconds per possession.
• Illinois State has had eight different student-athletes lead the team in scoring this season, which is tied for the most in the MVC this season.
• Illinois State has used nine different starting lineups this season.
• Illinois State has the third-longest active overtime win streak in the country, having won its last seven games during extra time. Harvard has won its last 10 overtime games - most in the country - while Florida State is second with nine consecutive overtime wins.
• Illinois State head coach Dan Muller is one of 38 head coaches who are currently leading their alma mater. Of that list, he has the eighth-most wins.
• Illinois State has the second-most wins and second-highest winning percentage within the state of Illinois since the 2012-13 season - Dan Muller's first season with the program.
• As a student-athlete, current Illinois State head coach Dan Muller averaged 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game against Evansville.
• Illinois State senior Zach Copeland ranks 30th in NCAA Division I in three-point field goal percentage (.415), and ranks 62nd in three-point field goals per game (2.7).
• Zach Copeland's eight three-pointers against Drake on Jan. 16 are tied for the single-game school record, along with four other former student-athletes.
• Illinois State's 15-point comeback against UNI in the MVC opener is tied for the 11th-largest margin overcome in a game in Redbird history.

SCOUTING THE ACES

Evansville enters this weekend looking to snap out of its current eight-game losing skid after falling 67-65 at Valparaiso on Sunday.

In the loss to the Crusaders, Sam Cunliffe led four double-figure scorers for the Aces with 16 points while Jawaun Newton and K.J. Riley each scored 12 and Noah Frederking 11 points off of the bench. Cunliffe also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, while Riley and Shamar Givance each dished out four assists.

This season Evansville has been led by DeAndre Williams, who averages 16.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game; however, the sophomore has missed the last six games with injury. Riley averages 11.8 points per game, with Cunliffe (10.7) and Artur Labinowicz (9.7) second and third on the team. Riley has the next-highest rebound total at 3.9 boards per game, while leading the team with 50 assists. Givance has a team-leading 17 steals, as Williams has 18 of the team's 46 blocked shots this season.

TWO WEEK NOTICE

Over the last two weeks, Illinois State senior Zach Copeland has been on fire, averaging 21.5 points per game, and even more impressive has made 20-of-37 shots from long range over the past four games. That long-range total is a percentage of 54.1 percent. Immediately before breaking out against Drake, Copeland ranked 219th in the country in three-point makes per game and was unranked on three-point field goal percentage. Over the course of the four games he has risen to 63rd in NCAA Division I basketball in makes per game, and 30th in three-point percentage.

RARE AIR

When Zach Copeland had his big game against Drake (32 points, seven assists, eight three-point field goals, and no turnovers), he became one of just three NCAA Division I student-athletes since 2010-11 to have similar numbers.

LOW HALF SCORING

When Illinois State held Southern Illinois to just 17 first-half points, it was tied for the third-lowest scoring half for an MVC opponent this season. Only Missouri State has given up fewer points in a half when they held both Arkansas State and Valparaiso to 16 points in games this season.

Over the last 20 seasons, there have been 48 instances in which the Redbirds held an opponent to fewer than 20 points in a half, including 11 points in the first half against Indiana State during the 2003-04 season. Below are the 15 lowest single-half scores since the turn of the century.

BIG PRODUCTION

On the road at Drake, Illinois State senior Zach Copeland put up quite the stats line in which he scored 32 points, dished out seven assists, and had zero turnovers. This season there have been just 15 players in NCAA Division I that have scored at least 30 points with seven assists in a game, and just three of those did it with no turnovers.

LOW TURNOVERS

On Thursday, Jan. 16, the Illinois State Redbirds committed just six turnovers in an 84-74 loss at Drake. That was the fewest turnovers in a game since the 'Birds had just six in the championship game of the 2018 MVC Tournament. To find a game with a lower ISU turnover total you have to go back to Jan. 3, 2016 when the team committed just four turnovers - also in a game on the road in Des Moines against the Drake Bulldogs.
 

GETTING DEFENSIVE AT LENGTH

This season Illinois State opponents average an offensive possession length of 19.1 seconds. That time is the second-longest defensive possession length in the country. The Redbirds trail just Washington (19.3). Below are the 10 longest defensive possession lengths in the country according to the basketball stat analysis site KenPom.