USI and Evansville will meet for the first time in their men’s basketball programs’ history Saturday at Ford Center, launching the River City Classic. USI enters 1-1 after a 112-point home-opening win, while Evansville is 1-0.

By the Numbers
  • USI scored 112 points against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, including 88 from the bench.
  • LA Hayes led USI with 21 points; Maksym Hryshchuk added 14 points and seven rebounds.
  • USI has forced 39 turnovers and recorded 28 steals in two games.
  • Tipoff is 7 p.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 7, at Ford Center.
Yes, But

USI’s explosive opener came against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, while Evansville is also coming off a win—an 80-70 result over IU Kokomo. The teams have no prior history against each other, making this first meeting an early test of how their starts translate against local competition.

State of Play
  • USI’s defense has generated 19.5 turnovers per game and averages 14 steals per game, ranked No. 25 nationally.
  • Evansville finished last season 7-25, but has won three of its last four games at Ford Center dating to last season.
  • The game will air on ESPN+ and 97.7 FM WREF.
What’s Next

The inaugural River City Classic gives both teams an immediate chance to build momentum—and establishes a new local rivalry. The first 500 USI students with their student IDs will receive free tickets; a pregame party starts at 5 p.m. at The Rooftop.

Bottom Line

USI brings a high-scoring offense and disruptive defense into a first-ever matchup, but Evansville’s home-court familiarity could make Saturday’s rivalry debut a tougher test than the teams’ opening records suggest.