BOX SCORE

WICHITA, Kan. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team fell below .500 in Missouri Valley Conference play for the first time this season, after falling to Wichita State, 68-49, Thursday night at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kan.
 
Senior Samantha Heck led Evansville (8-16, 6-7 MVC) with 17 points, going 8-for-9 from the floor, and added five rebounds in her 100th-career start.  Freshman Laura Friday was the only other Aces’ player in double figures, scoring a career-high 12 points and recording a team-high two steals.
 
The Aces had the hot hand to start the game, as UE connected on six of its first eight shot attempts and led 14-7 with 12:06 remaining in the first half on a three-pointer by Friday from the left wing.
 
Sophomore Kat Taylor pushed Evansville’s advantage to double digits, sinking a pair of free throws at the 10:37 mark to make the score 18-7, but Wichita State slowly began to chip away at the Aces’ lead.
 
Alex Harden came up with a steal and converted a layup on the opposite end of the floor to cap an 8-2 Shocker run and later hit a jumper to pull WSU within one at 22-21 with 5:59 to play in the opening period.
 
Darice Fountaine tied the game at 24-24 when she drained a trey from the right corner and the Shockers took their first lead of the game just over two minutes later, after Michelle Price converted a three-point play to put WSU in front 29-26.
 
Over the final 4:06 of the half, Wichita State went on a10-0 run and made 12 of its final 17 first-half shots to grab a 34-26 halftime lead.
 
The Shockers shot 58.3 percent (14-for-24) in the opening 20 minutes, while UE hit 10 of its 23 attempts for a 43.5 percent clip.
 
WSU carried its momentum from the first half into the opening moments of the second stanza, going on an 8-2 run, capped by a Harden steal and layup,  and pushing its lead to 42-28 with 16;57 left to play.
 
Heck responded by scoring four-straight points for Evansville and cutting Wichita State’s advantage to 44-36 at the 13:56 mark, but the that is as close as UE would get, as the Shockers countered with a 14-7 spurt and extended their margin to  58-43, with 6:37 remaining in the contest.
 
WSU committed just two turnovers in the second half, while scoring 20 points off of 16 UE miscues.  Wichita State also outrebounded the Aces, 37-28, and tallied 30 points in the paint.
 
Harden led the Shockers with a career-high 23 points and came up one rebound short of a double-double.  Harden was the only WSU player in double figures, but nine other Wichita State players scored at least two points and pulled down a rebound.
 
Evansville return to action Saturday, Feb. 21, when it travels to Springfield, Mo., for a 7:05 p.m. contest with Missouri State.