Box Score EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Battling with the Ramblers throughout the contest, the University of Evansville women's basketball saw Loyola pull away late in a 71-61 loss on Friday evening inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Scoring a career-high 17 points, sophomore Anna Newman led the way for Evansville, tallying 11 of her points in the second half. Also finishing in double-figures for the Aces were freshman Abby Feit with 13 points and junior Lola Bracy with 10 points. Finishing with 21 points and 12 rebounds, Abby O'Connor powered the Ramblers down the stretch with 19 points in the second half, including 11 in the fourth quarter.
Pressuring the Ramblers' lead throughout the contest, Evansville had its opportunities in the contest, particularly at the free-throw line. The historically strong free-throw shooting squad went 4-18 (22%) from the line on the evening, the lowest single-game percentage at the line for the Aces since at least 2012-13.
Loyola controlled the boards in the game, owning a 55-27 advantage in rebounds, including 18 offensive rebounds.
The two sides traded punches early in the contest, as Evansville held a 16-15 lead after the opening quarter. The Aces built a lead as large as five midway through the period, but the Ramblers pushed back within one.
Loyola's offense continued at a consistent pace through the second quarter, but Evansville had some struggles before the break. In the second quarter, the Aces shot just 25% from the field, while scoring seven points to trail 30-23 at the half.
Box Score (PDF)
The second half was a different story as Evansville shook off the second period and scored 22 points in the third quarter, bolstered by a 50% (8-16) clip from the field. Down by as many as 10, UE cut within three, but quickly saw the Ramblers bounce back to a nine-point advantage. The Aces were resilient, mounting another comeback to close Loyola's lead to four at 49-45 heading into the fourth quarter.
A 3:30 cold stretch for both teams opened the final 10 minutes as neither team scored before the 6:30 mark in the period. A layup by redshirt junior Jada Poland got Evansville within two, but the Ramblers immediately answered with a triple as Loyola seemed to have an answer for every Evansville attempt to rally. The Aces continually fouled late, looking to put themselves in a position to grab the game late. During the final minute, the Ramblers hit 7-of-10 freebies, while getting a crucial stop with 21 seconds remaining as Loyola secured the 71-61 win.
Evansville is back in action on Sunday at 1 PM as the Aces host Valparaiso for its "White Out" game inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse. Fans coming to Sunday's contest are encouraged to wear white to help back the Aces.
- INFO: For all of the latest information on University of Evansville athletics, visit GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthletics.
- DONATE: For information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the DONATE tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com.
- TICKETS: To purchase tickets for University of Evansville athletics events, log on to GoPurpleAces.com and click on the TICKETS tab on top of the page.
