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EVANSVILLE NOTES  |  INDIANA STATE NOTES

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – After splitting a pair of Missouri Valley Conference road games last weekend, the University of Evansville women's basketball team will return to the Ford Center Thursday night, when the Purple Aces host in-state rival Indiana State at 7 p.m.
 
Evansville (7-8, 2-2 MVC) opened a two-game road swing with a 64-56 loss to Northern Iowa Friday night, before rebounding with a 71-67 victory at Drake Sunday afternoon.  Junior Kat Taylor was the top scorer in both games for the Aces, as she scored 14 points in the loss to the Panthers, before notching 21 points in the victory over the Bulldogs.  Freshman Sara Dickey was held to just five points at UNI, marking the first time this season that she did not reach double figures, before turning in a 20-point effort against DU. 
 
Dickey continues to lead the Valley in scoring at 17.9 points per game and has shot 40 percent or better from the field in three of her last four contests.  Taylor has scored in double figures in eight of her last nine games and ranks second on the squad in scoring (13.0), including a team-best 34.8 percent clip from behind the three-point line.  Taylor also paces UE with 58 assists.  Junior Mallory Ladd is also averaging in double figures (12.1) and is the league's leading rebounder at 10.5 boards per outing.  In addition, Ladd ranks second on the team in field goal percentage (43.7 percent) and has blocked a team-best 13 shots.  Freshman Dakota Weatherford made her return to the starting lineup at Drake, marking her first start since Dec. 8 at Troy, and posted a 43:11 assist-to-turnover ratio in her last 10 games.
 
As a team, Evansville ranks third in the MVC in scoring (70.9 ppg) and leads the conference in free throw percentage (74.7 percent), rebounding (42.6 rpg) and assists (15.3 apg).  The Aces are shooting 36.9 percent from the field, including a 28.3 percent mark from long range and own a +1.3 scoring margin.  Defensively, UE is averaging 7.7 steals and 1.9 blocks per outing.
 
Indiana State (8-6, 3-0 MVC) remained unbeaten in MVC play by holding on for a 47-44 win over Illinois State Sunday in Terre Haute, Ind., to cap a three-game home stand.  The Sycamores held the Redbirds to just 20 second-half points and were led by Marina Laramie's double-double, as she finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.  Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was the only other Indiana State player to finish in double figures, adding 10 points.
 
ISU is averaging 63.2 points per game and shooting 37.8 percent from the field, which includes a 31.0 percent mark from three-point land.  Indiana State has connected on just 64.6 percent of its three throw attempts, but is outrebounding its opponents by 2.1 rebounds per game.  The Sycamores also own a +2.1 turnover margin, as they are forcing 19.1 turnovers per game, including 10.0 steals per contest.
 
Indiana State leads the all-time series over Evansville, 32-14, and has won nine of the last 11 meetings.  The Aces and Sycamores split a pair of games last season, as UE earned a 55-54 win in Terre Haute, before ISU topped Evansville, 55-48, later in the season at the Ford Center.