• Game Notes (PDF)
• AcesTV's Live Video Coverage (Courtesy of Missouri State)
• Free Live Game Audio (Courtesy of WUEV)
The University of Evansville women’s basketball team will begin a season-ending three-game road trip on Friday night, as the Purple Aces will travel to new JQH Arena in Springfield, Missouri to battle the Missouri State University Lady Bears. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. and Friday’s game can be heard live on 91.5 F.M.-WUEV.
Evansville will bring a 10-16 overall record and 3-12 MVC mark into the road trip, which will travel to Missouri State, Wichita State, and Southern Illinois before State Farm MVC Tournament play begins Thursday, March 12 in St. Charles, Missouri. The Purple Aces will be trying to bounce back on Friday night from a “Senior Night” loss to league-leading Illinois State, where UE cut a 26-point second-half deficit back to just two points with under three minutes to play before running out of gas.
Senior guard Ashley Austin paced UE’s second-half charge against Illinois State, as she scored 13 of her team-high 15 points after halftime against the Redbirds. Austin stepped up in her final home weekend to average 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game against Indiana State and Illinois State to raise her team-best scoring average to 12.6 points per game. Austin currently ranks fifth in the Valley in scoring in league play at 14.1 ppg, and had a game-high 26 points in UE’s first meeting with Missouri State on January 29.
Missouri State won the first meeting against Evansville back in January, 76-63, behind 19-point performances by rookie guards Casey Garrison and Jaleshia Roberson. Garrison has been one of the league’s top newcomers this year and the odds-on favorite to win the MVC Freshman of the Year award, as she currently leads all rookies and ranks second in the league in scoring at 15.9 points per game. Garrison is the only player currently in double-figures for the Lady Bears (8-17 overall, 4-10 in the MVC), although she leads a pack of three MSU freshmen who average over eight points per game this year.
Missouri State leads the all-time series over Evansville, 23-9. The Purple Aces are hoping that the new JQH Arena will treat them better than Missouri State’s old home, the Hammons Student Center, as UE is 1-14 all-time in Springfield against Missouri State, if you include MVC Tournament play.
