Game Notes
Free Live Game Audio (Courtesy of the Aces Radio Network)
The University of Evansville women’s basketball team will begin the road portion of its 2008 Missouri Valley Conference schedule on Thursday night, as the Purple Aces will travel to Springfield, Missouri to battle the Missouri State University Lady Bears. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. and Thursday’s game can be heard live in the Tri-State area on the Aces’ Radio Network (91.5 F.M.-WUEV, 100.5 F.M.-WSJD, 103.9 F.M.-WNTC).
The Purple Aces will bring a 6-6 overall record into Thursday’s game. The road did not treat UE well during the 2007 portion of the schedule, as the Purple Aces went just 1-5 away from Evansville in non-conference play. The Purple Aces are hoping to build off of Saturday’s 84-59 rout of Indiana State at Roberts Stadium though to start off the 2008 road season on the right foot.
“We need to play with the same type of intensity that we play with at home on the road,” said UE head coach Tricia Cullop. “We have to prove to the other teams around the league that we can win on the road.
“I feel like the team has really been re-energized since coming back from Christmas break. Their focus and effort level has been very high since coming back from break, and I was really pleased with how the team was able to overcome a slow start on Saturday to score 84 points. We showed what we are capable of on Saturday against Indiana State, but the key is to now get that same type of effort and intensity each and every time we take the floor.”
Senior guard Rebekah Parker paced UE to its third-straight victory over Indiana State on Saturday with a game-high 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. So far in Valley play, Parker has exploded to average 23.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. She finds herself ranked among the league’s Top 15 in 10 of the possible 12 statistical categories in league play this week, and she will be making her 100th career start at UE on Thursday night at Missouri State.
Missouri State will bring a 2-11 overall record and 0-2 Valley mark into Thursday’s game under the direction of first-year head coach Nyla Milleson. The Lady Bears are coming off of a 79-73 overtime defeat at the hands of the Creighton Bluejays on Sunday. Michigan State transfer Maggie Dwyer currently paces the Lady Bears’ attack with averages of 13.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while senior forward Tiff Terwelp currently leads the MVC in rebounding at 8.7 rebounds per game after posting a 17-point, 17-rebound double-double against Creighton.
Missouri State leads the all-time series over UE, 21-8, although the Purple Aces have won three games in a row and four out of the last five meetings against the Lady Bears. Thursday’s game will mark the final UE-Missouri State game at Hammons Student Center, where the Purple Aces are just 1-13 all-time against Missouri State after last year’s 57-55 victory in early March.
