EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women's basketball team has released its full schedule for the 2017-18 campaign that opens in November for the Purple Aces.
"We're very excited to open the season at home in the newly renovated Meeks Family Fieldhouse," said Aces head coach Matt Ruffing. "I'm excited to see the environment we can create and get a feel for our new home."
"We're going to get to play in some tough road environments," said Ruffing. "We will face teams with new coaches and different styles of play. All will help prepare us and have our players ready to face the challenges of Missouri Valley play"
The Aces open the regular season on Sunday, November 12 as they host Murray State in Meeks Family Fieldhouse. The Racers finished last season with a 15-14 record including an 82-77 loss to UE in Murray, Ky. For the first time in the 2017-18 campaign, Evansville hits the road when the Aces travel to Normal, Alabama for a matchup with Alabama A&M on Wednesday, November 15. The contest marks a return trip for the Aces after defeating the Bulldogs 63-54 in Evansville last season.
A two-game road trip concludes on Saturday, November 18 when the Aces challenge Eastern Illinois in Charleston, Illinois. EIU heads into 2017-18 after amassing a 9-19 record last year. In their final game before the Thanksgiving holiday, the Aces return back home to face off with Westminster on November 21.
Awaiting Evansville after the break is a three-game road swing that opens November 30 at Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers won the C-USA Tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2016-17, finishing the year with a 27-7 overall mark. On December 2, the Aces continue their tour with a matchup with Austin Peay, who compiled a 14-16 record last season.
The road swing concludes for UE when the Aces hit the road for a clash with Kentucky on December 5. The matchup with UK marks the first for Evansville since 2001 and follows a season in which the Wildcats recorded a 22-11 overall mark and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
UE returns back to Meeks Family Fieldhouse on Sunday, December 10 to face Morehead State.
Over a six-day span in mid-December, the Aces will play three games, opening December 14 at home against Oakland City. Following the matchup with the Mighty Oaks, Evansville takes to the road to challenge Illinois-Chicago on December 16 before heading to Cape Girardeau, Missouri to take on Southeast Missouri State on December 19.
The Aces open Missouri Valley Conference play at Meeks Family Fieldhouse on December 29 against Southern Illinois before wrapping-up the weekend on December 31 with a home matchup with Missouri State.
Road play in the MVC begins January 7 with a trip to Terre Haute to face Indiana State. Other highlights of the conference slate include a home matchup with the 2016-17 MVC regular season and tournament champions Drake on January 14. The Aces home finale will take place on February 25 against MVC newcomer Valparaiso, while the regular season finale is March 3 at Southern Illinois.
