Goods news was hard to find Monday as the University of Evansville basketball team prepared for tonight's game at Creighton.
The Aces (11-13 overall, 5-10 in the Missouri Valley Conference) were coming off another tough loss, a 68-64 home setback Saturday against Loyola, with little time to prepare for the Bluejays (17-10, 8-7), the Valley's hottest-shooting team. And the Aces were going to have to play even more short-handed after sophomore guard Fabien Calvez left the team Sunday to return to his native France.
"Fabien's decision wasn't a surprise," UE coach Steve Merfeld said. "He hadn't adjusted well to the culture and the speed and physicality of the college game. It's too bad it didn't work out.
"But we still have a tough week ahead of us and a game to prepare for with a quality opponent in Creighton."
The 6-foot-2 Calvez played in 14 games and averaged 7.1 minutes, 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds.
Another burr in Merfeld's saddle was the timing of the Creighton game, a Tuesday game followed by a Saturday game at Drake. It is normally a Wednesday/Saturday swing for MVC teams.
"Why are we playing Tuesday/Saturday? I don't know," Merfeld said. "It doesn't make any sense for us to have to play this game on a Tuesday, especially after a Saturday game.
"Our conference schedule has been tough. There's no pattern or routine to it. Every week is different. You prepare to succeed, and then the conference schedule doesn't let you."
Evansville will switch things up, too. The Aces elected to travel today, flying to Omaha, Neb., this morning and then return tonight after the game.
"We thought we'd try something different," said Merfeld. "It can't hurt at this point. We just have to be able to slow down a team that's been shooting very well."
The Bluejays are coming off consecutive record-setting performances shooting the ball. They hit an MVC record 84.2 percent in the second half to win at Wichita State, 82-68, last Wednesday, then set another conference mark Saturday with 20 3-pointers (in 30 attempts) in a 100-68 Bracket Buster win over Chattanooga.
As a team, Creighton is shooting 45.5 percent from the floor. Evansville beat the Bluejays, 63-61, on Dec. 22 at Roberts Stadium. "It's just been tough," said Merfeld, whose team has lost nine of its past 11 games. "You work hard and plan and then everything we try and do just backfires. But all we can do is just keep working, and we'll do that."
The Aces (11-13 overall, 5-10 in the Missouri Valley Conference) were coming off another tough loss, a 68-64 home setback Saturday against Loyola, with little time to prepare for the Bluejays (17-10, 8-7), the Valley's hottest-shooting team. And the Aces were going to have to play even more short-handed after sophomore guard Fabien Calvez left the team Sunday to return to his native France.
"Fabien's decision wasn't a surprise," UE coach Steve Merfeld said. "He hadn't adjusted well to the culture and the speed and physicality of the college game. It's too bad it didn't work out.
"But we still have a tough week ahead of us and a game to prepare for with a quality opponent in Creighton."
The 6-foot-2 Calvez played in 14 games and averaged 7.1 minutes, 1.3 points and 0.9 rebounds.
Another burr in Merfeld's saddle was the timing of the Creighton game, a Tuesday game followed by a Saturday game at Drake. It is normally a Wednesday/Saturday swing for MVC teams.
"Why are we playing Tuesday/Saturday? I don't know," Merfeld said. "It doesn't make any sense for us to have to play this game on a Tuesday, especially after a Saturday game.
"Our conference schedule has been tough. There's no pattern or routine to it. Every week is different. You prepare to succeed, and then the conference schedule doesn't let you."
Evansville will switch things up, too. The Aces elected to travel today, flying to Omaha, Neb., this morning and then return tonight after the game.
"We thought we'd try something different," said Merfeld. "It can't hurt at this point. We just have to be able to slow down a team that's been shooting very well."
The Bluejays are coming off consecutive record-setting performances shooting the ball. They hit an MVC record 84.2 percent in the second half to win at Wichita State, 82-68, last Wednesday, then set another conference mark Saturday with 20 3-pointers (in 30 attempts) in a 100-68 Bracket Buster win over Chattanooga.
As a team, Creighton is shooting 45.5 percent from the floor. Evansville beat the Bluejays, 63-61, on Dec. 22 at Roberts Stadium. "It's just been tough," said Merfeld, whose team has lost nine of its past 11 games. "You work hard and plan and then everything we try and do just backfires. But all we can do is just keep working, and we'll do that."
