EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Interstat) — A surging Illinois State team looks to continue its climb in the Missouri Valley Conference standings when it visits struggling Evansville on Monday night at Ford Center. The Redbirds (16-8, 7-4 MVC) enter on a strong run, having won five of their last seven games, including an 86-76 victory over Drake last Friday. Evansville (5-19, 1-10) seeks to end a seven-game losing streak, most recently falling 70-63 in overtime at Valparaiso. Illinois State, which sits in the upper tier of the conference, dominated the first meeting this season, routing the Purple Aces 73-47 in Normal on Jan. 1. The Redbirds have relied on balanced scoring and defense, holding opponents under 70 points in four of their last five wins. A key player for the visitors is guard Chase Walker, who is averaging 16.1 points over his last seven contests. He scored 18 points in 23 minutes off the bench in the win over Drake and dropped 21 points in a road victory at Murray State on Jan. 28. Evansville’s hopes likely rest with guard Leif Moeller, who has shouldered a heavy offensive load. He is averaging over 20 points per game in his last six outings, including a 26-point effort in 43 minutes in the overtime loss at Valparaiso. In the Jan. 28 loss at Drake, he added 20 points and seven assists. The Purple Aces have shown flashes, pushing Drake to the wire and taking Bradley to overtime earlier this month, but closing out games has been a persistent issue. They rank near the bottom of the conference in both scoring offense and defense. For Illinois State, consistency will be the focus as it navigates the final stretch before the conference tournament. Beyond Walker, contributors like Tyreek Coleman (19 points vs. Drake) and Boden Skunberg provide additional firepower. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST. Illinois State visits Illinois-Chicago next Sunday, while Evansville travels to face Southern Illinois on Thursday.