Box Score (PDF)

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women's basketball team (11-18, 6-12) tied a season-high with four players scoring double figures in an 86-71 loss to Missouri State Lady Bears on Saturday afternoon.

Guard Sara Dickey led all UE scorers with 20 points, her 24^th career game of 20+ points. Forward Mallory Ladd added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Purple Aces. Forward Peyton Langston set a new career-high with 12 points and guard Khristian Hart also chipped in with 11.
 
The Evansville women's basketball program began the day by honoring seniors Khristian Hart, Mallory Ladd and Kat Taylor. Prior to the regular season finale, the Aces presented each senior with a picture collage and a jersey presentation for their contributions to the program.
 
UE trailed Missouri State 6-0 early but rallied back to tie the game at 13. Dickey scored the first eight points for the Aces as Langston tallied the last five to even up the score.

The Lady Bears then inched back ahead by scoring the next five points for an 18-13 lead with 11:08 to play in the opening half. Evansville had another response by going on a 17-4 run to take their largest lead of the game, 30-22. Guard Laura Friday hit back to back threes to begin the stretch that featured six Aces tallying points in the timeframe.

Trailing by eight with 5:25 to go in the first half, Missouri State kept chipping away at the deficit and lowered the difference to three at the break. UE led 38-35 at halftime thanks to 16 points from Dickey and 10 by Langston, whose previous career-high was eight points at #7 Louisville on December 29, 2014.  The Aces were 8-for-14 on three-pointers in the first half, a 57.1% success rate.
 
Down by three, the Lady Bears began the second half on a 10-3 run to regain the lead. UE stormed back within two, 48-46, on a Ladd three pointer with 15:09 to play.

In the see-saw game, Missouri State then tallied the next seven points to extend the advantage back to nine with 12:01 left. Once again, UE lowered the deficit to four, 55-51, on a Ladd trey and Langston layup at the 10:31 mark of the second half.

The Lady Bears then rattled off seven of the next nine points to increase the lead to 62-53. The Aces swung the difference back down to four again, 62-58, with 7:05 still on the clock but Missouri State pulled away late on their way to the 86-71 regular season ending victory.
 
The Aces made 11 three-pointers in the game, setting a new season high (10 - at Drake on Feb. 20, vs. Troy on Dec. 18, 2014). UE also committed a season-high 25 personal fouls in the contest. Taylor was one of three players to foul out in the game, scoring four points in 15 minutes played. Dickey's 20 point performance gives her 558 this year, second to only Shyla Puelston (574 in 1998-'99) for most in single season program history.
 
With the defeat, the Purple Aces have lost five straight contests and 11 of their last 12 games. UE enters the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament as the #7 seed and will play the #10 Illinois State Redbirds (2-27, 2-16) in opening round set for Thursday, March 12. Tip is set for 7 p.m at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.