Box Score (HTML)
LAWRENCE, Kan.—The University of Evansville women’s basketball team saw its magical 2008 season come to an end Monday night in Lawrence, Kansas, as honorable mention all-Big 12 selection Danielle McCray and the Kansas Jayhawks proved to be too much, as KU topped UE, 82-60, in the second round of the 2008 Postseason WNIT.
McCray led a blistering Kansas attack with 20 points and seven rebounds on 9-of-16 shooting from the floor. Overall, the Jayhawks shot 55.9 percent from the floor and an amazing 69.2 percent from three-point range (9-of-13), after shooting just over 30 percent from the floor from three-point range on the year.
“We ran into a buzz-saw tonight,” said UE head coach Tricia Cullop. “We had game-planned to try and make them shoot from the perimeter tonight, and they made us pay by hitting almost everything. They just could not miss from the floor in the first half.”
Kansas shot 60.0 percent from the floor in the opening half to open up a 41-25 halftime lead on the Purple Aces. The lead would quickly grow to 24 points five minutes into the second half, before UE would battle back.
The Purple Aces would use a 12-1 run over a span of just 3:13 to cut the deficit nearly in half, 56-43, on a lay-up by junior forward Shannon Novosel with 10:23 to play. Thirteen points would be as close as UE would come the rest of the way though, as McCray took over over the next two minutes to fuel an 11-0 Kansas run which gave the Jayhawks back a 24-point lead. McCray scored seven of Kansas’ 11 points in the run, including a key three-pointer to ignite the run.
“McCray is an outstanding player,” said Cullop. “We have not seen a player with that type of athleticism this year, and when she is hitting her shots like she did tonight, she is almost unstoppable.”
While McCray led all scorers with 20 points, UE senior guard Rebekah Parker paced the Purple Aces with 17 points and nine rebounds in her final game as a Purple Ace. Fellow senior guard Courtney Felke also made UE history, as she broke the career record for three-point field goals made by hitting her 205th career triple late in the second half to finish with 11 points.
“I really can’t say enough about what Rebekah and Courtney have meant to this program over the last four years,” said Cullop. “It has been an absolute pleasure to have been their coach over the last four years.
“I am so proud of what this team has been able to accomplish this year. Each player gave me their all this year, and I am very fortunate to have been able to have had the opportunity to coach this team this year.”
With the victory, Kansas improves to 17-15 overall and advances on to face Michigan State in the “Sweet Sixteen” of the Postseason WNIT. Evansville, meanwhile, concludes its season at 21-12 overall. While UE will lose Parker, Felke, and fellow senior Tal Milchan to graduation this year, the Purple Aces will return 12 players next season.
