Game Notes
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team continues Valley play this weekend, hosting Bradley University Sunday afternoon. Tipoff at the Ford Center is at 1:00 p.m. CT.
CATCH THE ACTION
EVANSVILLE (3-11, 0-3 MVC) – The Aces come off Thursday night’s 61-51 loss to Northern Iowa. Leading by just one point at the break, the Panthers used a 12-0 run to start the second half to pull ahead for good. Junior Samantha Heck led the Aces with 15 points, 13 of which were scored in the first half, and six rebounds, followed by classmate Meagan Collins’ 11 points and seven boards. Senior Briyana Blair nearly had her fourth double-double of the season with nine points and 13 rebounds. Staci Gillum added eight points and four assists. On the season, Heck leads the team with 13.0 points per game, followed by Blair’s 10.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
BRADLEY (10-5, 1-2 MVC) – The Braves captured their first Valley win of the season Thursday night, overcoming Southern Illinois 72-59 in Carbondale, Ill. The win snapped a two-game skid for the Braves, who improved to a perfect 6-0 in true road games. BU has won eight consecutive road games dating back to last season and three straight MVC road games. Senior Leah Kassing had 18 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, while Katie Yohn finished with 17 points, and MacKenzie Westcott turned in her third double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds to help pace the Braves. On the season, Kassing leads the team averaging 14.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Yohn, who is shooting .429 percent from three-point range, making 30 on the year, is also averaging double figures with 12.5 points per game.
THE SERIES
Bradley leads the all-time series, 21-15, winning the last five meetings. Last year, UE met the Braves three times, including the first round of the MVC Tournament in which UE fell 64-47. The Aces’ last win over Bradley was in the 2009 MVC Tournament when UE overcame a 20-point first-half deficit to post an 84-81 overtime victory, sending Evansville to the title game where they captured their second MVC Tournament championship.
THE COACHES
OTIES EPPS, (Wisconsin-Stout, ’02) 1st season at UE, 3-11 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.
PAULA BUSCHER, (Missouri State, ‘86), 12th season at Bradley, 159-177 record
The longest tenured coach in program history, Buscher's Braves have had five or more league wins in 11 consecutive seasons, marking the first time that has been accomplished and the team's 30 league victories over the last three seasons are the most in a three-year stretch since the early 1990's. Buscher's squads have finished seventh or better in seven of the last 10 seasons and posted a 79-101 (.439) record in Valley play during that span after posting a 23-67 (.256) record in conference play in the five seasons prior to her arrival.
A WIN OVER BRADLEY WOULD…
Make UE 4-11 on the season … Make UE 1-3 in the MVC … Make UE 16-21 vs. BU all-time … Make UE 445-560 all-time.
A LOSS TO BRADLEY WOULD…
Make UE 3-12 on the season … Make UE 0-4 in the MVC … Make UE 15-22 vs. BU all-time … Make UE 444-561 all-time.
YOU’RE HOT AND YOU’RE COLD
In the first half vs. UNI, the Aces outshot the Panthers 42.3-38.7 percent in the first half, going into the break down just one point, 29-28. However, UE came out cold in the second half, shooting 0-for-12 to start and 23.5 percent from the field in the second 20 minutes. UNI shot 41.9 percent in the second stanza, outshooting the Aces 40.3-31.7 percent in the game.
WHAT THE HECK
Samantha Heck led Evansville with her eighth and ninth straight double figure games in the opening weekend of Valley play. The junior piloted the Aces’ offense with 16 points and six rebounds at Indiana State and logged 11 points at Illinois State as four Aces reached double-digits in that game. Averaging 13.5 points and 5.0 rebounds on the week, Heck shot 56.3 percent (9-16) from the field and also recorded a team-high four blocks along with three steals and two assists. On the season, Heck averages 12.8 points and 6.2 rebounds, and is one of two UE players who have started all 13 games this season.
BLAIR IT OUT
Briyana Blair recorded her third double-double of the season at Illinois State last Sunday afternoon. Blair logged 11 points and 14 rebounds, while also adding six assists and three steals, surpassing the 100 steals and 400 points milestones in her career. In her 43-game career with UE after transferring from the University of Miami, Blair has scored 418 points and made 104 steals.
100 HELPING HANDS
In three consecutive games, three UE players hit the 100-career assists milestone. Jordan Lewis (101) hit the mark at UT Martin (12/16), Staci Gillum (112) pushed over the mark at Mizzou (12/19), and Sam Heck (101) hit 100 at Indiana State (12/30).
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.
OUT OF NO-WARE
Junior Taylor Ware had a strong showing in the first weekend of Valley play, tallying back-to-back double figure games for the first time in her career. Ware averaged a team second-best 12.0 points and 4.5 rebounds, scoring 14 points at Indiana State and 10 at Illinois State. Against the Sycamores, Ware played a career-high 37 minutes, while also knocking down a career-high two three-pointers on 2-of-3 shooting from behind the arc.
THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD START
When Evansville leads at halftime, the Aces own a 2-0 record. On the other hand, when UE is trailing at the half, they have been unable to recover, going 0-10. The Aces have been tied twice at the break and are 1-1 in that situation.
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 3-5 when they win the battle of the boards, but are conversely 0-6 when they get outrebounded.
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 14 games. Heck has started 25 games consecutively for the Aces; the longest streak among active players.
NO HARM, NO FOUL
The Aces average just 13.6 personal fouls per game, which ranks them 17th nationally. In 10-of-14 games, Evansville has been charged with the same amount or less personal fouls than its opponent. The national leader, Navy, averages 11.3 personal fouls per game.
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 .395 percentage (17-43) 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 35.4 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 444-560 (.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 113-196 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.
UE’S LAST VICTORY
The Aces’ last win was Dec. 10 when UE earned a 78-48 win over Murray State, their largest victory since beating Southern Illinois on Jan. 15, 2011 by a 34-point margin.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Briyana Blair is the only Ace with a double-double to her resume this season, logging three: Brown (11 pts, 14 rebs) on Nov. 25, Eastern Kentucky (17 pts, 10 rebs) on Dec. 2, and Illinois State (11 pts, 14 rebs) on Jan. 1. 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.
MVC LEADERS
As a team, UE ranks fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference with 3.8 blocks and sixth with 13.2 assists per game. Individually, Briyana Blair and Taylor Ware rank in the top 10 for a number of categories...
Blair – 1st – steals – 2.6/game
Blair – 2nd – assists – 4.3/game
Blair – 3rd – defensive rebounds – 6.8/game
Blair – 3rd – blocks – 1.3/game
Blair – 3rd – rebounding – 8.8/game
Ware – 8th – offensive rebounds – 2.6/game
OTIES EPPS SHOW
“The Oties Epps Show,” hosted by Mike Radomski airs live from the UE Bookstore in the Ridgway University Center on the UE campus from 12-12:30 p.m. on Tuesday afternoons. Fans are invited and encouraged to come out and be a part of the show and meet the coaches and players of the UE women’s basketball team. Fans can also listen in online at both wuev.org and GoPurpleAces.com.
ADLARD TO HALL OF FAME
A class of 11 women and men who have made significant contributions to Indiana high school basketball will be welcomed as inductees when the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame celebrates their 11th Women’s Induction Class on April 28, 2012. Among those inductees is UE’s all-time leading scorer, Shelly Brand Adlard. Adlard racked up 1,713 points in her career as a Purple Ace and also graduated as the school’s all-time leader in assists, steals, field goals made, and free throws made. Currently, she still holds the record for field goals (718), now ranks third in assists (448), sixth in steals (164) and seventh in free throws made (277). In addition, she was the NCAA Division I national free throw percentage leader in the 1983-84 season.
LADD COMES HOME
Arguably one of the best players to come out of Memorial High School, Mallory Ladd has decided to transfer from Valparaiso University back home to play for Coach
Oties Epps and the University of Evansville Purple Aces. Ladd, who scored 1,803 points in her high school career and grabbed a school-record 1,163 rebounds, led Memorial to the 3A state championship with a 28-1 mark in her senior year. She was named Indiana Miss Basketball runner-up and was a first team all-state selection in 2011 by the Associated Press and Hoosier Basketball Magazine. In the first month of the 2011-12 season, the 6’1 freshman forward played in six games with the Crusaders, averaging 10.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, also shooting 91.3 percent (21-23) from the free throw line. As per NCAA transfer rules, Ladd will have to sit out one year, but will be eligible to join the Aces on the court in the second semester of the 2012-13 season.
ACES SIGN TWO FOR 2012-13
Oties Epps announced on Nov. 9 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.
O 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.
