EVANSVILLE - Back in southern Indiana for the first time in three weeks, the University of Evansville women's basketball begins a home weekend on Thursday evening at 6 PM with a matchup with Drake inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.
Â
Last Game: Loyola 77, Evansville 47
- Scoring eight points in the first half, sophomore Makayla Wallace led Evansville offensively, recording a team-high 11 points.
- Nearly picking-up a double-double was freshman Abby Feit, who finished with nine points and nine boards for the Aces.
- Leading Loyola was Tiara Wallace who scored a game-high and career-best 26 points along with 13 rebounds and six assists.
- It was a fast start that helped power Loyola in front in the Ramblers' win. Along with the fast start, the final seven minutes of the second quarter helped gain separation for Loyola.
- The Ramblers jumped-out to a 16-6 lead midway through the opening quarter after the two sides traded baskets early on.
- The lead grew to 11 for Loyola in the final minutes of the first quarter before Evansville got back within nine with a layup by Makayla Wallace at the buzzer.
- Evansville started the second period well, as A'Niah Griffin drained a triple from the corner and Jada Poland scored in the paint to move the Aces within five at 21-16.
- From there, the Ramblers controlled the quarter, holding Evansville scoreless for the final 7:49 of the half and using a 21-3 run to take a 42-19 lead to the break.
- The Aces scoreless drought continued into the second half until sophomore Anna Newman hit a pull-up jumper 2:20 into the third quarter.
- After the Rambler's lead topped out at 25, Evansville hit four-straight field goals, but Loyola answered the Aces' run, taking a 56-34 lead into the fourth.
- Loyola's lead was cut to 20 in the opening moments of the fourth quarter as junior Lola Bracy knocked-down two free throws.
- After Evansville closed the gap, the Ramblers responded, out-scoring Evansville, 21-13, in the final stanza to earn the 77-47 win.
Previewing the Matchup
- Â Evansville and Drake are meeting for the 58th time with the Bulldogs owning a 43-14 edge in the all-time series.
- The Aces and Bulldogs met earlier this season in Des Moines, Iowa with Drake earning a 108-44 win over Evansville.
- Drake's win in the matchup between the two sides earlier this season was the largest margin of defeat in an MVC contest for the Aces, surpassing a 58-point loss to Bradley on Jan. 21, 2018.
- Drake enters Thursday's game with a 10-game winning streak in the series, the second-longest of any MVC school behind UNI's 12-game winning streak.
- Evansville's last win over Drake at home came on Jan. 3, 2013 in a 68-62 victory over the Bulldogs at the Ford Center.
- Sophomore Makayla Wallace continued her affinity for playing against Loyola on Saturday. In five games against the Ramblers, Wallace has scored in double-figures three times, including an 11-point performance this past weekend.
- Heading into the final four weeks of the regular season, freshman Abby Feit has been a leader for the Aces. Feit leads Evansville in every statistical category, except for steals and assists, categories she ranks in second and third in, respectively.
- Drake heads into the matchup with a 16-7 overall record and an 8-3 mark in MVC play. The Bulldogs losses have come to their two counterparts at the top of the standings, in 69-67 and 89-83 losses to Missouri State and a 77-76 loss to Bradley.
- Of Drake's seven losses, only two have been by double-digits and three have been by two points or less or gone to overtime.
Â
- INFO: For all of the latest information on University of Evansville athletics, visit GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthletics.Â
                                   Â
- DONATE: For information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the DONATE tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com.Â
 Â
- 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.
