Box Score
In a defensive oriented contest, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team fell, 66-59, to the visiting Bradley Braves, Thursday night at Roberts Stadium. With the loss, the Aces dropped to 8-16 overall and 3-10 in the Valley, while Bradley improved to 12-13 overall and 5-9 in the MVC.
To say the first half was a defensive battle is an understatement. With 9:16 left in the half, Heck knocked down two free throws to tie the score at just 8-8. In the opening stanza, the score was tied six times and the lead changed hands nine times.
With 3:20 remaining the Braves took a six point lead, 19-13, after a 6-0 run, capped on a layup by Taylor Raisa, but the Aces responded with their own 7-0 run topped off with back-to-back baskets for freshman
Miranda Liles. Liles’ put-back that did a full trip around the rim before falling gave the Aces a 20-19 lead with just over a minute to play in the half.
Bradley’s Latasha Hollinshed hit a shot and Raisa knocked down a free throw to regain the lead, but Bamberger’s three with 19 seconds on the clock were the last points of the half, sending the Aces into the break ahead, 23-22.
In the first half, both teams combined for 27 turnovers, as the Braves committed 12 and the Aces 15. UE shot 33.3 percent (8-for-24) from the floor and 60.0 percent (3-for-5) from three-point range, while Bradley missed all four of their three-point attempts, and shot a 34.6 (9-for-26) field goal percentage.
To start the second half, the Aces turned up the full court defensive pressure, but the Braves turned up their inside game, scoring 40 points on the night in the paint. After three more lead changes and two more ties in the first eight and a half minutes, Bradley took control for good on a layup by Hollinshed at the 12:11 mark.
The Aces hung around, however, coming within one point, 41-40, with 8:32 remaining on another layup by Liles, but BU’s lead quickly grew to 10 points with four minutes to go on a 15-6 run.
Blair’s three-pointer after scrapping for the ball with 19 seconds remaining put the Aces within six, 63-57. Bamberger got to the line with five seconds to go, and cut the deficit to five, but Bradley also hit theirs at the charity stripe on the other end to make the 66-59 final score.
On the night, the Aces shot 31.5 percent (17-for-54) from the field and 28.6 percent (4-for-14) from three, while BU shot 44.0 percent (22-for-50) from the floor and just 2-of 10 from behind the arc.
Both squads spent a lot of time at the free throw line with 29 personal fouls called on the Braves, as three players tallied their maximum five, while UE was called for 24 with two players fouling out. BU shot 69.0 percent (20-for-29) from the line. Evansville hit 21-of-33 (63.6 percent).
The squads were equally disordered with the ball, committing 22 and 23 turnovers, respectively, as both squads made seven steals.
The Aces are back in action Saturday, taking on Northern Iowa in the ninth annual Hoops for the Cure Game at 2:00 p.m. The players will be don pink jerseys, while fans are encouraged to wear pink, as well, to support the fight against breast cancer. All proceeds from auctioned prizes and half of the ticket sales will go to the Greater Evansville Affiliate of Susan G. Komen For The Cure.
