Game Notes
Live Game Video (courtesy of www.MVC-sports.com)
Free Live Game Audio (courtesy of the Aces' Radio Network)
Live Game Stats
Last year, the Drake Bulldogs put an end to one of the best seasons in University of Evansville women’s basketball history with a 61-58 victory in the semifinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. Now, with Drake off to its best conference start in a decade, the Purple Aces will try to extract some revenge for last year’s MVC Tournament loss and try to knock the Bulldogs from the ranks of the Valley’s unbeaten, as the two will square off Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at Roberts Stadium. ?The game can be heard live on the Aces’ Radio Network (91.5 F.M.-WUEV, 100.5 F.M.-WSJD, 103.9 F.M.-WNTC).
Evansville will bring an 8-7 overall record and 3-2 Valley mark into Sunday’s contest after knocking off the Creighton Bluejays, 75-60, on Thursday night. UE senior guard Rebekah Parker continued her torrid start to MVC play on Thursday, as she paced a pack of Purple Aces in double-figures with 19 points. Evansville also continued to tighten the reins defensively, as UE held Creighton to just 3-of-19 shooting from three-point range while holding its third opponent in the last four tries to 60 points or less. Another strong defensive effort will be needed again on Sunday, as the Purple Aces will be meeting the Valley’s best defensive team in the Drake Bulldogs.
Drake will ride a six-game winning streak into Sunday’s game after outlasting Southern Illinois, 55-52, on Friday night. The Bulldogs are currently 11-4 overall and off to a 4-0 start in the Valley for the first time since the 1997-98 season. Defense has been the name of the game for the Bulldogs this year, as Drake leads the MVC in scoring defense by allowing just 58.2 points per game, including giving up just 49.0 points per game during its current six-game winning streak.
Offensively, the Bulldogs are led by two-time all-MVC performer Jill Martin. Martin, a 6-1 senior center who missed a majority of last year due to back surgery, will bring team-best averages of 16.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game into Sunday’s contest. Fellow senior Lindsay Whorton and sophomore guard Jordann Plummer also average double-digits for the Bulldogs at 15.1 and 10.2 points per game respectively.
Parker continues to pace a trio of Purple Aces who average double-figures this year at 15.7 points per game. She currently ranks second in the MVC in scoring in league play at 21.2 points per Valley game. Fellow senior guard Courtney Felke (12.3 ppg) and junior guard Ashley Austin (10.7 ppg) also average double-digits this year for UE, while junior forward Shannon Novosel leads the team on the glass with 7.9 caroms per contest.
Defense has been the norm in the UE-Drake series over the last four years, as the winning team in the series has cracked the 70-point barrier just twice in the last 10 series meetings. Drake leads the all-time series over UE, 20-8, however, the Purple Aces have won seven of the last 10 games in the series, including five-straight at Roberts Stadium.
