ST. CHARLES, Mo. – The University of Evansville women's basketball team dropped its second game of the season on Saturday afternoon, suffering a 62-49 loss at Lindenwood.
Jayden Scott led the Aces with 12 points, six rebounds and two assists. Marina Artero was perfect from the field, converting all four of her attempts to finish with her first double-digit scoring performance of the season. Kelyn Johnson continued her strong shooting from the perimeter, knocking down three of her five attempts from beyond the arc to finish with nine points.
Evansville found its best rhythm in the second and fourth quarters, shooting 14-of-29 from the field and outscoring Lindenwood 35-33 over the two periods. However, slow starts in the first and third quarters proved costly, as the Aces combined to shoot 4-of-21 and were outscored 29-14.
Lindenwood opened the game with a 6-0 run, connecting on a pair of three-pointers. Evansville responded with consecutive triples from Avery Kelley and Johnson to even the score. The Lions closed the opening quarter with a 10-3 run to take an early advantage.
The Aces responded in the second quarter, outscoring Lindenwood 16-11 while shooting 7-of-9 from the field and holding a 9-3 rebounding advantage. Scott contributed four points in the period while Artero added seven points, including a fadeaway jumper just before halftime to bring Evansville within two.
The Aces struggled to carry that momentum into the second half, shooting just 2-of-10 from the field in the third quarter as Lindenwood extended its lead with a 13-5 period.
Evansville continued to battle in the fourth quarter, with Mireia Mustaros converting consecutive baskets for her first points of the afternoon and Scott connecting on a triple that brought the Aces within single digits. Evansville shot 7-of-12 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range in the final period, but Lindenwood matched the offensive production to maintain its lead and secure the victory.
The Aces return to action on Wednesday as they travel to Lexington, Ky., to face No. 14 Kentucky. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. CT.
