University of Evansville

AceNotes Today

Friday, March 6, 2015

* Three UE Professors on WNIN's The Trend Today at Noon

WNIN’s weekly program The Trend will feature UE professors Payal Patel-Dovlatabadi, Don Rodd, and Lora Becker today at noon. Tune in to 88.3 FM or listen live online here: http://www.wnin.org/radio/listen/

 

What's Happening Today

* Pre-game Event Planned for Men's MVC Tourney Friday - All Invited

All students, faculty, staff, alumni and other Aces fans are invited to the Aces Arch Madness Pregame Party this Friday, March 6 from noon - 1:30 p.m. at Joe Buck's Downtown. Food, drinks and good Aces company prior to the 2:35 p.m. match up vs. Illinois State. Come get your rally towel and get ready to cheer on the Aces. Sponsored by Athletics, Alumni and Benny's Flooring. Questions? Contact alumni@evansville.edu or extension 2586. 

 
* Fish Friday in Cafe Court

In observance for the Lenten season, Café Court will be serving fish on Fridays at Grill 155. 

 

Upcoming Events

* This Weekend in Music: Zynergy Big Band Concert Rescheduled

The concert by the jazz big band, Zynergy, recently postponed because of weather, has been rescheduled for Sunday, March 8, at 7:00 p.m. in Wheeler Concert Hall. This concert is a part of the continuing Jazz Guest Artist Concert Series, co-sponsored by the University of Evansville and the Evansville Jazz Society.

The 17-member Zynergy, which had been a favorite of local audiences for many years, is being revived at the request of many of its fans, and is expected to once again become a mainstay of jazz performance in the region. Zynergy is directed by local jazz trumpet star, Tim Smith. The members include many favorite performers of local jazz fans, including Mark Eifler, Matt Kincaid, Tom Drury, Jonathan Hogan, and many others.

The band will be playing music representing styles from the swing era of the 1940’s to the best of today’s contemporary big band jazz. The program will include selections from the libraries of the bands of Count Basie, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, and many others.

Admission to the concert is $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for Jazz Society members and $5.00 for students with I.D. Tickets can be obtained by contacting the UE Department of Music at 488-2754, or at the door.

For more information, contact:
Dr. Edwin Lacy, University of Evansville
812/488-2227
EL2@evansville.edu

 

Info You Should Know

* Daylight Savings Time - Change Clocks this Sunday!

It's Daylight Savings Time again! Remember to turn your clocks forward one hour his weekend. Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday, March 8, at 2 a.m. At that hour, the time will change from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m.

 
* Last Chance to Register for L2L Leadership Conference!

Don't miss your chance too attend the Leadership Academy's upcoming L2L Leadership Conference! Registration and a refundable $10 registration fee are due today, Friday, March 6 (the form can be found at http://www.evansville.edu/studentengagement/leadershipconference.cfm.

This year's conference will be held Saturday, March 21, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Ridgway University Center, and will feature professional speaker Michael Miller as our keynote presenter! If you have any questions, please contact ka112.

 
* Residence Life Summer Staff Openings!

Searching for a Summer Job? Residence Life hires students for its Summer Conference Program. Applications are available on March 19 and are due back on March 27. A session with more info will be held on March 18 at 9:30 pm in Graves 100.

Summer Staff are a primary support system during the summer, and are responsible for providing assistance to conference guests and summer school students. Summer Staff applicants should be hard working, have a dedication to excellence, be customer service orientated, have good communication skills, and be knowledgeable about UE.

Summer Staff Selection Timeline:
• March 18 – Summer Staff Info Session: 9:30 pm in Graves 100
• March 27 – Applications and completed recommendations due by 5:00 pm in the Office of Residence Life
• April – Hiring decisions and notifications will be made.

Please note: selection timeline is subject to change. Question about the process? Contact Calvin Wertman at 488-2214 / cw81@evansville.edu or Anna Jessen at 488-1115 / jj82@evansville.ed

 
* Fitness Center Spring Break Hours

Fitness Center Spring Break hours are:

Monday-Friday  (March 9-March 13) 8 am -6 pm
Saturday (March 14) Closed
Sunday (March 15) Closed
Resume normal hours on March 16

 
* Bookstore Spring Break Hours

The UE Bookstore will be closed on Saturdays, March 7 and14 during Spring Break. During Spring Break (March 9-13) the store will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We will resume regular store hours on March 16.

 
* Homecoming & Family Weekend combined in 2015! Date set for Sept. 25-27

“Forever Purple” is the theme for Homecoming and Family Weekend, scheduled for September 25-27! The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations has started working on event planning. Homecoming will feature special reunions for the following groups: Sigma Phi Epsilon’s 60th anniversary, Tau Kappa Epsilon, School of Public Health, School of Education, Class of 1965, and Men’s and Women’s Soccer!

If your department or organization would like to have an event during this weekend for alumni or parents or both, please complete the "Family Weekend Event Form" by April 10, by clicking on this link: http://acelink.evansville.edu/Areas/Alumni/, or by e-mailing the information to Alumni@evansville.edu. All requests will be gathered and will be reviewed for approval. Like past years' successful events, we would like to have a lot of student, school, and department participation! If you have any questions, please contact alumni@evansville.edu or extension 2586.

 
* Positions still available for 2015–16

Applications are still being accepted for positions with Crescent Magazine and the LinC for the 2015–16 school year. Most positions do not require previous experience and receive academic credit. Check out Crescent Magazine’s Facebook page — facebook.com/uecrescent — for more information about the positions available with the magazine and the yearbook. Direct your questions to tm2@evansville.edu.

The application for the magazine is https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1YvQ5_yHMoEqZPr1-ZgShlN4HyDm1S7DtY1ixgcM6SPM/viewform?usp=send_form

For the yearbook it is https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_GuVB4GGGPxuko96M8oGrZydjrbR6CITfpIiK-B6vQs/viewform?usp=send_form 

 
* Seniors Invited to Submit Speech for Spring Commencement

In 2012 the University established the tradition of selecting a graduating senior to deliver a brief address at spring commencement. March 22 is the deadline for submitting a speech. For more information visit: http://www.evansville.edu/commencement/seniorkeynote.cfm

 
* 2015-16 Housing Contracts Available

Returning students interested in living on-campus can log into WebAdvisor and submit a housing contract for 2015-16. Once logged into WebAdvisor, select “Housing and Meal Plan Registration” under the Housing and Meal Plan section. Housing contracts should be submitted by March 6th. More information on the returning student housing selection process can be found online at http://www.evansville.edu/residencelife/whereWillYouLive.cfm

 
* Libraries Announces Spring Recess Hours

Libraries will observe the following schedule of hours during the Spring Recess. Contact Library at 488.2462 with questions.

March 6  (F):      7:30 a.m.  -  5:00 p.m.
March 7  (S):     CLOSED
March 8  (S):     CLOSED
March 9  (M):     8:00 a.m.  -  5:00 p.m.
March 10  (T):    8:00 a.m.  -  5:00 p.m.
March 11  (W):   8:00 a.m.  -  5:00 p.m.
March 12  (T):    8:00 a.m.  -  5:00 p.m.
March 13  (F):    8:00 a.m.  -  5:00 p.m.
March 14  (S):    CLOSED
March 15  (S):    3:00 p.m.  -  Midnight
March 16  (M):    Resume Regular Hours

 

Congratulations

* UE Alum Evan McCracken and Student Tyler Plogher Present Research at SPSP

UE student Tyler Plogher and UE alum Evan McCracken presented research at the professional conference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Feb 25 - Feb 28 in Long Beach, California. They presented the results of their UE grant-funded research co-authored with Dr. Margaret Stevenson, entitled "Date Rape: How Victim Depression Status Affects Perceptions of Rape Avoidability."

 
* Shala Cunningham Receives First Place for Presentation at AAOMPT

Shala Cunningham, assistant professor of physical therapy, and Jayson Myerson, physical therapist, received first place for best 5 x 5 thoraco-lumbar spine platform presentation at AAOMPT 2014 for their case series: The Use Of Modified Thoracic Manipulation Techniques In The Treatment Of Patients Following Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery

 

Athletics

* UE Basketball ready for Arch Madness

It is once again Arch Madness time for the University of Evansville men's basketball team as the Purple Aces make the quick trek west on Interstate 64 to open up the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Friday afternoon.

For the fourth year in a row, the Senior Day opponent for the Purple Aces is also the first foe in St. Louis as UE will take on Illinois State at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Last season, the Aces had a rematch against Drake while two years ago pitted the Aces against Indiana State. In 2012, UE faced Missouri State in back-to-back contests.

Evansville was victorious in two of those three games and fell by just a point to the Sycamores in their MVC Tournament meeting. Prior to 2012, UE faced its Senior Day opponent in its first Arch Madness game on just one occasion, beating Indiana State in 2004 after falling to the Sycamores in the home finale.

Fans are reminded that the annual pre-game Arch Madness Party for Aces supporters will take place at Joe Buck's in downtown St. Louis beginning at noon. Rally towels are available while supplies last and fans can also enter to win door prizes. Game on Thursday through Saturday will be broadcast on the MVC TV Network while Sunday's championship game will be carried on CBS.

Illinois State hit a bucket with under two seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime before knocking down another late shot in the extra session to take a 69-67 win on Saturday at the Ford Center. The Aces were led by D.J. Balentine's 22 points in the game while Adam Wing hit 11 out of 12 free throws and finished with 15 points. Rebounding played a pivotal role in the contest as ISU outrebounded UE by a final tally of 49-31.

This season will mark the fourth meeting between Evansville and Indiana State in Arch Madness. Illinois State has won two of those three meetings, most recently taking a 78-68 win in 2009; Evansville's win came in 2006 as the Aces won by a final of 52-45. The third meeting was in 2001, an 81-77 Redbird win.

With 19.0 points per game, D.J. Balentine led the Valley in scoring for the second season in a row en route to his second-consecutive berth on the All-Conference First Team. He became just the 12th player since 1956 to lead the league in scoring in consecutive seasons joining the likes of Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson.

He continues to rank amongst the national scoring leaders and checks in tied for 30th in the country, averaging 19.0 points per game. Balentine has recorded double figures in all but three of UE's 30 games in 2014-15 and his scoring streak that dates back to the beginning of last season has seen him score 10 or more in 58 out of 63 games.

Also earning a spot on the First Team was fellow junior Egidijus Mockevicius. He set the UE Division I double-double mark with 17 on the season.

Mockevicius has done it all on each side of the floor; he is the #12 shooter in the nation at 59.0% while ranking in a tie for 19th with 9.9 rebounds per game and 4th with 7.68 defensive caroms per contest.

Illinois State clinched the 4th seed in the MVC Tournament with a 69-67 OT win at UE on Saturday. The Redbirds enter Arch Madness with a 19-11 overall mark and were 11-7 in the league.

Daighon Knight is the top scorer for the Redbirds at 13.9 PPG while DeVaughn Purcell checks in at 13.0. Purcell was the hero for the Redbirds in the regular season finale, posting 16 points and 9 rebounds against the Aces. Third on the squad is one of the premier big men in the nation as sophomore Reggie Lynch has notched 9.4 points while blocking an unbelievable 76 shots on the season.
 

 
* UE Men's Swimming solid in opener at MAC’s

With a score of 50 points, the University of Evansville men’s swimming team is in sixth place following the opening day of the Mid-American Conference Championships in Geneva, Ohio.

“It was a great first night. We broke the school record in the 200 medley relay and dropped 8 seconds from our seed time in the 800 free relay,” UE head coach Rickey Perkins said. “I am very excited for tomorrow. If we can stay calm and focused I believe tomorrow should be a good day.”

The record-breaking effort in the 200 medley relay was done by Ethan O’Rourke, Troy Burger, Daniel O’Brien and Ashton Bishop. The group posted a time of 1:30.93 in the finals to set the new mark. They finished in sixth place.

Evansville also showed great improvement in the 800 free relay. Everett Plocek, Cameron Wickes, Phil Stevenson and O’Brien improved their finals effort by nearly eight seconds over their run in the seeds. Their finals time checked in at 7:00.79.

Action continues tomorrow through Saturday with several events taking place each day. For a full schedule, live stats and live video, check out the tournament central link at the top of the page.

 
* Blake Simmons named to MVC Scholar-Athlete Team

Sporting a 3.83 GPA, University of Evansville sophomore Blake Simmons was named to the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete First Team on Thursday morning.

Simmons’ effort was the highest amongst all of the first teamers. The Newburgh, Ind. product was also one of just two sophomores on the first team.

This season, Simmons started all 30 games for the Aces while averaging 7.4 points per game. In the regular season, Simmons shot 47.6% from the field and was an extremely accurate free throw shooter, finishing at 81.5%.

He scored in double figures on nine occasions this season, including a season-high of 14 points, which came twice. Simmons did that most recently against Indiana State. He finished just outside of the top ten in the MVC in minutes played with 30.2.

Simmons is the eighth player in UE’s tenure in the Valley to garner First Team Scholar-Athlete honors. Most recently, Colt Ryan did so. He was the Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2012 and 2013.

 
* UE Baseball Heads to Georgia for Weekend Series vs. Western Illinois

The University of Evansville Purple Aces baseball team (4-3) will play a four-game, two-day series against Western Illinois in Emerson, Ga. this weekend. The series, originally planned to be a home series for UE has been moved due to unplayable field conditions.

PITCHING MATCHUP
Game 1 – Friday, March 6 at 10:00 a.m. CT
Seven innings
UE RHP Connor Strain (0-1, 8.00 ERA) vs. WIU RHP Joe Mortillaro (0-1, 3.12)

Friday, March 6 (40 minutes after completion of game one that day)
Nine innings
UE RHP Matt Rodgers (1-0, 2.00) vs. WIU LHP Tom Constand (0-2, 10.57)

Game 3 – Saturday, March 7 at 8:00 a.m. CT
Seven innings
UE LHP Brodie Harkness (1-0, 5.25) vs WIU RHP Nick Smith (0-0, 21.00)

Game 4 – Saturday, March 7 (40 minutes after completion of game one that day)
Nine innings
UE RHP Patrick Schnieders (1-0, 4.05) vs. WIU LHP Preston Church (0-2, 6.30)

HOW CAN I FOLLOW ALONG?
Due to the site change of the series, no UE audio or video will be available.

Fans can also follow the team’s progress on twitter. Updates will be posted on the @UEAthletics account as well as @UEMediaMike, the Assistant Sports Information Director and baseball contact.

LAST TIME OUT
The University of Evansville baseball team (4-3) battled the #1 Vanderbilt Commodores through an hour of rain delays and a four-plus hour game before falling 9-8 in 12 innings on Tuesday night. Down 7-5, a three-run ninth inning home run from infielder Jonathan Ramon propelled the Purple Aces to an 8-7 lead. The advantage was short lived though, as Vanderbilt infielder Penn Murfee hit a game-tying solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. The Commodores then won on a walk-off wild pitch in the 12th. Outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski had four walks and two runs scored in the game.

WHAT’S UP WITH WESTERN ILLINOIS?
Western Illinois (0-6) was swept in their opening series against Middle Tennessee State and then lost all three games of a tournament in Auburn last week.

THE SERIES
Evansville leads the all-time series 5-1 after winning two of three at home from Western Illinois in 2014 and sweeping all three games from the Leathernecks in 1997.

UE STATISTICALLY
Statistically, Evansville is led offensively by outfielder Kevin Kaczmarski who leads the team with a .481 batting average, 13 hits, three triples, eight walks, one stolen base and a .611 on-base percentage. First baseman Eric McKibban also has double digit hits with 10 this year. Outfielder Korbin Williams has two of the teams four home runs this year. Four different UE pitchers have recorded wins and three Aces pitches have at least one save. The team is cumulatively hitting .277 this season with a 4.04 team ERA.

WIU STATISTICALLY
The Leathernecks offense is piloted by catcher Mark Garton and infielder Peyton Jeffers who are both hitting a team-high .308 this year. Infielder Colton Poque has a team-best seven hits. The team has stolen nine bases in 13 attempts. No Western Illinois pitcher has recorded a win this season. Pitchers J.T. Baksham (11), Preston Church (10) and Joe Mortillaro (10) each have double digit strikeouts. The Leathernecks hit just .228 as a unit and have a 8.25 earned run average.

THE EVANSVILLE EMERSON ACES
Due to inclement weather and unplayable field conditions, the Aces are now scheduled to play two series in Emerson, Ga. UE won two of three games against Western Kentucky in Emerson (2-21/22) and are now due to play Western Illinois in a four game set in Emerson (3-6/7)

FIRST THINGS FIRST
The Aces hung with #1 Vanderbilt into extra before falling 9-8 in 12 innings on March 3. UE took a ninth inning lead with a three-run home run from infielder Jonathan Ramon but a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth forced extras and a wild pitch in the 12th gave Vanderbilt the win.

WE’RE GOING STREAKING
Second baseman Brett Synek is currently on a 28-game on-base streak after reaching base in all six games this season and ending the 2014 season with a 21-game on-base streak. The last game in which Synek did not reach base was on April 13, 2014 vs. Wichita State.

KORBIN CRUSHING IT
Outfielder Korbin Williams hit two home runs against Western Kentucky in the first game of a doubleheader on Feb. 22. Williams hit his first career home run in the fifth inning, a three run blast, and then hit the go-ahead home run in the 10th for an 11-10 Aces win.

HOLDING ON
The Aces pitchers held on to sweep both games of a doubleheader from WKU on Feb. 22. UE held a 10-3 lead in the opening contest before winning game one 11-10 in 10 innings. Evansville was also ahead 8-2 in the final game of the doubleheader before earning a narrow 9-8 win.

NO JOSHING AROUND
Outfielder Josh Jyawook was named MVC Player of the Week on Feb. 16 for his opening series at UALR. Jyawook hit .385 in the set at three runs scored, a grand slam home run, and eight runs batted in. His three runs scored and eight RBIs were an MVC best.

LET’S PLAY WIN TWO
The Purple Aces played and won both games of a doubleheader at UALR on Feb. 14 winning the first contest 7-2 before finishing a sweep with a 16-3, seven inning victory in game two. UE also swept a doubleheader from Western Kentucky on Feb. 22 with an 11-10, 10 inning win in the opener and a 9-8 victory in the finale.

BRILLIANT BULLPEN
The UE bullpen posted a 0.00 ERA on the opening weekend series at UALR. Right-hander Ryan Billo threw 5.0 scoreless innings on Friday, Feb. 13. Left-hander Patrick Schnieders tossed 4.0 innings without allowing a run in game one on Feb. 14 and righty Ryan Brady threw a scoreless frame in game two.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
UE has two new catchers this season with Billy Lipari transferring from the University of Pittsburgh and Travis Tokarek in his freshman year. They will both look to replace Kyle Pollock’s production. Pollock started all 55 games last season for Evansville, hitting .310, second best on the team. He also hit a team-high five home runs and 50 runs batted in.

BRING IT ON BACK
The Purple Aces bring back 19 letterwinners from last season. On the hitting side, UE returns 73.3% of its run support from last season but lose 35% of their home run numbers from last year. The Aces also have 70% of their RBI total from last season back for another year. Pitching wise, Evansville lost 62% of their win total and 79% of their saves total due to graduation and the draft.

WELCOME HOME
After what amounts to be 11 games away from Braun Stadium, the Aces are expected to have their first true home game on Wednesday, March 11 against Belmont. First pitch is slate for 3:00 p.m. CT.

 
* Dickey Pours in 26 points as Purple Aces Fall to MVC Champs

he University of Evansville women's basketball team (11-17, 6-11) received 26 points from guard Sara Dickey but the Purple Aces fell 77-63 to the Wichita State Shockers on Thursday night.

With the victory, Wichita State (25-4, 16-1) has won the 2014-‘15 Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season Championship.

The Shockers began the game with a Jamillah Bonner layup and an Alie Decker three for the first five points of the night. UE responded by scoring the next four points on back to back layups from forward Sasha Robinson and guard Sara Dickey.

Ahead 5-4, Wichita State went on a 15-2 run over the next 5:19 to build a double digit lead.

Trailing by 14, the Aces chipped away at the deficit as forward Mallory Ladd scored six of the next eight Evansville points, pulling UE within nine at the 8:32 mark of the first half.

Ahead 22-13, the Shockers held the Aces to just three made field goals the rest of the half, ending the first half by outscoring the Aces 17-9. The Purple Aces were behind 39-22 at halftime despite seven points from both Dickey and Ladd. Wichita State shot 51.9% from the floor and made four treys in the opening stanza.

The Shockers took their largest lead of 22 points midway through the 2nd half. Evansville would draw within 13 points with 3:57 left but Wichita State would hold on for their eighth straight win.

Dickey ended the evening 8-for-15 from the floor, 4-for-5 on threes and 6-for-7 at the free throw line. Ladd tallied 12 points and six rebounds. Forward Sasha Robinson had a team-high eight rebounds (three offensive).

Evansville shot 75.0% on three pointers (6-for-8) in the game including a perfect 5-for-5 in the second half. The Aces also had 16 points off the bench, their highest total in the last six games.

With the loss, UE has been defeated in four consecutive games and lost 10 of their last 11 contests.

Evansville is back at home on Saturday, March 7 to host the Missouri State Lady Bears in the regular season finale. The Aces will also honor Khristian Hart, Mallory Ladd and Kat Taylor on their Senior Day. The tip is set for 2:00 p.m. at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. Tickets can be purchased over the phone at 812-488-ACES (2237), in person at either the Carson Center or Ford Center ticket office, or online via Ticketmaster.com.

 
* UE Men's Swimming heads to MAC Championship

Geneva, Ohio will be the scene of the 2015 Mid-American Conference Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, which are set to begin on Wednesday and run through Saturday.

SPIRE will host the event for the entire duration of the 4-day event.

Action gets underway on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. ET as the finals of the 200 medley relay and 800 free relay will take place. Preliminary rounds take place at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Final rounds of action on Thursday and Friday begin at 7 p.m. ET while Saturday’s final day of action begins at 5 p.m.

A full schedule of action as well as times of all events is available by visiting the Championship Central link above. Live scoring is available via the Meet Mobile app while live video is also available on the MAC website.

Evansville’s men were last in action on February 7th in a dual meet in Carbondale, Ill. as the Aces faced rival Southern Illinois.

Pacing the men was the team of Everett Plocek, Phil Stevenson, Matt Childress and Ashton Bishop, who were the top finishers in the 200 free relay. They swam a time of 1:26.99 and won by nearly three seconds.

Andrew Cotton was dominant in the 500 free, finishing in 5:02.53 to win by seven seconds. Overall, the men fell by a 165-62 final. Prescott Marcy took a solid second in the 100 free, posting a 51.28 while Daniel O'Brien was the runner-up in the 100 backstroke. He swam a 53.38.

The Purple Aces have been keeping busy in the classroom and their work culminated in both the men’s and women’s teams garnering CSCAA All-America Team honors. As a team, the guys finished last semester at a solid 3.03 GPA en route to the award.

The Team Scholar All American Award is presented to college and university swimming and diving teams, who have achieved a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The award is presented twice annually, once in the fall semester and again in the spring to recognize teams achieving a 3.0 in the semester coinciding with the NCAA/NAIA/NJCAA/CCCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.

 
* Mockevicius and Balentine earn MVC Honors

For the first time since 1989 and the first since joining the Missouri Valley Conference, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team has two players named to the MVC All-Conference First Team.

The Valley announced its awards on Tuesday and saw juniors D.J. Balentine and Egidijus Mockevicius garner First Team honors while Mockevicius also earned a nod on the All-Defensive squad.

Balentine and Mockevicius have led the Purple Aces to their best regular season effort in 15 years as they enter Arch Madness with 19 regular-season victories.

For the second year in a row, Mockevicius finished the season as the top rebounder in the league, averaging 9.9 rebounds per game. The native of Lithuania also shot the ball extremely well, hitting 59% of his shots. Even more impressive were his efforts from the free throw line. He was the #3 shooter from the foul line in the Valley, checking in at 83.2% while hitting 69 of his last 80 tries.

On December 22, 2014, he was named the MVC Player of the Week for the first time in his career thanks to a 25-point, 12-rebound effort against Alabama State. Mockevicius has 17 double-doubles on the season, ranked in the top five in the NCAA and the most in Evansville’s Division I era.

Mockevicius was also named to the All-Defensive Team for the second year in a row. He has done it all on the defensive end of the floor and ranks fourth in the country with an average of 7.68. He also ranks near the top of the league in blocked shots once again with 64 on the season.

Balentine followed up his stellar sophomore campaign with another conference-leading scoring effort. The Kokomo, Ind. product posted an average of 19 points per game this season and has registered double figures in 58 of Evansville’s last 63 games.

In December, Balentine had the top scoring streak in 27 years as he recorded 20 or more points in 8-consecutive games. The last UE player to do that was head coach Marty Simmons, who did so as he wrapped up his playing career with the university in 1988.

This marks the second First Team honor in a row for Balentine and the first for Mockevicius. Last season, Mockevisiu was named an honorable mention player. The duo make it a total of ten first teamers for the Aces since joining the MVC in 1994. It is the eighth time the program has had two on the first team and the first time since Scott Haffner and Dan Godfread earned the accolade in 1989 when Evansville was part of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.

Evansville begins the MVC Tournament on Friday against Illinois State. Tip is set for 2:30 p.m. at Scottrade Center.
 

 
* Kat Taylor named 2015 Brady Comeback Scholarship Award Recipient

The University of Evansville women’s basketball player Kat Taylor was selected as a 2015 Brady Comeback Scholarship Award recipient by the Methodist Sports Medicine Research & Education Foundation on Monday.

The Brady Comeback Award honors male and female, high school and college athletes from Indiana who have distinguished themselves by overcoming adversity or injury. These never-say-never role models have returned and excelled beyond expectations in their respective sports, distinguishing themselves on the field of play and off.

Taylor has encountered numerous injuries throughout her career and most recently suffered a ruptured Achilles on July 8, 2014, just four months before the first game of the 2014-15 season. Facing the possible end of her career and doctors telling her she may never play again, Taylor returned in just five short months to make her season debut on December 18. In that game, the guard scored 10 points, set a career-high with eight assists and led UE to a 94-85 victory over Troy on her 22nd birthday.

“It took a lot of determination and tears to get back to playing,” said Taylor. “I was motivated to get back and play again this season so that I could finish my career on my own terms.”

The senior has played all 19 games for UE since returning from injury. She is averaging 6.9 points per game, fourth highest on the team. Taylor is converting on 39.0% of her shots from the floor and 39.5% from beyond the arc.

“We are extremely happy for Kat to receive this award,” said Evansville head coach Oties Epps. “The challenges of being a student-athlete are enormous without injuries and this young lady has been through so much. She has been able to persevere and her mental fortitude and determination to not be denied the opportunity to play the game that she loves will leave a lasting impact on this program.”

The Akron, Ohio native will receive her award at a Thursday, April 16 dinner at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis. The Methodist Sports Medicine Research & Education Foundation will also be honoring three additional student athletes as well as legendary football coach Lou Holtz and Hoosier Basketball Legend, Quinn Buckner, who will both be receiving Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Taylor is only the 2nd Purple Ace to ever receive the honor (Laura Gaybrick, women’s basketball, 2007).

Taylor and the Aces are at home to finish the Missouri Valley Conference regular season. The Purple Aces host Wichita State on Thursday, March 5 at 7:00 p.m. and Missouri State on Saturday, March 7 at 2 p.m. UE will look to avenge a 54-44 loss to Wichita State on January 4. Evansville defeated Missouri State earlier this year 65-56 on January 2, only the second win ever for UE in Springfield, Missouri.

 
* Aces to hold Arch Madness Pregame Party on Friday

On Friday at noon, the University of Evansville will be holding an Arch Madness Pregame Party at Joe Buck’s in St. Louis.

Sponsored by Benny’s Flooring, the event is slated to run from noon until just after 2 p.m. before the Purple Aces square off against Illinois State at 2:30 p.m. inside Scottrade Center.

Everyone is welcome to the party, which will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres and soft drinks. A cash bar will also be available.

Rally towels will be available while supplies last and fans will also have the opportunity to win door prizes.

For more information, please contact Lance Wilkerson at lw137@evansville.edu or 812-488-2623.

 

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