SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Kerri Gasper couldn't have done much more for the University of Evansville women's basketball team on Friday night, but her efforts proved not quite enough as the Purple Aces dropped a 77-70 decision to Missouri State at JQH Arena.
Gasper, a freshman out of Olmsted Township, Ohio, was nearly perfect from the field in the contest, ending 9-for-10, which included a 4-for-5 showing from beyond the arc. Prior to the 22-point outburst, Gasper was averaging just over five points per game.
"When I made those first shots, it started to build my confidence," Gasper said. "I think tonight will help us going into the rest of conference play. We didn't get the win, but we can all build off of this, myself included. Hopefully it will get better and better."
While Gasper's night was certainly remarkable, she would be outscored by teammate Sara Dickey, who racked up another 25 points. The junior guard shot 8-for-17 from the field, knocking down three treys and going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
Also starring for the Aces (2-15, 1-5 MVC), were Sasha Robinson, who pulled down a game-best 10 rebounds, and Kenyia Johnson, who finished with six points and seven boards.
Despite the star showing of both Gasper and Dickey, MSU (12-7, 5-2 MVC) was able to lean on the trio of Tyonna Snow, Kenzie Williams and Hillary Chvatal to secure the win. Both Snow and Williams racked up 17 while combining for nine boards, six assists and five steals, and Chvatal added 13 points and seven rebounds.
In a game where the Aces proved unable to close the gap closer than seven points, it was the first quarter that ultimately made the difference. After taking an early lead, UE was out-scored 20-10 in the frame before going on to out-score the hosts 60-57 over the final 30 minutes.
The Aces will be back in action on Sunday as they pay a visit to Wichita State. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
NOTES: UE is 12-35 all-time vs. Missouri State and 21-23 against Wichita State … In road contests the Aces are 2-20 and 6-15, respectively … Last season, UE split the road trip as four Aces scored in double-figures in a 65-56 win at MSU ... Sara Dickey pulled within one point of fourth place on UE's all-time scoring list on Friday. She now has 1,429 points for her career … Barb Dykstra, who graduated in 1986, racked up 1,430 … Rebekah Parker is third on the list with 1,480.
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