CHARLESTON, Ill. – The University of Evansville women's basketball team created a strong second and third quarter comeback, but ultimately fell 64-46 to Eastern Illinois on Saturday afternoon.
Mireia Mustaros led Evansville with 12 points and six rebounds, while Avery Kelley and Jayden Scott each added 10 points. Scott continued her streak of double-digit scoring to open her collegiate career, reaching double figures for the fourth consecutive game.
Mustaros got Evansville off to a quick start with back-to-back baskets, knocking down a jumper before converting a post move for a layup. However, Eastern Illinois shot 71.4% from the field in the opening quarter to build a 22-6 lead.
Kelley opened the second quarter with a three-pointer before Scott added four points to spark a 9-3 Evansville run. The Aces continued to chip away at the deficit behind eight second-quarter points from Scott and six from Mustaros. Evansville outscored the Panthers 19-9 in the period, including an 11-5 advantage in points off turnovers, to cut the deficit to 31-25 at halftime.
The Aces carried that momentum into the third quarter, using a pair of free throws and consecutive three-pointers from Kelley and Kaiden Kreinhagen to take their first lead of the afternoon at 34-32. The run erased an 18-point deficit, but the Panthers responded with a 14-0 run to close the quarter.
Evansville continued to battle in the fourth, as Maria Serrano recorded her first points of the game after intercepting a Panther pass and taking it the length of the court for a layup. Kreinhagen added another three-pointer, but the Aces were unable to overcome the deficit as Eastern Illinois took the 64-46 victory.
Evansville heads to Indianapolis on Wednesday for its final game of a season-opening five-game road stretch, taking on IU Indy. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT.
