TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – At the program's in-state rivals the University of Evansville women's basketball team set a season high in made three-point field goals but ultimately fell to the Indiana State Sycamores 90-74.
The Purple Aces had their highest scoring offensive performance since December at the Hulman Center against Indiana State. With a season high 13 made three pointers UE had two players set career highs. But struggles under the glass kept the team from grabbing its first conference win of the season. Freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) returned to her offensive ways in Terre Haute leading Evansville with 24 points and six assists.
Senior guard Júlia Palomo (La Seu D'Urgell) stated the scoring on Sunday afternoon with a three in the first minute of the game. The Aces shot 50% from three-point range in the first half of the quarter to open up at 13-5 lead. UE hit a cold spell coming out of the timeout as Indiana State cut Evansville's lead down to only three. Sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) broke the drought with her second trey of the game. But the Sycamores added seven points in the last minute to take a two-point lead into the second quarter.
The Aces shooting trouble continued into the second quarter as their first basket only came at the 6:42 mark. Freshman guard Camryn Runner hit two three's in the first five minutes to get UE back within two. The teams matched field goal for field goal until Indiana State ended the half with a 10-0 run as Evansville trailed 43-31.
Hartwig hit the first points of the second half, but the Aces struggled to put a run together early. Runner added her fourth three two minutes in, but UE went scoreless over the next two and a half minutes as the deficit grew to 21. Evansville was able to respond as freshman forward Elle Snyder (Latrobe, Penn. / Greater Latrobe HS) hit back-to-back threes. A 15-4 run for the Aces got them back within single digits with a minute left in the quarter. Hartwig closed out the third similar to how she began it with a layup to make it a 10-point game with 10 minutes left.
UE started the final quarter making two at the line for an eight-point game. But the Sycamores responded with an eight-point run to push the game out of reach. Evansville put together a brief six to two run midway through the fourth. With two perfect opportunities at the free throw line the Aces hit the 70+ scoring mark. UE's final basket came just under two minutes to go from junior forward Claudia Clement (Barcelona, Spain / Winthrop) as Evansville fell to Indiana State 90-74.
Both Runner and Snyder had career high games behind the arc with six and three made three pointers apiece. Runner also had a career high game in assists with six helpers to power the Aces offense along with a team high three steals. UE had two other players in double figures as Hartwig put up 16 while Clement had a career-high 10 points.
Evansville returns home to Meeks Fieldhouse for the first time since December 8
th next week. The Aces will welcome the Missouri State Lady Bears to Evansville for their final time as conference opponents on Friday. Tip-off for UE and Missouri State is set for 6 p.m. and will be a Purple Out in Meeks.
