Game Notes (PDF)
Free Live Game Audio (Courtesy of Aces Radio Network)
The University of Evansville women’s basketball team will go in search of a piece of its first Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title on Thursday night, as the Purple Aces will travel to Terre Haute, Indiana to battle long-time in-state rival Indiana State. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. central time and 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 currently sits in first place in the MVC standings with a 19-8 overall record and school-best 13-3 Valley mark. The Purple Aces are one full game up on second-place Illinois State with two games to play this week: at Indiana State on Thursday and at Illinois State on Saturday. With a victory on Thursday at Indiana State, Evansville can clinch a share of its first regular-season title since 1987-88 (Midwestern Collegiate Conference), and a combination of an Evansville victory and an Illinois State loss this weekend will give UE its first outright conference title.
The Purple Aces posted their 13th victory in the last 14 contests on Saturday, as senior guards Courtney Felke and Rebekah Parker combined for 32 points to power UE past Bradley, 80-70. Felke scored a team-high 18 points on the strength of five three-point field goals, and has moved to within just six three-point makes of tying the UE career record for three-pointers at 204. Parker, meanwhile, continued her solid all-around play with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals to become the first player in UE history to rank in the school’s career top five in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals. Entering the final weekend of the regular-season, Parker is the only player in the MVC to currently rank in the league’s Top 15 in all four categories as well.
Indiana State will bring a 12-14 overall record and 6-10 MVC mark into Thursday’s contest. The Sycamores, currently ranked seventh in the MVC, are in desperate need of two victories this weekend to try and avoid having to play in the play-in round of next week’s State Farm MVC Tournament. ISU is led by the senior duo of center Laura Rudolphi (15.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and guard Angela Phillips (13.0 ppg, 4.2 apg). Sophomore sharpshooter Kelsey Luna also averages double-figures for the Sycamores with 11.6 points per game, while ranking second behind Felke in the MVC with 61 three-point field goals made.
Indiana State leads the all-time series over UE, 23-12, however, the Purple Aces have won each of the last three meetings in the series. Parker had a career-high 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists to power the Purple Aces past Indiana State, 84-59, on January 5 at Roberts Stadium.
