Feb. 2, 2009

OXFORD, Ohio--Miami University's men's basketball team will face Evansville in an ESPNU BracketBuster game on Saturday, Feb. 21. The RedHawks' game is one of 13 games to be televised on ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN 360. Time and station of the broadcast for the game will be announced on Monday, Feb. 9.

It also marks Miami's fourth featured game as part of the BracketBuster with its 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2007-08 BracketBuster games also being televised on the ESPN Networks.

This will be the 10th meeting between Miami (12-7; 5-2 Mid-American Conference) and Evansville with the Purple Aces holding a 6-3 lead in the all-time series. The last time the teams met was in 2002-03 in Oxford with Evansville posting a 66-58 win.

Four of Miami's five previous BracketBuster matchups have come against Missouri Valley Conference schools. Miami defeated all of its MVC foes in the BracketBuster games, downing Missouri State 75-66 in 2003-04, Wichita State 65-58 in 2004-05, Illinois State 51-49 in 2005-06 and Indiana State 70-58 in 2007-06. Last season, Miami faced Valparaiso out of the Horizon League, falling in double overtime, 99-94.

Evansville owns a 14-7 overall record and a 6-5 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference. Shy Ely leads the Purple Aces, averaging 17.6 ppg and 6.5 rpg. He is followed by Jason Holsinger at 11.4 ppg. Evansville has played two other MAC schools this season, defeating both Buffalo and Ball State within its first six games of the season.

Miami in the ESPNU BracketBuster:
Feb. 21, 2004    (Oxford, OH)         def. Missouri State, 75-66
Feb. 19, 2005    (Oxford, OH)         def. Wichita State, 65-58
Feb. 18, 2006    (Oxford, OH)         def. Illinois State, 51-49
Feb. 17, 2007    (Terre Haute, IN)    def. Indiana State, 70-58
Feb. 23, 2008    (Valparaiso, IN)     lost at Valparaiso, 94-99 (2OT)

MAC's 2009 ESPNU BracketBusters Matchups
*Buffalo at Vermont
*Miami at Evansville
Akron at Valparaiso
Ohio at Eastern Kentucky
Toledo at Indiana State
Northern Illinois at Southeast Missouri State
Eastern Illinois at Western Michigan
Canisius at Bowling Green
Morehead State at Kent State
Tennessee Tech at Ball State
Fairliegh Dickinson at Central Michigan
Georgia State at Eastern Michigan
*Denotes televised games