SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Going on the road for the final time during the 2019-20 regular season, the University of Evansville women's basketball team travels to take on No. 18 Missouri State in Springfield, Mo. on Friday night.
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Last Game: UNI 67, Evansville 49
- Redshirt junior Jada Poland finished as the lone double-figure scorer for the Aces, tallying a game-high 11 points and four boards.
- Freshman Abby Feit grabbed double-digit rebounds for the seventh time this season with a game-high 11 boards, to go along with five points, five assists, three steals, and two blocks.
- Karli Rucker paced the Panthers in the contest, scoring 10 points with eight assists and five rebounds.
- Both offensives sputtered early on as neither side found its rhythm in the first half.
- The two teams combined for just 18 points in the first quarter as UNI shot 16.7% (3-18) and Evansville hit just three of its 13 attempts (23.1%). In the second half, UNI's offense got going as the Panthers scored 19 points and held the Aces to 11 points, taking a 29-19 advantage to the break.
- In the early portions of the third quarter, Evansville refused to let UNI pull away as the Panthers could only build their lead as large as 14. A 7-0 run helped UNI push its lead to its largest point of the period at 19 with 2:24 left in the third quarter.
- Over the final two minutes, Evansville was able to chip away at its deficit, trailing by 16 heading into the fourth quarter.
- The fourth quarter saw the two sides find their rhythm, combining for 38 points in the period. UNI saw its lead move as high as 21 as the Panthers held a double-digit lead throughout the fourth quarter, earning the 67-49 win.
- UNI was proficient in its passing in the game, assisting on 17 of its 25 baskets, while the Aces assisted just nine times on 19 field goals.
- The Panthers also finished with an 11-rebound advantage, including 22 offensive rebounds, resulting in 19 second chance points.
Previewing the Matchup
- Evansville and Missouri State are meeting for the 57th time with the Lady Bears owning a 42-14 edge in the series.
- The Aces and Lady Bears met earlier this season inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse when Missouri State earned an 81-55 win over UE on Jan. 26.
- Missouri State's regular season winning streak hit nine with the Lady Bears' win over Evansville earlier this season.
- Evansville's last win over Missouri State came in a 65-59 upset victory over the Lady Bears in the 2017 Hoops in the Heartland.
- The Aces last win in Springfield came on Jan. 2, 2015 when Evansville earned a 65-56 win over Missouri State, led by Khristian Hart's 15 points.
- The last MVC victory for the Aces came in a 59-56 win at Indiana State on March 1, 2019.
- Against UNI, the Aces shot 7-11 (63.6%) from the free-throw line, their best free-throw percentage in a game this month.
- Sophomore A'Niah Griffin again made an impact offensively for Evansville off the bench on Saturday against the Panthers. Griffin scored nine points giving her nine-or-more points off the bench in her four of her last six appearances.
- Evansville has held back-to-back opponents under 70 points for just the second time this season. The only other time this year it has happened is during a five-game stretch from Nov. 24 to Dec. 18 that saw the Aces earn a pair of wins.
- Missouri State enters the weekend on a seven-game winning streak after securing a decisive 88-57 victory over rival SIU on Saturday evening. The seven-game winning streak is the longest of the season for the Lady Bears.
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