EVANSVILLE - In its weekend finale, the University of Evansville women's basketball team battled back to take a third-quarter lead before falling to Valparaiso, 74-68, on Sunday afternoon inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse.

The Aces were again led by senior guard/forward Abby Feit on the day, who tallied her sixth double-double of the season with a 20-point, 11-board performance. Three other Aces broke into double-figures with graduate guard Anna Newman (14 points), fifth-year guard A'Niah Griffin (13), and redshirt junior Barbora Tomancova (12) all reaching double digits. For the Beacons, Olivia Brown was Valpo's leading scorer, heading up a group of four double-figure scorers for the visitors.

A hot-shooting Valparaiso offense got off to a quick start in the first quarter, taking a 15-8 lead on a three from Ava Interrante. Evansville would battle back down the stretch of the first period, getting back within three on a triple by Griffin with just seven seconds left in the quarter that cut the Aces deficit to 20-17 going into the second.

Evansville showed an improved offense in the second and third quarters, out-scoring the Beacons, 38-33, during that stretch. Valpo's lead again reached six early in the second period, but the Aces would get within a pair at the break, trailing just 35-33, with Kynidi Mason Striverson providing another late three for Evansville with just 34 seconds left in the half to trim the deficit. 

Out of the break, the Aces went on a 6-0 run, fueled by four points from Feit that gave UE a four-point lead early in the third period. The lead seven on two separate occasion for the Aces in the third, but each time an efficient Valpo offense answered, eventually trimming UE's lead back to just two heading into the fourth.

It was the Beacons who provided the run to open the fourth quarter, going on a seven-point spree to retake the lead and build it to 60-55. Evansville would put multiple challenges to the Beacon lead over the final five minutes of the game, but each time Valpo responded with a basket as the Beacons held on for a 74-68 win.

Evansville goes back on the road for the next two contests, traveling to take on Missouri State in Springfield, Mo. on Thursday before a matchup in Carbondale, Ill. with Southern Illinois on Saturday afternoon.
 

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