EVANSVILLE - Powered by a team effort on the offensive end, the University of Evansville women's basketball team secured a 74-73 win over Bradley in its Missouri Valley Conference home opener on Friday night inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse in Evansville.

It was a typical pair of performances from Evansville's outstanding duo of senior Myia Clark and junior Abby Feit. The two combined for 45 of the Aces' 74 points as Clark went for a game-high 25 points, gathering seven rebounds, while Feit poured-in 20 points and added 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season in the win. On the opposite bench, Caroline Waite led the Braves with 18 points, scoring every point from beyond the arc with six three-pointers.

Both teams struggled to get started as the two sides combined to shoot just 6-of-27 (22.2%) in the opening quarter with the Braves getting the better of Evansville with a 13-7 lead following the final 10 minutes. After the first quarter struggles, both teams settled in, but it was the Aces who really got back acclimated to home after 27 days away from the friendly confines of Meeks Family Fieldhouse in the second quarter. In the second, Evansville put up 25 points, soaring past the Braves to take a one-point lead at the break following an 8-of-18 (44.4%) shooting effort in the second period, including five made triples. Clark and Feit helped spark the Aces in the second, combining for 14 points in the quarter alone, as Evansville grabbed the lead at the half.

Indicative of the competitiveness of The Valley, neither side could gain separation in the third. The third stanza featured five ties and seven lead changes as both teams jockeyed for the advantage. In the final two minutes of the third, Bradley utilized a 7-0 run to take a 4-0 lead preparing to head into the final period, but the Aces answered back to close with a four-point run of their own, all coming at the free-throw line from Anna Newman to tie the game heading to the fourth quarter.

After a pair of free-throws from freshman Kodie Myszka put the Aces up 62-60 with under five minutes left in the game, Bradley knocked-down one of its most important threes of the night, following it up with a pair of free throws at the line to take back the lead at 65-62. Prepared with an answer, Feit hit a jumper and Newman got to the rim for a layup to retake the lead at 66-65. Although Bradley would tie the game twice further, the Braves would never regain the lead. With 1:43 remaining in regulation, Feit got the ball at the top of the key and buried a three, followed by an Aces press that forced a Bradley turnover that for all intents and purposes, sealed the game. After a pair of missed shots on offense, Evansville grabbed back-to-back offensive boards, forcing Bradley to foul. Clark continued to come up big, going to the line and hitting both of her attempts at the charity stripe to increase Evansville's lead to four at 74-70 with six seconds remaining. As the buzzer sounded, Bradley's Tatum Koenig hoisted a three that fell, bringing the Aces final margin to one in the 74-73 win.

On the night, Evansville assisted on 18 of their 22 made baskets with Newman leading the way with six assists with Clark, Griffin, and Camarena all adding three-or-more assists to the effort.

Evansville is back in action on Sunday afternoon at 1 PM for a matchup with Illinois State inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse in Evansville.
 

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