The University of Evansville women’s basketball team opens the 2025-26 season on Thursday morning, traveling to Cape Girardeau, Mo. to take on the SEMO Redhawks. Tip-off for the regular season opener is scheduled for 11 AM from the Show Me Center.
Season Opener
– Thursday begins the 57th season of Evansville women’s basketball
– In 56 previous season openers, the Aces hold a 32-24 record
– Under Head Coach Robyn Scherr, Evansville is 2-2 in season openers
– The last win in a season opener came in 2022 with an 89-81 win at Eastern Kentucky
Series History
– Thursday marks the first time that Evansville has opened the season against SEMO
– SEMO leads the all-time series between the two teams 13-6, with Thursday being the 20th all-time meeting between the Aces and Redhawks
– The Purple Aces are seeking their first-ever win in Cape Girardeau, holding an 0-8 record all-time at SEMO
– Evansville and SEMO are meeting for the fourth consecutive season, with the Purple Aces taking two of the last three match-ups
– Last season, the Aces beat the Redhawks 70-55 in Evansville, with Camryn Runner leading all scorers with 20 points and Kylee Norkus adding 12
Returning Core
– 53% of UE’s points and 51% of minutes last season came from six returners to the 2025-26 roster, all of which are sophomores this season – Camryn Runner, Avery Kelley, Logan Luebbers Palmer, Kaiden Kreinhagen, Elle Snyder and Kylee Norkus
– Three of those returners – Runner, Luebbers Palmer, and Norkus – earned spots on the MVC Preaseason Players to Watch list
– Reigning MVC Freshman of the Year Camryn Runner finished last season 10th in the nation in scoring by a freshman with 15.5 PPG
– As Avery Kelley gained experience throughout her freshman season with the Aces, the Evansville native became a large piece of the team’s gameplan. After averaging 2.9 points in nine non-conference games, Kelley averaged just shy of 8 points per contest against Valley competition
