Box Score

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With the support of nearly 3,000 cheering elementary school students, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team overcame the visiting Creighton Bluejays, 48-45, Thursday early afternoon at the Ford Center. With the victory, the Purple Aces improve to 5-18 on the season and 2-10 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while Creighton falls to 12-11 overall and 6-6 in the MVC.

With 1:32 remaining, junior Meagan Collins took a feed from senior Staci Gillum and knocked down a three in the left corner to give Evansville a 47-45 lead. At the other end, Ally Jensen’s layup wouldn’t fall and Collins secured the rebound, forcing the Bluejays to foul with 6.1 seconds left. The Boonville, Ind. native made the first, allowing the Aces to breathe easier, but missed the second, giving Creighton a chance for the tie. Carli Tritz, CU’s leading rainmaker, put up a shot from beyond the arc, but the ball bounced off the back rim as the buzzer sounded, locking up the win for Evansville -- UE’s first victory over Creighton since the No. 9 Aces beat the No. 2 Jays, 47-45, in the title game of the 2009 MVC Tournament Championship.

Collins piloted the Aces’ offense with 18 points, going 6-for-8 from the floor, and grabbed seven rebounds. Senior Briyana Blair also reached double figures with 11 points and seven rebounds, followed by junior Samantha Heck’s eight points and five boards. Sophomore Miranda Liles had another solid game with five points and seven rebounds in a career-high 38 minutes on the floor, while Gillum recorded a game-high six assists.

In a contest that consisted of nine lead changes, Creighton got on the board first, starting the game with a 6-0 run. Evansville answered right back though, tying it, 6-6, and then again, 8-8, on a layup by Collins and jumper by Blair, respectively.

The Jays used a spurt to take a four-point lead, 13-9, with 8:28 remaining, but Liles’ layup and Jordan Lewis’ three regained the lead for UE, 14-13, with 4:04 to go after a cold spell on both ends of the floor. Creighton answered right back with a 6-0 run, but Gillum’s three with 55 seconds on the clock sent the Aces into the locker room trailing by just two, 21-19.

After UE shot 32.0 percent (8-25) and CU 27.6 percent (8-29) in the first half, both squads went 0-for-3 out of the break with the Jays’ Sarah Nelson breaking the standstill with a layup at the 17:45 mark. However, Evansville called back the next trip down the floor as Liles drained a trey, followed by Collins’ made layup and free throw. Heck capped the 8-0 run with a layup after Blair grabbed an offensive board and dished it to the junior on the low block, giving UE their largest lead of the game, 27-23, with 16:53 remaining.

However, the seesawing battle continued as the lead changed hands five times in the next seven minutes of play with Creighton taking the lead 39-38 after Ally Jensen hit a three with 8:09 to go. The Jays expanded their lead to five points, just under the six minute mark, but Evansville outscored CU, 10-2 in the final 5:30 of play for the upset.

In the game, the Aces shot 38.0 percent (19-50) from the field, 29.4 percent (5-17) from three, and 41.7 percent (5-12) from the line, while Creighton struggled, shooting 30.5 percent (18-59) from the floor, 19.0 percent (4-21) from behind the arc, but went 5-for-5 from the charity stripe.

Nelson was the only Jay to reach double figures, leading Creighton with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

The Aces are back in action Sunday when they host Drake at 1:00 p.m. CT for the 10th annual Hoops For The Cure Game. Tickets will be discounted to $5.00, with half of the ticket proceeds going to Susan G. Komen For The Cure to aid in breast cancer research. T-shirts will be available for $10 and tons of great prizes will be auctioned off with all proceeds being donated to the foundation.

The Lady Aces will trade in their normal home white jerseys for ones with a pink twist, while fans are also highly encouraged to wear pink in support of the cause.

Tickets for the 2012 Hoops For The Cure game can be purchased at the UE Carson Center Ticket Office, by phone at (812) 488-ACES, or on Ticketmaster.com.

The game will also be broadcasted on ESPN 3.