EVANSVILLE NOTES  |  DRAKE NOTES  |  CREIGHTON NOTES  |  LIVE STATS  |  LIVE AUDIO  |  LIVE VIDEO

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team will open the 2013 calendar year and Missouri Valley Conference play with a pair of home games against Drake and Creighton.  The Purple Aces host the Bulldogs Thursday, Jan. 3 for a 7 p.m. game at the Ford Center, prior to hosting the Bluejays, Saturday, Jan. 5 at 5 p.m.
 
Evansville (2-9, 0-0 MVC) will be looking to snap an eight-game losing streak against Drake Thursday night, as the Aces dropped both contests at the Toledo Invite to host Toledo and Hampton in their last two outings Dec. 21 and Dec. 22.  UE rallied late against the Rockets, but fell, 60-50, before dropping a 64-45 decision to the Lady Pirates to conclude to the two-day event. 
 
Sophomore Mallory Ladd, who became eligible prior to the Toledo Invite after transferring from Valparaiso, posted a pair of double-doubles in her first two games with UE, tallying 11 points and 11 rebounds against Toledo, prior to turning in a 10-point, 10-rebound performance against Hampton.  Senior Samantha Heck led the Aces with 28 points during the event, scoring 16 against Toledo, and finished second on the squad with 16 rebounds.
 
As a team, Evansville averages 54.4 points per game and is shooting 34.0 percent from the field, including a 29.6 percent clip from three-point range.  UE ranks third in the Valley in two categories with 75 made three-pointers and 71.6 percent mark from the foul line.  At the Toledo Invite, the Aces converted on 27 of their 32 opportunities from the charity stripe for an 84.4 percent mark.
 
Individually, Heck is the nation’s top free throw shooter, hitting 96.6 percent of her chances at the charity stripe (28-for-29).  In addition, the senior forward leads UE in scoring (14.5 ppg), field goal percentage (45.3%) and three-point field goal percentage (42.1%).  Redshirt sophomore Khristian Hart is averaging in double figures at 13.4 points per contest and ranks third in the MVC with 28 three-pointers made.  Ladd ranks third on the squad with a 10.5 point scoring average and boats a team-high 10.5 boards per game.
 
Drake (5-6, 0-0 MVC) enters Thursday’s contest with Evansville having won its last two games, defeating Saint Louis and Milwaukee.  The Bulldogs posted an 80-70 victory over the Panthers in their last outing, shooting 51.6 percent from the field.  Kyndal Clark led DU with 19 points and was one of four DU players that finished in double figures.
 
Drake is averaging 65.2 points per contest and is shooting 38.6 percent from the floor.  The Bulldogs own a 30.9 percent clip from beyond the arc and is shooting 71.4 percent from the free throw line.  In addition, DU owns a +1.2 rebounding margin, is averaging 6.6 steals per outing and has won its last 11 games against Evansville.
 
Clark leads Drake in scoring at 13.8 points per game and has tallied a team-high 21 steals.  Morgan Reid leads Drake in rebounding at 7.5 boards per contest and ranks second on the team in scoring at 11.0 points per outing.  Alyssa Marschner leads the Valley with 60 assists and Carly Grenfell ranks second in the league in three-point shooting percentage at 42.9 percent (24-for-56).
 
The Bulldogs return seven letterwinners and three starters from last year’s team that finished 18-16 overall and tied for fifth in the final MVC standings.  DU was tabbed to finished ninth in the MVC Preseason Poll and is under the direction of first-year head coach Jennie Baranczyk.
 
Drake owns a 30-10 advantage in the all-time series with Evansville and has claimed victories in the last 11 meetings, including in last season’s MVC Tournament.  The Aces last defeated the Bulldogs during the 2007 season campaign, a 69-66 overtime win in Des Moines, Iowa.
 
Creighton (8-3, 0-0 MVC) will open league play Thursday at Southern Illinois before making the trip to the Ford Center.  The Bluejays saw their six-game winning streak halted in their last outing, as CU fell, 88-81, to Minnesota in double overtime in Minneapolis.  Creighton’s only other two losses were to nationally-ranked opponents in Oklahoma and Kansas.  Sarah Nelson led the Bluejays with 19 points and nine rebounds in their loss to the Golden Gophers, while Marissa Janning added 18 points and seven boards in 36 minutes off the bench.
 
Creighton ranks second in the country in three-pointers made per game at 9.8 triples per contest and rank 14th nationally in three-point shooting percentage with a 37.2 percent.  Additionally, CU leads the MVC in assists (16.6 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.0) and, ranks second in field goal percentage (41.0%) and three-point percentage defense (27.7%).
 
Individually, Nelson leads the Bluejays in scoring (12.5 ppg) and rebounding (8.0 rpg), and has tallied a team-high 15 blocked shots.  Marissa Janning ranks second on the squad with a 10.8 points per game scoring average and is among the nation’s best three-point shooters, as her 51.1 percent three-point percentage ranks fourth in the NCAA.  MVC Preseason Player of the Year Carli Tritz is also averaging in double figures for CU, scoring 10.1 points per contest with a team-high 25 steals.
 
The Bluejays return 11 letterwinners and four starters from last year’s team that finished 20-13 overall and fourth in the Valley with an 11-7 mark in league play.  Creighton is under the direction of Jim Flanery, who is in his 11th season at CU and owns a career record of 198-132.
 
Creighton leads the all-time series with Evansville, 29-11, with each team winning a game during the 2011-12 regular season.  The Bluejays handled the Aces, 65-33, in Omaha, before UE earned a narrow, 48-45 win in the rematch at the Ford Center.