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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team will be back on the road this weekend for a pair of games at Wichita State and Missouri State.  The Purple Aces are currently sixth in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 6-6 mark in league play and are slated to play the Shockers Thursday night in Wichita, Kan., at 7:05 p.m., before taking on the Lady Bears Saturday at 7:05 p.m. in Springfield, Mo.
 
Evansville (8-15, 6-6 MVC) has dropped five of its last six games, including a pair of home contests last weekend to Indiana State and Illinois State.  The Aces suffered a 55-48 setback to the Sycamores, before falling, 64-46, to the Redbirds.  Freshman Laura Friday led UE with a career-high 11 points against Indiana State, while senior Meagan Collins led Evansville with 13 points off the bench against Illinois State.
 
As a team, the Aces are averaging 57.0 point s per game, and have struggled offensively in their last six games, surpassing the 52-point mark just once in that span.  UE ranks sixth in the Valley in scoring defense, as it is allowing 64.1 points per contest and is third in the league in free throw percentage with a 74.5 percent clip.  The Aces also rank fifth in the conference in rebounding margin (-0.3) and field goal percentage defense (40.0%).
 
Senior Samantha Heck leads Evansville in scoring (12.9 ppg) and field goal percentage (44.8%), and ranks second on the squad in rebounding (7.7 rpg).  Sophomore Mallory Ladd is also averaging in double figures at 11.9 points per contest and leads the team in rebounding with 8.9 boards per outing.  Ladd has also been the top free throw shooter for the Aces and in the MVC, knocking down 59 of her 62 attempts for a 95.2 percent clip.  Collins is pitching in 8.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
 
Wichita State (17-8, 11-2 MVC) enters the weekend atop the MVC standings and holds a one game lead over second-place Creighton.  The Shockers opened league play by winning nine-straight games, but they have dropped two of their last three, including a road split with Drake and Creighton last weekend.  WSU posted a 74-65 win over the Bulldogs in Des Moines, Iowa, before falling the Bluejays, 56-46, in Omaha, Neb.  In the loss, Michelle Price led Wichita State with 15 points and seven rebounds, but the Shockers gave up 30 points in the paint and shot just 35.4 percent from the field.
 
WSU is averaging just 59.0 points per contest, but is one of the Valley’s best defensive squads, holding opponents to just 53.4 points per game.  Wichita State is shooting 42.4 percent from the field and forcing 19.0 turnovers per outing, including 9.0 steals per contest.
 
Individually, Jessica Diamond leads the Shockers in scoring at 12.9 points per game and is the only WSU player averaging in double figures.  Diamond also leads the team with 37 steals and is one of five Wichita State players averaging 3.5 or more rebounds per game.  Alex Harden ranks second on the team in scoring (9.8 ppg) and leads the team in rebounding (4.9 rpg) and assists (90).  Five other Shockers are averaging 6.0 or more points per game, including Kelsey Jacobs who owns a team-high 49.2 percent shooting percentage and leads the team with 25 blocked shots.
 
Missouri State (12-13, 4-9 MVC) has lost its last three games and will host Southern Illinois Thursday, before welcoming Evansville to JQH Arena Saturday night.  The Lady Bears dropped a pair of games to Creighton and Drake last weekend, falling to the Bluejays, 67-51, before dropping a, 74-64, decision to the Bulldogs.  Kenzie Williams led MSU with 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the loss to Drake, while Christiana Shorter also scored in double figures, adding 12 points.  Missouri State outrebounded Drake, 60-39, and grabbed 27 offensive boards, but shot just 8-for-26 at the free throw line and committed 22 turnovers.
 
The Lady Bears rank second in the league in scoring at 70.8 points per game, but also rank ninth in the Valley in scoring defense, as they are giving up 74.5 points per contest.  MSU also shoots 32.3 percent from behind the three-point line, a mark that ranks third in the Valley, and boasts the conference’s best rebounding margin at +5.4.
 
Edie Whitney leads MSU in scoring (14.6 ppg) and rebounding (8.2 rpg), and ranks second on the squad with a 43.7 percent shooting percentage.  Williams adds 11.5 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per outing, and has knocked down a team-high 35 three-pointers.  Shorter is the team’s top shooter, hitting 47.1 percent of her shots from the field and averages 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest.
 
Evansville owns a slim, 20-19, advantage in the all-time series with Wichita State, fell earlier this year to the Shockers at the Ford Center, 49-45, a result that halted the Aces’ four-game winning streak.
 
Missouri State leads the all-time series with UE, 30-10, but it was Evansville that emerged victories in the first meeting between the two sides this season, topping the Lady Bears, 77-53, at the Ford Center.  The Aces have defeated MSU just once on Missouri State’s own floor in 18 chances and have never won at JQH Arena.