EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- The University of Evansville women’s basketball team looks to burst out of the 2011-12 season’s gates on the road at Murray State Friday in the Aces’ first non-conference game of the regular season. The contest is set to start at 5:15 p.m. CT at the Racers’ CSFB Center.
This will mark the 28th meeting between these teams with UE winning four of the last five collisions, including last year’s 60-54 victory at home on Nov. 17, 2010. Friday’s game marks the first of two meetings this season between UE and MSU. Evansville will host the Racers on Dec. 10, as well.
CATCH THE ACTION
EVANSVILLE (0-0) - The Aces enter Friday night’s game with one test under their belts, a 78-41 rout over Oakland City University in Oct. 29th’s exhibition contest. Junior center
Samantha Heck led UE with 21 points on a perfect shooting percentage from the field, behind the arch, and at the free throw line. With 11 letterwinners returning, including 4-of-5 starters, and a new coaching staff, the much more experienced squad looks to greatly improve upon last year’s 8-22 mark.
MURRAY STATE (0-0) - Evansville will mark Murray State’s first contest of the season, coming off a 9-21 record in 2010-11. The Racers are a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, picked to finish sixth of 11 teams this year. Junior
Mariah Robinson and sophomore
Jessica Winfrey both earned double preseason honors for the Racers, being named to the Preseason All-OVC and College Sports Madness Preseason teams.
THE COACHES
OTIES EPPS, (Wisconsin-Stout, ’02) 1st season at UE, 0-0 record
Epps enters his first season as Evansville’s head coach. Epps spent the last three seasons at the University of Wisconsin where he helped lead the Badgers to a 56-31 record and three postseason appearances. Wisconsin played in the WNIT in 2009 and 2011, and earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2010 for the first time since 2002.
ROB CROSS, (Murray State, ’91), 4th season at MSU, 47-47 record
Cross was named the Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year in his first year at the helm of the program. He led the Racers to a 16-2 mark in the OVC, earning the team’s first OVC regular-season title that year.
A UE WIN WOULD…
Make UE 1-0 to start the season for the second straight year … Give coach Oties Epps his first career victory … Make UE 442-549 all-time.
A UE LOSS WOULD…
Make UE 0-1 … Postpone coach Oties Epps’ opportunity to gain his first career victory until UE’s meeting with Cincinnati on Nov. 18 … Make UE 441-550 all-time.
LAST TIME OUT
Samantha Heck’s 21 points, going 7-for-7 from the field, 3-for-3 from three-point range, and 4-for-4 from the line, while also ripping down nine boards in 25 minutes of play led UE to a 78-41 exhibition win over Oakland City University on Oct. 29. Junior
Briyana Blair also reached double figures, tallying 10 points on 3-for-5 shooting from the floor and 4-for-4 performance at the charity stripe, while also adding six assists. Senior
Staci Gillum and sophomore
Hannah Weedman each added eight points for the Aces. In the game, Evansville shot 51.9 percent (28-54) from the field, 41.2 percent (7-17) from three, and 83.3 percent (15-18) from the free throw line.
OPENING DAY SUCCESS
In recent years, the Aces have a tradition of winning game one of the regular season, capturing victories in four of the last five and 10 of the last 12 opening days. Last year, Evansville upset Bowling Green, 63-62 at home.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Purple Aces moved to a new home this season after closing the doors of Roberts Stadium, a building built in 1956. Evansville opened play at the brand new downtown Ford Center, a $127 million arena with a capacity of 10,316, on Oct. 29 in an exhibition game with Oakland City. UE’s first regular season contest at home will be Nov. 29 versus Ball State.
MORE EXPERIENCED SQUAD
Evansville lost just one player,
Stephanie Bamberger, from the 2010-11 squad to graduation. Returning 11 letterwinners, including four seniors, three juniors, and four sophomores, the Aces will have a much more experienced team this season. UE also welcomes three freshmen and three new coaches on staff as the Aces get a fresh start in 2011-12.
SWIPES
Last season, Evansville led the Missouri Valley Conference in steals, averaging 9.8 per game. Returning for her senior season,
Briyana Blair piloted the Aces with 71 steals last year, averaging 2.4 per contest.
OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Senior
Staci Gillum and junior
Samantha Heck have been named the 2011-12 team captains for the University of Evansville women’s basketball team. Gillum, a native of West Des Moines, Iowa, served as the Purple Aces’ captain and point guard last season, averaging 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, playing in all 30 contests. A transfer from Kirkwood Community College, Gillum was also a captain and led the Eagles to a 73-2 overall record and a pair of national titles in her two years, while also earning NJCAA All-America honors. Heck, an Auxvasse, Mo. native, led the team with 4.9 rebounds per game and finished second on the squad with 9.3 points per game in her sophomore season, while also recording two double-doubles. As a freshman, Heck recorded over 200 points and 100 rebounds in her rookie season, ranking second on the team in both categories at 7.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
SQUAD SUMMARY
The Aces return 11 letterwinners from last season, including four starters in senior
Briyana Blair (9.5 ppg), junior
Samantha Heck (9.3 ppg), junior
Meagan Collins (8.5 ppg), and senior
Chelsea Falkenstein (6.1 ppg). Redshirt junior
Jordan Lewis will also make a comeback after a knee injury knocked her out of commission last December. Also returning: senior point guard
Staci Gillum, junior
Taylor Ware, and sophomores
Katie Ellerson,
Khristian Hart,
Miranda Liles, and
Hannah Weedman. Evansville also has three freshmen joining the program in
Kat Taylor (Akron, Ohio/Lake Ridge Academy),
LeiLoni Smith (Vian, Okla./Vian), and
Juliann Miller (Louisville, Ky./Mercy Academy).
FRESH FACES
UE’s three freshmen are
Kat Taylor,
LeiLoni Smith, and
Juliann Miller. Taylor was named honorable mention Northeast Ohio all-district as a junior at Lake Ridge Academy and earned Defensive Player of the Year at St. Vincent- St. Mary’s. Smith scored 400 points, averaging 17.4 per game, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 steals in her senior year and was named to the Oklahoma All-Star Team by the Oklahoma Coaches Association. Miller was named the Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches’ Seventh Region Girls Player of the Year Runner Up, and was a 2011 Girls Kentucky All-Star Team selection. She averaged 13 points per game as both a senior and junior and led her team to a state championship.
ACADEMIC ACES
With a collective 3.340 grade point average, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team ranked 24th in the nation on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s Academic Top 25 Honor Roll for 2010-11 season. The honor marked the third time in the last five years in which the Purple Aces have ranked among the nation’s Top 25 academically.
ACES SIGN TWO FOR 2012-13
Oties Epps announced Wednesday the signing of two high school standouts to National Letters of Intent. Guard Laura Friday (Marion, Ind./Marion) and forward Michaela Prough (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point) will make up the Lady Aces’ freshman class for the 2012-13 season.
