The University of Evansville women’s basketball team battled for much of Matt Ruffing’s head coaching debut on Thursday evening, but the team would ultimately run out of steam in the fourth quarter as the Purple Aces dropped an 86-66 decision to visiting Drake at the Ford Center.
“I felt that we executed really well through the first three quarters,†Ruffing said. “There are a lot of positives that we can draw from this game. Sara, Kerri and Camille gave us what we needed, and I think this might be the first time this year that all have clicked at the same time. Now we just have to carry that over into Saturday and the MVC tournament.â€
Sara Dickey led the way for the Aces once again on the night, finishing with 18 points. The junior out of Montezuma, Ind., crossed the 1,600 career point plateau, and she now stands just 24 points away from ascending to second on UE’s all-time scoring list.
Freshmen standouts Camille Coleman and Kerri Gasper would also hit double-digit points, racking up 12 and 11 points, respectively, and Laura Friday enjoyed another strong game, ending with seven points and five assists.
Meanwhile, Lizzy Wendell’s 22 points led the way for the visiting Bulldogs. Sara Rhine and Maddy Dean combined for another 35, and Caitlin Ingle ended with nine points and 15 assists.
The Aces, who would hang around for much of the game, were ultimately out-matched in the post in the contest as the Bulldogs enjoyed a 56-16 advantage in points into the paint and a 46-24 difference in rebounds.
UE will return to action at the Ford Center on Saturday against Northern Iowa. It will mark Senior Day for starting point guard Laura Friday, and tipoff is slated for 1 p.m.
