ESTERO, Fla. (AP) D.J. Balentine scored 23 points and Egidijus Mockevicius added 14 points and 14 rebounds in leading Evansville to a 79-72 victory over San Francisco on Wednesday night and take third place in the Gulf Coast Showcase.
Jaylon Brown added 15 points and Mislav Brzoja 11 for the Purple Aces (4-1).
Mark Tollefsen had 23 points to lead the Dons (3-2). Matt Glover added 20 points and 12 rebounds and Tim Derksen 12 points. San Francisco's leading scorer and rebounder this season, Kruize Pinkins, played only 20 minutes before fouling out with 10 points and three rebounds.
Tollefsen scored a pair of baskets to get the Dons within five points, 73-68, with 1:10 left. But Brzoja and Blake Simmons made consecutive baskets and gave Evansville the cushion it needed.
Evansville led by five at halftime and was up by as many as 13 in the second half.
