BOX SCORE

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team forced a late turnover and had an opportunity to tie the game with a last-second shot, but sophomore Kat Taylor’s half-court heave missed just left and Missouri State held on for a 66-63 win Saturday night at JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo.
 
Senior Samantha Heck led three Evansville (8-17, 6-8 MVC) players in double figures with 17 points, going 7-for-11 from the field and 3-for-6 from three-point land.  Sophomore Mallory Ladd added 15 points and hauled in seven boards, while freshman Laura Friday scored a career-high 14 points and hit four of her eight three-point attempts.  Taylor pulled down a career-high eight rebounds to lead the Purple Aces on the glass.
 
UE scored the game’s first five points to grab the early lead, but Missouri State (14-13, 6-9 MVC) countered with an 8-2 run and led, 8-7, after a Kenzie Williams layup with 15:29 to play in the first half.
 
The Lady Bears continued to add to their lead, as a three-point play by Tyonna Snow highlighted a 10-0 MSU run and Williams put Missouri State in front, 23-12, at the 7:50 mark, after a steal and a layup, as the Lady Bears held Evansville without a field goal for over nine minutes.
 
With 4:40 remaining in the opening stanza, MSU built its lead to 16 at 31-15, but the Aces responded with a furious rally out of the final media timeout of the first half, hitting four three-pointers for a 12-0 run that cut Missouri State’s lead to just four at 31-27 with just over two minutes to play in the half.
 
Senior Meagan Collins knocked down a 10-foot jumper just before the halftime horn to make the score, 33-31, in favor of the Lady Bears heading into the locker room.
 
Heck put Evansville in front, 34-33,  by draining a three from the right wing on the first possession of the second half, but it was short lived, as MSU regained the lead at 38-36 on a Snow jumper with 16:28 remaining.
 
Just under four minutes later, Friday hit a trey from the left wing, before dishing out a pass to Ladd, who converted a layup to cap a 9-0 Aces’ run and give UE a 45-41 lead with 12:42 showing on the clock.
 
Friday connected on another long-rang shot at the 10:11 mark to give Evansville its largest lead at 50-45, but Missouri State once again had an answer and knotted the score, 51-51, on a free throw by Williams following a flagrant foul that was whistled against Taylor.
 
It was a back-and-forth contest over the last six minutes with each team grabbing the lead on a pair of occasions until Friday tied the game at 60-60 with her fourth triple of the game with 1:38 remaining.
 
The Lady Bears scored six of the game’s next seven points and appeared to have put the game away when Karly Buer sank a pair of free throws to give MSU a 66-61 lead with just 24.0 seconds to play.
 
However, Heck hit a long two to pull Evansville back within one possession with 2.9 ticks left and the Aces forced a turnover on MSU’s inbound attempt, before setting up Taylor’s desperation shot.
 
The Aces hit 11 of their 27 three-point attempts (40.7%), while Missouri State connected on just five of its 19 shots from long range (26.3%), but the Lady Bears owned the glass, outrebounding UE, 45-35, and scoring 17 second-chance points on 17 offensive rebounds.
 
MSU also controlled the paint, scoring 30 points inside the lane to Evansville’s 16.
 
Four players scored in double figures for Missouri State, including Williams, who led the Lady Bears with 17 points on a 7-for-19 shooting performance.  Buer added 15 points and Edie finished with 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
 
Evansville will be back at the Ford Center for its next two games that will mark its final two home games of the year.  The Aces will host Northern Iowa Friday, March 1 at 7 p.m., before hosting Bradley Sunday at 1 p.m. for its annual Senior Day.