UE set to open conference play against Indiana State and Loyola

12/29/2016 5:17:00 PM

EVANSVILLE – After a layoff of more than a week, the University of Evansville women's basketball team will return to action on Friday evening as the Purple Aces will begin play in the Missouri Valley Conference with a game against Indiana State at the Ford Center.

The weekend will continue Sunday as Loyola is slated to pay a visit to Evansville.

The Aces, winners of five of the last six games and under the direction of newly-appointed head coach Matt Ruffing, will be hoping to ride the momentum gained over the last month. After a difficult season a year ago, the Aces were picked ninth in the league to start this year, but their stock has steadily improved, and they will begin MVC play just two games behind Drake and Northern Iowa for the best record in the conference.

Ruffing, who saw his interim tag removed after a win over Alabama A&M last time out, has credited his offense for much of the changes the team has experienced. UE boasts of the second-best scoring offense in the league at 68.4 points per game, thanks in large part to the 1-2 punch of Sara Dickey and Camary Williams.

Dickey, UE's all-time leading scorer with 1,822 career points, is second in the league in scoring this season at 16.5 points per game, and Williams has been a revelation on the opposite wing. The 5-foot-5 guard has developed a reputation for filling up the stat sheet, and she enters the weekend averaging 15.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 steals, with the latter ranking second in the nation.

While Dickey and Williams have been the biggest cogs in the offense, it's been newcomer Brooke Dossett who's often been key. The junior Vincennes University product has registered double-digit points on six occasions this season, with the Aces winning four such games. She's the only other Ace averaging double figures, checking in at 11.5 points.

Meanwhile, Sasha Robinson, who ranks sixth all-time in the UE record books in rebounds, has led the way in that category, pulling down 8.5 per contest, which ranks second in the conference.

Indiana State enters the weekend looking riding a bit of momentum as well. The Sycamores have won three of their last four games to move to 6-5 on the year. Last time out, ISU picked up a 72-68 victory over Tulsa. Loyola, on the other hand, brought back just three letterwinners from a season ago and enters the Valley slate with a 1-10 overall record.

Tipoff on Friday is slated for 7 p.m., and Sunday's showdown with the Ramblers is set for noon.

NOTES: Sara Dickey's career point total of 1,822 ranks 16th in Missouri Valley Conference history. She's 21 away from moving into the top 15 … She also ranks 21st all-time in three-point makes with 220, which is one shy of a tie for 20^th … Sasha Robinson's rebound total of 700 ranks sixth in the school record books. She's 45 away from moving into the top five.

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