Box Score



EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With just under five minutes remaining in the game, junior Meagan Collins muscled a shot between two defenders in the paint and gave the University of Evansville women’s basketball team the lead, 47-46, for the first time in the contest. However, the visiting Drake University Bulldogs would regain the advantage on the next possession and held on to take a 55-51 victory over the Aces, Sunday afternoon in the 10^th annual Hoops for the Cure Game.

The loss drops Evansville’s overall record to 5-19 and 2-11 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while Drake evened its record to 12-12 and 6-7 in the MVC.

Senior Staci Gillum led the Aces with a career-high 15 points on a career-best four three-pointers, followed by Samantha Heck’s 10 points and eight rebounds. Collins finished with nine points and five boards, while classmate Taylor Ware logged eight points, going 2-for-2 from three-point range, and grabbed a season-high eight rebounds.

Drake took the initial lead and used a balanced scoring attack to build as much as an 11-point lead, 16-5, with 10:07 to go in the first period. Four different Bulldogs scored in an 8-0 run that ended with DU’s largest advantage of the game.

However, Evansville got hot from behind the arc, knocking down three threes in a 10-2 run that cut the deficit to three, 18-15, with 4:44 to go. Gillum, Collins, and sophomore Miranda Liles drained treys, while Heck capped the run with a make at the free throw line.

In the final minutes of the half, Drake held as much as a six-point lead twice, but the Aces made it a three-point game with 45 seconds remaining on Liles’ layup. However, Drake’s Brittnye McSparron countered with a jumper to send the Bulldogs into the break, leading 28-23.

Evansville hung around to the start the second half, staying within seven points and cut the margin to three, 34-31, on Gillum’s third three of the game at the 14:20 mark. After Drake answered with a layup on the other end, Ware replied with an offensive board and put-back and then knocked down a three to make it a two-point game, 38-36, with just under 12 minutes to play.

However, Drake kicked it up a notch and scored six straight points to take their largest lead of the second half, 44-36 (9:27). As quickly as the momentum shifted in favor of the Bulldogs, it shifted back into the hands of Evansville, as the Aces outscored DU, 11-2, in the following minutes.

Heck’s three and Collins’ layup sandwiched around DU’s only basket in the run, and Blair followed with a steal and fast break layup to put UE within three, 46-43. Heck used the backboard on her bucket on the low block that made it a one-point game with 5:40 to go, and set the stage for Collins’ go-ahead basket with 4:40 remaining.

Unfortunately, missed free throws in the waning minutes proved to be costly, as the Aces went 1-for-4 from the line in opportunities that would have tied or given UE the lead.

With a minute to go, the Missouri Valley Conference’s leading scorer and rebounder, Rachael Hackbarth made a layup and then took a charge to give Drake the ball with 43.9 seconds to go with a 52-48 lead.  

Evansville was forced to foul on the other end, and Drake made 1-of-2 at the line. Gillum gave the Aces a chance, hitting a three in the corner with 15.5 seconds to go to cut the deficit to two. But, Drake sunk both free throws as they went 5-of-6 from the line in the final two minutes of the game to seal the win.

In the contest, Evansville shot 32.7 percent (18-55) from the field, 33.3 percent (10-30) from behind the arc with a season-high 10 threes, but shot a season-low 35.7 percent (5-14) from the free throw line. Drake shot 47.9 percent (23-48) from the floor, 12.5 percent (1-8) from three, and 57.1 percent (8-14) from the charity stripe.

Drake won the battle of the boards, 44-27, but Evansville did  a much better job of taking care of the ball, forcing the Bulldogs into 21 turnovers, while committing a season-low 12 themself.

Hackbarth was the only Drake player to reach double figures with 18 points and 14 rebounds.

The Aces are on the road next week, traveling to take on Missouri State Friday at 7:05 p.m. CT and Wichita State Sunday at 2:05 p.m.