EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Senior guard Brooke Dossett poured-in a season best 21 points as the University of Evansville women's basketball team earned a 79-53 victory over Westminster College (Mo.) on Tuesday night inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Dossett led all scorers with 21 points, adding five rebounds and five assists in the win. Graduate guard Hannah Noe added 18 points, while junior center Kelsi Scott just missed a double-double with 13 points and eight rebounds. For Westminster, the Blue Jays were led by Mirrakohl Johnson who recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 boards.
"Hats off to coach (James) Arnold and Westminster. They played really hard and put us in some situations we were hoping not to be in," said Aces head coach Matt Ruffing. "I think our kids stepped up to the plate there in the fourth quarter and really took the challenge that we gave them."
Box Score (PDF)
The Aces opened the contest on an 11-2 run capped-off by a layup on a fastbreak by Noe that gave UE an 11-2 lead just over four minutes into the game. In the final four minutes of the first quarter, Westminster manufactured an 11-2 run of its own to cut Evansville's advantage to just 19-17 at the end of the first.
In the second frame, the Blue Jays continued to apply pressure, tying the game at 19-19 and 21-21 in the first three minutes of the quarter. Following the deadlock, Evansville put together a nine-point spree, fueled by five points from junior guard Kerri Gasper. A layup from sophomore center Kaylan Coffman pushed the Aces' advantage to 12 at 37-25 in route to a ten-point 38-28 lead for Evansville at the half.
Westminster had yet another run in it as the Blue Jays cut into Evansville's lead again, trimming its deficit to just seven midway through the third quarter. It was Dossett who once again stepped up for the Aces as the Warsaw, Kentucky native went on a personal 6-2 run to provide UE a 54-43 edge heading into the final quarter.
Evansville answered the bell in the fourth period, not allowing the Blue Jays to get within single digits and increasing its lead throughout the quarter as the Aces captured a 79-53 victory.
The Aces held Westminster to just 27% (20-74) shooting from the field, the first time an Evansville opponent has shot under 30% since Indiana State shot 27.3% against the Aces on March 4, 2017. Meanwhile, Evansville shook its early shooting woes and finished 47.7% (31-65) from the field.
"Four games in, I think we could be better, but I think this break is going to be really good for us," said Ruffing. "It gives us a chance to get our minds off of basketball, come back refreshed, and get to see family, which is always a good time. Its something we do differently than most programs and I think its very valuable and its going to serve us very well for these last seven non-conference games."
A long layoff awaits the Aces as Evansville has nine days off around the Thanksgiving holiday before it gets back to action with a three-game road trip starting on November 30 at 7 p.m. against Western Kentucky.
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