- ST.LOUIS – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team battled hard, but came up short on Sunday at Saint Louis, dropping a 72-55 decision to the Billikens.
Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights) led the Aces in scoring for the sixth time this season, scoring 12 points. Logan Luebbers Palmer (Union, Ky./Randall K. Cooper) added 11 points for the Aces for her seventh double-digit scoring effort of the season, while nine different Aces found the scoring column. Elle Snyder (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) grabbed nine rebounds, adding to her team-leading rebounding total of 61 boards for the year.
Saint Louis started the game hot, opening up a 13-5 lead in the first five minutes of play. Evansville battled back in the second half of the opening period, cutting the deficit to five at the end of the quarter.
The Purple Aces continued their positive momentum in the opening minutes of the second quarter, as a three-pointer from Luebbers Plamer, a layup by Mireia Mustaros (Barcelona, Spain/Ins Argentona), and another layup by Runner gave the Aces a 7-0 run, tying the game at 22. However, Evansville would go ice cold from the floor for the remainder of the quarter, scoring just three points as SLU took a 34-25 edge into halftime.
In the third quarter, Sydney Huber (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Mount Vernon) and Mustaros knocked down three-pointers in the first four minutes of the period to try to break the Aces out of their offensive funk. Despite a three from Snyder and four points by Runner following the Huber and Mustaros triples, Evansville was held to 2 points in the final three minutes of the quarter as the Billikens controlled a 55-38 lead heading into the fourth.
Daniela Llavero (Malaga, Spain/Ies Mediterraneo) put together a strong finish in the fourth quarter, knocking down a three and a layup with dishing out a long-distance assist in transition to highlight a strong four minutes of play. However, Saint Louis controlled the game to the buzzer, taking a 72-55 win.
The Aces return home to Meeks Family Fieldhouse next Sunday to take on Austin Peay. Tip-off is set for 3 PM.
