Game Thread: Aces @ Valpo 1/24 @ 7 pm

[CoachD88]

Any road win in the Valley is a good one even if it is against a rookie team from the Horizon League. Valpo is not yet used to MVC play and they should be the team that finishes last this year. It is not going to be Drake, the surprise of the season so far.

We need to hold serve at home the rest of the season and find a way to finish 6th and stay out of the Thursday game, this has to be the goal the rest of the way. I did not watch the game or listen to it but it sounds familiar to the two home games we won where we had a couple bigs in the lineup.

Go Aces..way to get a W on the road.

Actually we didn't play with 2 bigs....our bigs were in foul trouble all night. Hall and Kuhlman had to give good minutes and they didn't kill us at all.

[sect.3purple]

The greatest positive I saw in this game is that we played with energy....results of that energy are fewer careless turnovers, stronger drives to the basket (which gave us more opportunities for free throws), and tough defense. Still shake my head at all the missed lay-ups and jump shots....gotta get better. Good to see the ACES playing with more spirit....now to keep it going!

Dru is a warrior! Wouldn't it be great to have an entire team playing like he does!!!

Go, ACES!!

[NumbersDontLie]

Any road win in the Valley is a good one even if it is against a rookie team from the Horizon League. Valpo is not yet used to MVC play and they should be the team that finishes last this year. It is not going to be Drake, the surprise of the season so far.

We need to hold serve at home the rest of the season and find a way to finish 6th and stay out of the Thursday game, this has to be the goal the rest of the way. I did not watch the game or listen to it but it sounds familiar to the two home games we won where we had a couple bigs in the lineup.

Go Aces..way to get a W on the road.

Actually we didn't play with 2 bigs....our bigs were in foul trouble all night. Hall and Kuhlman had to give good minutes and they didn't kill us at all.

http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/boxscore/2017-18/6615/evansville-vs-valpo-01-24-2018/#playbyplay

Our normal lineup features Blake at the 4. Most teams would call this a 'small' lineup.

Check out the box score play by play:
7:50 - Hall in for Taylor. We play Hall/Traore, then Hall/DC, then Hall/Kuhlman, then Kuhlman/Traore for the rest of the half. A 17-21 deficit becomes a 38-30 lead at half. That's +12

Second half the 4 only subbed in for each other. Small lineup combos went +2, pretty much just maintaining the lead built over the 8 minute span.

That was an important 8 minute stretch.

[E-Villan]

Didn't get to watch the game tonight, but streamed it while driving in Eastern TN. Coincidentally, It was the same stretch of road I was streaming the Bowling Green game on, which I believe was our last road win before tonight. Maybe I should spend Arch Madness weekend driving in TN.

[muni cup14]

How did Valpo. beat Drake.A win is a win,but man was this game was ugly.
I think the commentater made a misstake,he ssid their were about 700
UE fans who made the trip.

[indymoon]

How did Valpo. beat Drake.A win is a win,but man was this game was ugly.
I think the commentater made a misstake,he ssid their were about 700
UE fans who made the trip.

That's what I thought but I kept telling myself that he must have said "several hundred" and not "seven hundred".

[muni cup14]

Remember the bus trips in the 80s and 90s that were taken.Bring them trips back

[Tom Servo]

I haven't read through all the posts...haven't had time so sorry if this repeats.

I thought that was a much needed win for this team. Glad to see us pull it out.

There were a couple keys that I thought led to the win:

1. We had a stretch towards the end of the first half where we actually started playing basketball. All 5 guys were looking to make something happen and were playing hard. I remember the lineup - Smith, Frederking, Simmons, Hall, and Kuhlman. To me that is what won the game. We got Dru in a lot of ball screen situations and he really stepped up. We ran Frederking off some screens and Simmons made some really smart reads. By far the best stretch of the game. We also rebounded better.

2. Taylor looked to attack the basket in the 2nd half. He did a really good job in the 2nd half all around. To me that was his best stretch in a while. And people were aggressive. Taylor also did well coming off ball screens.

I hope Marty realizes what worked when he goes back and watches the tape and I hope he realizes what a disaster our offense becomes when Riley has the ball on the perimeter. We did a whole lot at the end of that game to lose it - especially the lineup that was on the floor. Luckily Valpo isn't very good.

[svmar10]

I hope Marty hires Numbersdontlie as a statistician.
I hope KJ actually takes that 15 footer. Opponents just line up waiting for him to penetrate.
I hope Marty Hill comes back to give us another 3pt shooter.

Our local kid is heading to be maybe, my all time favorite Ace. I actually think he is defense first, and can do it for 40 minutes. A coaches dream.

[bikerace]

I think Dru Smith is the best defensive player since Don Buse