EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Evansville senior guard Ashley Austin exploded for a career-high 31 points Thursday night, and the UE senior class combined for 51 of UE’s 65 points, as the Purple Aces began “Senior Weekend” with a 65-58 victory over the visiting Indiana State Sycamores at Roberts Stadium in Evansville.

 

Austin posted the first 30-point game at Evansville since former Purple Ace Ashli Senff’s school-record 35-point outing on December 30, 2006 at Wichita State with a career-best 31 points. She went a career-best 12-of-15 from the field, including a near-perfect 5-of-6 shooting from three-point range on her way to game-high scoring honors. While she nearly scored half of Evansville’s points, it was a pair of Austin passes which actually helped UE snap a four-game losing streak.

 

Austin’s assist to freshman guard Kelsey Sperka with 2:01 to play gave the Purple Aces the lead for good, as Sperka’s three-pointer from the left wing snapped a 54-54 tie. After Indiana State’s Kara Schilli trimmed the lead back to one point with a lay-up 16 seconds later, Austin passed out of a double-team to sophomore forward Stephanie Bamberger, who found a wide-open Robyn Jennings in the left corner for a three-pointer which gave UE a 60-56 lead with 1:18 to play.

 

Indiana State’s Bianca Jarrett, who paced the Sycamores with a career-best 22 points, would trim the UE lead back to two points, 60-58, on a pair of free throws with 1:06 to play. Austin would work her way to the foul line though and hit two free throws with 36 seconds left to move the lead back to four points, and then freshman Eva Benson and senior Shannon Novosel would combine to go 3-of-4 from the stripe down the stretch to ice the victory for Evansville.

 

Austin was joined in double-figures by Novosel, who added an 11-point, 15-rebound double-double in the victory. Jennings would also chip in eight points and seven boards for UE to help pace the senior-laden attack. Jarrett would score 22 points to lead ISU, while Schilli chipped in 11 and rookie Amanda Pedro added 10 points. Pedro had scored just 11 points total on the year prior to Thursday night’s outing.

 

With the victory, Evansville improves to 10-15 overall and 3-11 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Indiana State, meanwhile, evens its record at 12-12 overall and falls to 8-5 in the Valley. The Purple Aces will play their final home game of the 2009 season on Saturday night, as UE will host Illinois State at 5:00 p.m. on “Senior Night” at Roberts Stadium. Austin, Novosel, Jennings, and fellow seniors Kate Batey and Ayako Nakane will be honored in post-game festivities following Saturday’s game, which comes as the second part of a UE basketball doubleheader. The UE men’s basketball team will begin the doubleheader at 2:30 p.m., as the Purple Aces will battle Mid-American Conference title contender Miami of Ohio in the ESPNU Bracketbuster series. Tickets to Saturday’s men’s game will include admission to the UE women’s contest with Illinois State.