NORMAL, Ill. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team hung around with hosts Illinois State on Sunday, but the Redbirds outlasted the Aces by a score of 82-71 at CEFCU Arena.
Four Aces scored in double figures, matching a season high. Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights) led Evansville in scoring for the fifth consecutive game, putting up 17 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists. Georgia Cox (Ballarat, Australia/Eastern Illinois) posted her first career double-double, matching a season-high with 11 points and pulling down a career-high 10 rebounds. Freshman Jelena Savic (Melbourne, Australia/Kurunjang Secondary College) enjoyed a career day, scoring a season high 14 points while shooting 4-for-5 from three. Savic also grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists while playing a season-high 28 minutes. Fellow freshman Sydney Huber (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Mount Vernon) scored in double figures for the second game in a row with 11 points.
Illinois State jumped out to an early lead, taking a 15-5 lead at the 4:56 mark in the first quarter. Evansville cut into the deficit in the final five minutes of the period, with Savic knocking down a jumper and a three-pointer to cap the quarter with the Redbirds in front 21-16.
The Aces continued to chip away in the second quarter, as another triple from Savic made it a two-point game at the 5:53 mark. However, the Redbirds responded with an 8-0 to regain a 10-point lead. Evansville would not go away, with freshmen Huber, BreAunna Ward (St. Louis, Mo./John Burroughs School) and Savic combining for an 8-0 of their own to cut it back to two before Illinois State closed the half going 4-for-4 at the free throw line to take a 39-33 lead into the break.
Illinois State pushed the lead back up to 10 in the opening minutes of the third quarter, but again, the Aces fought back. Huber connected on another big three to jumpstart the run before a pair of free throws by Runner and a left-handed finish by Cox made it a one-possession game once again. The game of runs would continue, though, with the Redbirds outscoring the Aces 17-9 in the remainder of the quarter to take an 11-point advantage to the fourth.
In the fourth quarter, the Redbirds were finally able to break the game open, growing the lead to 18 with 4:39 to go before closing out a 82-71 win.
Evansville returns home to Meeks Family Fieldhouse on Friday night for a match-up with UIC. Tip-off is set for 6 PM.
