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The University of Evansville women’s basketball team will try to end the month of January on a high note on Saturday, as the Purple Aces will host the Wichita State Shockers at 4:00 p.m. at Roberts Stadium as the first part of a UE basketball doubleheader. The UE men will host Southern Illinois at 7:05 p.m. in game two of the double-dip.
The UE women will enter Saturday’s contest trying to snap a season-high seven-game losing streak. The Purple Aces, 8-11 overall and 1-7 in the MVC, dropped their seventh game in a row, 76-63, to Missouri State on Thursday night. The loss overshadowed a career night by senior guard Ashley Austin, who scored a game- and career-best 26 points in a losing effort. Austin currently leads the UE offense with an average of 11.9 points per game, and has stepped up to rank fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring in league play at 13.9 points per game.
Wichita State, meanwhile, will also enter Saturday’s game trying to snap a lengthy losing streak of its own, as the Shockers dropped their 25th consecutive road game on Thursday, 76-66, in overtime to Southern Illinois. Wichita State, under the direction of first-year coach Jody Adams, will bring a 10-9 overall record and 2-6 MVC mark into Saturday’s game. The Shockers are paced by senior center Marcy Sudbeck, who is currently the only player in the MVC to rank among the league’s top five in both scoring (5th-14.3 ppg) and rebounding (2nd-9.0 rpg).
Evansville leads the all-time series over Wichita State, 16-14, and the Purple Aces have six games in a row against the Shockers and eight out of the last nine series meetings. UE swept the season series against the Shockers last year, including a 94-60 victory at Roberts Stadium last February in which current senior Shannon Novosel scored a career-high 20 points in just 22 minutes of action.
Saturday’s doubleheader can be heard live in the Tri-State area on 91.5 F.M.-WUEV. Live video streaming can also be seen live on-line on www.gopurpleaces.com.
