EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Jacksonville State men's basketball team wraps up its three-game road stint Saturday with a 1 p.m. matchup against Evansville at the Ford Center on ESPN3.
 
The Gamecocks (5-4) are looking for their first win over a Missouri Valley opponent and second win at the Ford Center – the home of the Ohio Valley Conference Championships – in their first meeting with the Purple Aces (5-4).
 
JSU is 1-1 in games at the Ford Center, advancing to the quarterfinals of the 2018 OVC Tournament with a 73-70 win over Tennessee Tech before falling to eventual-champion Murray State.
 
While the Gamecocks have played just three games in Evansville, head coach Ray Harper is very familiar with the south Indiana city. Evansville is just 40 miles away from Kentucky Wesleyan College - a program Harper guided to two Division II National Championships and three runner-up finishes in eight seasons as its head coach - and Harper's hometown of Bremen sits just 60 miles away.
 
The two-time letter winner finished out his playing career in Owensboro and was the Panthers first All-America, claiming the honor as a senior in 1985. He was named to the Panthers' All- Century Team in 2010 and had the floor at Jones Gymnasium named for him in 2008. In games Kentucky Wesleyan played in the city of Evansville, Harper owns an 8-3 coaching record.
 
Jacksonville State is coming off a tough 69-65 loss to former MVC member Wichita State on Wednesday. Despite a four-point loss, JSU held the Shockers to 2.4 points below their scoring average at Charles Koch Arena. JSU also kept the American Athletic Conference's leading scorer, Samajae Haynes-Jones, to 11.5 points below his 19.5 points-per-game clip.
 
Evansville is looking to improve to 6-0 at home this season with a second win in a row. The Aces topped Ball State 89-77 on Dec. 9 at the Ford Center. UE is led by reigning MVC Newcomer of the Week Shea Feehan who is averaging 15.4 points per game.
 
Jacksonville State returns home Tuesday, Dec. 18 to take on North Alabama at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The game will be the first at The Pete since hosting Belmont on Feb. 22, 2018 before the March 19 tornados ripped the roof from the facility. Men's Basketball - Game 10
Jacksonville State (5-4, 0-0 OVC) at Evansville (5-4, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
December 15, 2018 | 1 p.m. CT
Evansville, Ind. | Ford Center (10,000)

SERIES HISTORY
Last Meeting: First meeting
All-Time Series Record: 0-0

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Watch: ESPN3
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