• Game Notes (PDF)
• Free Live Game Audio (Courtesy of WUEV)
Over the years, Illinois State’s Redbird Arena has treated the University of Evansville women’s basketball team well, as the Purple Aces have averaged over 72 points per game on nearly 45 percent shooting from the floor in UE’s last five trips to Normal, Illinois. The Purple Aces hope that the rims will be friendly again on Thursday night, as UE will try to snap out of a four-game slide against the red-hot Illinois State Redbirds.
Evansville and Illinois State, a pair of the Missouri Valley Conference’s co-regular-season champions from a year ago, will square off Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. at Redbird Arena in a game that can be heard live on 91.5 F.M.-WUEV. The Purple Aces (8-8 overall, 1-4 MVC) will be looking to snap out of a four-game losing streak on Thursday, while the Redbirds (13-4 overall, 4-1 MVC) will be flying high, having won 11 out of the last 12 games.
Evansville dropped its fourth-straight contest on Saturday, 50-47, to the Creighton Bluejays. Senior guard Ashley Austin posted her fifth-straight double-figure scoring game with a team-high 12 points, but the Purple Aces could not overcome 24.5 percent shooting in the loss. UE’s offense has gone cold during its recent four-game slide, as the Purple Aces have averaged just 51.2 points per game on 29.0 percent shooting from the floor. It has overshadowed a strong defensive stretch for UE, as the Purple Aces have not allowed more than 65 points in each of the last four games.
Illinois State, meanwhile, won its 11th game in the last 12 tries on Monday night, as the Redbirds flew past the host Missouri State Lady Bears, 83-70, at JQH Arena in Springfield, Missouri. The Illinois State starting five combined for 72 of the Redbirds’ 83 points, as ISU cracked the 80-point barrier for the eighth time this year. The Redbirds will enter Thursday’s game leading the MVC and ranking 20th nationally in scoring average at 74.9 points per game. Reigning MVC Player of the Year Kristi Cirone anchors the attack with a league-leading 18.8 points per game and 6.1 assists per contest.
Illinois State leads the all-time series over Evansville, 17-11, including sweeping a pair of games from UE last season. The road team has had the advantage in the series of late, having won five of the last six games in the series and 10 of the last 13 meetings overall.
