Game Notes
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – After a week on the road, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team returns home to the Ford Center for more Missouri Valley Conference play, taking on first-place Wichita State Thursday at 7:00 p.m. CT and Missouri State Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
IF YOU GO
Tickets are general admission: $8 for adults and $6 for youth and seniors.
Saturday’s Game Sponsor: German American Bank
Saturday’s Promotion: Faith and Family Day - special ticket price for groups of 10 or more.
CATCH THE ACTION
EVANSVILLE (4-13, 1-5 MVC) – Coming off two road losses at Creighton (65-33) and Drake (67-53), the Aces look to continue sound play at home and build off their last home game in which they overcame Bradley 71-59 on Jan. 8th. UE’s offense circles around junior forward
Samantha Heck and senior guard
Briyana Blair with Heck averaging 13.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Blair nearly averages a double-double with 10.5 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Juniors Meagan Collins (8.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Taylor Ware (6.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg) have also been steady contributors on the floor.
WICHITA STATE (11-5, 5-0 MVC) – The Shockers are currently the hottest team in the Valley, representing the only squad boasting an unblemished record in league play. Wichita State will be looking for its ninth consecutive win Thursday, having not recorded a loss since Dec. 7th at Kansas State (60-34). Last week, the Shockers edged travel partner Missouri State, 53-51, keeping the perfect record intact. For the first time in the two-year history of the Mid-Major Top 25 poll, Wichita is amongst the ranked at No. 23, announced Tuesday. The Shockers use a balanced scoring attack, led by Jessica Diamond (12.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg), Haleigh Lankster (12.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg), Chynna Turner (8.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg), and Jazimen Gordon (8.2 ppg, 5.8 rpg).
MISSOURI STATE (10-5, 3-2 MVC) – The Lady Bears will face Southern Illinois Thursday night before taking on the Aces Saturday. Missouri State comes off a 2-point loss at Wichita State last week, but swept Creighton (70-60) and Drake (78-46) the weekend prior. MSU was the MVC preseason favorite in the coaches poll, and currently ranks 15th in the Mid-Major Top 25 poll. Casey Garrison pilots Missouri State’s offense with 18.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. Christiana Shorter (13.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg) and Jaleshia Roberson (11.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg) also average double figures for the Lady Bears.
THE COACHES
OTIES EPPS, (Wisconsin-Stout, ’02) 1st season at UE, 4-13 record
Epps is in 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.
JODY ADAMS, (Tennessee, ‘94), 4th season at WSU, 59-53 record
Under the direction of Adams, a former National Champion point guard, WSU has posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in a decade while moving up the Missouri Valley Conference standings in each of Adams' three years as head coach. The 2010-11 squad made a trip to the WNIT for the first time since 2000 while posting a 10-8 record in MVC competition, the program's best conference mark since the 1999-2000 campaign.
NYLA MILLESON, (Kansas State, ’85), 5th season at MSU, 77-66 record
Under Milleson's leadership, the Lady Bears have won 46 games over the last two seasons, including a total of three postseason victories in the Women's National Invitation Tournament. Prior to taking the reins of the MSU program, Milleson guided Drury University to a 185-36 record in seven seasons, highlighted by a national runner-up finish in 2003-04.
THE SERIES
WSU – Evansville leads the all-time series 20-16, winning 12 of the last 15 meetings. UE split with the Shockers last season. The Aces won at Wichita on New Year’s Eve, 74-66, but fell at home 65-50 on March 5th.
MSU – Missouri State leads the all-time series 28-9, winning the last six meetings. UE’s last win over the Bears was on Feb. 10, 2008 when the Aces overcame MSU, 82-74, in Evansville.
A WIN OVER WICHITA STATE WOULD…
Make UE 5-13 on the season … Make UE 2-5 in the MVC … Make UE 21-16 vs. WSU all-time … Make UE 446-562 all-time … Mark two consecutive home wins … End Wichita State’s eight-game winning streak.
A LOSS TO WICHITA STATE WOULD…
Make UE 4-14 on the season … Make UE 1-6 in the MVC … Make UE 20-17 vs. WSU all-time … Make UE 445-563 all-time.
HECK OF A WEEK
Junior
Samantha Heck was the Aces’ high scorer in both Valley games last week, recording her 12th and 13th consecutive double-digit games. She now owns Evansville’s longest streak scoring over 10 points in a contest since the 2005-06 season. Against Creighton, Heck recorded 15 points and six rebounds, and led the squad again with 16 points, four rebounds and three assists at Drake. On the season, Heck pilots the Aces with 13.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
At Drake, senior
Briyana Blair recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and a team-high 14 rebounds. That performance gives her the most double-doubles in a single season since Jamie Gray logged 12 in 2003-04.
BLAIR IT OUT
Briyana Blair, who was named last Thursday as the Prairie Farms/Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week for the third time this season, currently ranks in the MVC’s top-10 in eight categories. She leads the league in steals (2.8) and defensive rebounds (7.6), and is also second in assists (4.3), third in rebounding (9.9), fifth in blocked shots (1.1), sixth in assist-turnover ratio (1.2), and 10th in offensive rebounds (2.3) and average minutes (31.3).
HOME SWEET HOME
Evansville returns to the Ford Center for three straight home games after an 0-2 week on the road. UE hosts Wichita State Thursday, Missouri State Saturday, and then will have a whole week to prepare for travel partner Southern Illinois the next Sunday. The Aces look to build off their last home game in which they overcame Bradley 71-59 on Jan. 8. UE owns a 3-3 record in the new downtown arena.
HOMETOWN GIRL
In front of over 60 of her close friends and family, senior
Staci Gillum recorded five points, four rebounds, and two assists at Drake. Her four boards matched the Des Moines, Iowa native’s season-high, done five times now.
UNDER 60
When the Aces hold their opponents to fewer than 60 points a game, Evansville owns a 4-2 record, and when they hold them to under 50 points, UE is a perfect 2-0. On the other hand, when opponents score 60 points or more, UE is 0-11.
STOP THIEF!
Briyana Blair is the MVC’s leading thief and ranks 55th in the nation averaging 2.8 steals per game. In just a season and a half, Blair has recorded 115 career steals. She is 24 steals away from breaking into UE’s top-ten and tying Angie McGrew (1986-89) with 139.
QUEEN OF THE GLASS
Briyana Blair’s 20 rebounds vs. Bradley not only represented a career-high, but also marked the first time a player has pulled down 20 or more boards in a game since 1998, when Shyla McKibbon tallied 23, also versus Bradley. Entering the week, Blair ranks 30th in the nation, averaging 9.9 rebounds per game. Blair has led UE on the glass in each of the last six games and in nine of the last 10 contests.
DOUBLE DIGIT STREAK
Samantha Heck extended her double figure point streak to 13 games at Drake, leading UE with 16 points. Heck passed Rebekah Parker who scored double digits in 11 consecutive contests twice in the 2007-08 season. She now owns the longest streak since Meagan Liffick in the 2005-06 season when Liffick scored double digits in the first 19 games of the year and in 28-of-29 games.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD START
When Evansville leads at halftime, the Aces have held on to win every game with a 3-0 record. On the other hand, when UE is trailing at the half, they are 0-11. The Aces have been three times at the break, including UE’s most recent game at Drake; they are 1-2 in that situation.
CLUTCH FREEBIES
Down the stretch versus Bradley, Evansville made 12-of-14 free throws, led by Heck’s 7-for-8 performance, when BU was forced to foul in attempts to gain possession.
STARTING LINE
Evansville has used five different starting lineups this season with point guard
Staci Gillum and forward
Samantha Heck serving as the only players to start all 17 games. Heck has started 28 games consecutively for the Aces; the longest streak among active
players.
NO HARM, NO FOUL
Entering the week, the Aces average just 13.8 personal fouls per game, which ranks them 27th nationally. In 12-of-17 games, Evansville has been charged with the same amount or less personal fouls than its opponent. The national leader, Navy, averages 11.2 personal fouls per game.
FALKENSTEIN OUT
Senior
Chelsea Falkenstein will be out the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Falkenstein injured her knee in UE’s game at UT Martin on Dec. 16. Because she missed two games earlier this season due to a concussion suffered versus Ball State on Nov. 29, she is eligible to redshirt. Falkenstein averaged 3.6 points and 5.5 rebounds before the season-ending injury.
BOX OUT, GO GET IT
Rebounding has proven to be one of the most important factors in winning or losing a basketball game. For the Aces, the squad is 4-5 when they win the battle of the boards and are undefeated when the positive margin is five or greater. Conversely, UE is 0-8 when they get outrebounded.
TREY BIEN ELLERSON
Sophomore
Katie Ellerson had a career game at Mizzou, UE’s last non-conference contest of the year. She scored a career-high 16 points while matching a career-best four three-pointers. Ellerson also knocked down four threes at Missouri State (1/2/11) as a freshman.
COLLINS BEHIND THE ARC
Meagan Collins matched a career-high three three-pointers versus Northern Iowa, knocking down 3-of-6 from behind the arc. She also hit three in the previous game at Illinois State (3-5). Of the UE players that have attempted at least ten threes, Collins ranks first on the team with a .360 percentage (18-50) from three-point range.
HOT SHOTS
Against UT Martin, Evansville recorded its highest field goal percentage, 55.8 percent (29-for-52), since the Aces shot 56.7 percent against Bradley on Feb. 2, 2004 (81-65 win). It also marked the first times UE has broken the 50 percent mark, since Jan. 26, 2008 when the Aces shot 53.4 percent versus Southern Illinois (77-67 win). On the season, UE is shooting 36.1 percent from the field.
1,000 GAMES
UE’s game at UT Martin (12/16) marked the 1,000th game in program history. The Aces currently own a 445-562 (.443) all-time record dating back to the 1969-70 season -- UE’s first year of women’s basketball.
VALLEY PLAY
The Aces own a 114-198 all-time record in the Missouri Valley Conference, since joining the league in the 1994-95 season. Evansville looks to get back to the results the Aces had from 2005-08, in which UE had four straight winning records. In the 2008-09 season, UE won the conference tournament despite a 4-14 regular season mark in the MVC, winning four straight contests in St. Charles, Mo.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Briyana Blair is the only Ace with a double-double to her resume this season, logging five: Brown (11 pts, 14 rebs) on Nov. 25, Eastern Kentucky (17 pts, 10 rebs) on Dec. 2, Illinois State (11 pts, 14 rebs) on Jan. 1, Bradley (19 pts, 20 rebs), and Drake (13 pts, 14 rebs).
Samantha Heck and
Meagan Collins are also a part of the three-person club with double-doubles to their name. Collins had one in 2010-11, while Heck had two.
LEAGUE LEADERS
Entering the week, as a team, UE ranks third in the Missouri Valley Conference with 13.3 assists per game and fourth with 3.9 blocks per game. Individually,
Briyana Blair and
Samantha Heck rank in the top 10 for a number of categories...
Blair – 1st – steals – 2.8/game
Blair – 1st – defensive rebounds – 7.6/game
Blair – 2nd – assists – 4.3/game
Blair – 3rd – rebounding – 9.9/game
Blair – 5th – blocks – 1.1/game
Blair – 6th – assist/turnover ratio – 1.2
Heck – 7th – points – 13.8/game
Heck – 9th – blocks – 0.9
Blair – 10th – minutes played – 31.3/game
Heck – 10th – free throw percentage – .736
