EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT
FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
UE women’s basketball adds two on National Signing Day
UE women’s basketball adds two on National Signing Day
The Purple Aces welcome two guards to the 2025 class
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team has officially signed shooting guard Sydney Huber (Cedar Rapids, Iowa / Mount Vernon HS) and guard BreAunna Ward (St. Louis / John Burroughs School) to its 2025 recruiting class.
“I am thrilled that Sydney and BreAunna have chosen to join Evansville Women’s Basketball!” says Head Coach Robyn Scherr. “Both of them will complement our talented group of returners and bring a dynamic set of skills to our program! Additionally, they are both winners, each with a state championship under their belt. Sydney’s volleyball team won a state championship a week ago, and BreAunna’s high school team won a state championship last year!”
The Purple Aces’ first verbal commitment over the summer was 6-0 shooting guard Sydney Huber from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Huber comes from a decorated women’s basketball family as her mother Stacy was an All-American at Iowa State from 1996 to 2000 and drafted by one of the original eight WNBA teams, the Utah Starzz. Along with her mom, both of Huber’s aunts Brenda Frese and Martha Frese played college basketball. Brenda is currently the Head Coach at Maryland while Marsha is an assistant coach at Loyola Chicago.
“Sydney is a bigger guard that can shoot the heck out of the ball from deep range,” says Coach Scherr. “She can shoot in transition, off of screens, and off the dribble with a very quick release. She can also use her size and length to put pressure on the rim with cuts, drives, and posting up smaller defenders. She is a versatile guard that will create a lot of match-up problems for our opponents. Sydney fits in perfectly with our current freshman class in that she is a gym rat, and she loves the game.”
Heading into her senior season at Mount Vernon High School, Huber has already been part of two state championship teams for both basketball and volleyball. Huber was with the Mustangs as part of their 4A 2022 Freshman Championship while also just winning a state title in volleyball as the 2024 3A Champions. With the Mustangs basketball team, Huber was also part of a 4A state quarterfinal run in her sophomore year and a 3A state semifinal run last year. Individually Huber has been named to All-Conference teams twice and was named First Team All-State last season while averaging 12.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, three assists, and two steals a game.
“I am so excited to officially sign with the University of Evansville,” says Huber. “I’m very thankful to Coach Robyn and the entire staff for their belief in me. I can’t wait to compete at the collegiate level and be part of the UE community!” Huber plans to major in biology and business at Evansville to become a dentist. She is the daughter of Brian and Stacy Huber who both worked at UE from 2001-04 as Stacy was an assistant coach under former Head Coach Tricia Cullop while Brian was the Assistant Director of the Fitness Center and Intramural Sports. Huber has two younger siblings, brother Will and sister Lauren.
The Aces’ second addition to the 2025 signing class is 5-10 guard BreAunna Ward. Ward comes to UE as a three-sport athlete at John Burroughs School in Saint Louis. Along with basketball Ward plays volleyball in the fall and runs track in the spring. Ward also comes from a basketball family as her older brother BJ is the Southeast Missouri men’s basketball team’s leading scorer through two games as a sophomore.
“BreAunna is a long, athletic guard that can play in multiple spots,” says Coach Scherr. “I love how disruptive Bre is as a press defender. She is a player that makes everyone around her better. She is an unselfish teammate and will do whatever the team needs to be successful. If she needs to create for others, she will do that. She doesn’t care about stats; she cares about winning. That said, she can score in a variety of ways from getting to the rim on drives to shooting the three,”.
Ward has also been on multiple championship teams while at John Burroughs. With the Bombers Ward was part of the team’s 2022 Class 4 State Championship and their 2024 Class 5 State Championship. Individually Ward has been named three times to All-District teams and All-Conference teams and was named to the 2024 All-Tournament team. Ward also played AAU basketball with the Missouri Phenom who placed second in the Nike Nationals in 2022.
“I’m incredibly excited to attend Evansville and play basketball under Coach Robyn and her amazing coaching staff,” says Ward. “I can’t wait to contribute to the program and learn from such wonderful coaches. The opportunity to be part of this talented group is something I’m truly looking forward to and thankful for!” Ward will major in biochemistry at UE with hopes of becoming an anesthesia specialist. She is the daughter of Brian and Aunna Ward and has five older siblings, brothers Brandon, BJ, and Bryan, and sisters Bria and Brandy.
Second-half rally pushes MTSU past UE
Second-half rally pushes MTSU past UE
Aces fall by a final of 80-63
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Four days after posting the top effort of his University of Evansville career, Cam Haffner accomplished the feat once again in Wednesday’s road game at Middle Tennessee State. Haffner scored 16 points in the Purple Aces’ 80-63 loss to the Blue Raiders, besting his 14-point effort on Saturday versus Brescia.
Haffner was 7-of-12 from the field on his way to the 16-point game. Just behind him was Tanner Cuff who tallied 15 points and a team-high 7 boards.
“It was a tale of two halves and we just did not do enough to get it done. If we take care of business in the first half and not let them get the momentum that they did, it would have been a different game,” UE head men’s basketball coach David Ragland stated. “We need to be more disciplined and get some things fixed.”
Gabriel Pozzato knocked down a triple to give the Aces a 5-0 lead while Tanner Cuff added a field goal to cement a 7-2 edge in the opening three minutes. The Blue Raiders fought back to tie the game at 9-9 before taking their first lead of 13-11 at the 14:08 mark. The lead was short-lived as Cam Haffner drilled a triple to put the Aces right back in front on the ensuing possession. A competitive half saw the teams swap the lead on seven occasions.
Middle Tennessee State came back to go up 19-15 while Pozzato put his team right back on top. As the half approached the midway point, he connected on his second triple to give Evansville a 20-19 lead. The teams swapped the lead once again before Tanner Cuff hit UE’s fourth triple of the period to cement a 25-21 advantage.
Evansville continued to hold the lead in the final minutes with Cuff hitting his fourth bucket of the game to put the Aces in front at 38-34 with 1:18 left before the break. The Blue Raiders countered once again, completing the half on a 7-0 run to take a 41-38 halftime lead. After tying it up in the final seconds, a foul on a 3-point attempt sent MTSU to the line where they converted all three attempts to lead by three.
Out of the break, Middle Tennessee State continued the run as a bucket on the opening possession gave them their largest lead of five points. Tayshawn Comer connected on his second field goal to end the stretch. It was a temporary halt to the momentum as the Blue Raiders kept the pressure on. Ten in a row following Comer’s basket extended the lead to 53-40 at the 15:52 mark. In total, the run for MTSU saw them outscore UE by a 19-2 margin.
Josh Hughes got UE back on the board, but the Blue Raiders proved to be too much. After leading by as many as 19 in the second half (72-53), they took the game by a final score of 80-63. The difference in the contest was the run by MTSU to finish the first half and open the second period. Their 19-2 stretch was the difference as the MTSU lead remained in double figures for the remainder of the second half.
In the first half, UE shot 41.9%, but the Blue Raider defense held the Aces to just 26.7% shooting in the final stanza to finish the game at 34.4%. MTSU shot an even 50% on the night while finishing with a 47-29 edge on the boards. They were led by Essam Mostafa’s double-double as he tallied 18 points and 10 caroms.
Joining Haffner and Cuff in double figures was Pozzato. He totaled 11 while Tayshawn Comer finished with eight. UE returns home on Saturday for a 1 p.m. game against Radford.
-www.GoPurpleAces.com-
UE swimming and diving travels to Carbondale
UE swimming and diving travels to Carbondale
Aces set for A3 Invite
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Next up for the University of Evansville swimming and diving squads is the A3 Performance Invitational at Shea Natatorium in Carbondale, Ill.
The event runs from Thursday through Saturday with prelims taking place at 10 a.m. each day and the finals taking place at 5 p.m. This year’s field includes:
- Southern Illinois
- Omaha
- Eastern Illinois
- Evansville
- Southern Indiana
- Bellarmine
- Indiana State (diving only)
Evansville last competed against USI two weeks ago. The men picked up a 152.5-83.5 win while the ladies fell by a finals score of 137-99.
Patrik Vilbergsson, Carlos Souto, Daniel Santos Lopez, and Benjamin Hasanovic opened the day with a win in the 200-medley relay, finishing in 1:34.13. Joseph Capo earned a solid win in the 200-free. Registering a time of 1:46.36, he won by just under two seconds. He picked up his second victory of the day in the 500-free. His 4:51.32 was over five seconds in front of teammate Wyatt Gallas.
In the 50-free, the Purple Aces swept the top four positions with Hasanovic posting a 21.72 to best Sammy McCall’s 22.01. Brendan Ulewicz was third with a 22.05 while Boris Tavrosky’s 22.30 was good for 4th. Santos Lopez earned top honors in the 200-IM. With a 1:55.63, he was six seconds in front of the runner-up. Joao Gulherme was third, posting a 2:03.71. In the 100-fly, Santos Lopez swam a 50.96 to best the competition by 2.31 and finished his day with a win in the 100-breaststroke, recording a 57.91. Hasanovic was second, finishing in 1:00.37.
Highlighting the day for the women was another stellar performance by Maddie Rollett. After earning the top spot in the 1-meter with a 265.35, Rollett swept the dives with a score of 255.90 in the 3-meter. She was named the MVC Diver of the Week for the third time in 2024 following the performance. Leah Gardner was fourth in both events, earning a 189.75 in the 1-meter before registering a 194.63 in the 3-meter.
Sveva Brugnoli took top honors in the 200-IM. Her 2:10.17 was two seconds in front of second place while Mari Mueller took third with a 2:17.20. Evelyn Chin led a 1-2 finish for the Aces in the 100-fly. Chin’s 58.53 was just 0.29 in front of Brugnoli. Ane Madina was the top finisher in the 100-backstroke. With a 59.98, Madina bested the competition by 1.49.
-www.GoPurpleAces.com-
University of Evansville Student Government Association to Unveil Legacy Courtyard
University of Evansville Student Government Association to Unveil Legacy Courtyard
Media Advisory from University of Evansville.
WHO: UE President Christopher M. Pietruszkiewicz, Student Government Association President Benton Simpson, and Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students Dr. Rachel Carpenter along with other University and community leaders.
WHAT: University of Evansville Student Government Association will unveil the Legacy Courtyard project which includes a patio, hammock village, two sand volleyball courts, and an open green space slated for future phases of development.
WHEN: 4:15 p.m. CST on Thursday, November 14, 2024.
WHERE: 300 block of South Frederick Street on the UE campus.
Gabriel Pozzato named MVC Freshman of the Week
Pozzato averaged 23.0 PPG in first two games
- LOUIS – On the heels of the best debut game in the Division I era of the University of Evansville men’s basketball program, Gabriel Pozzato has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week.
Pozzato completed his opening two games in a Purple Aces uniform with an average of 23.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He converted 62.1% of his attempts while hitting five 3-pointers.
Last week’s season opener at North Texas saw Pozzato score 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting. His debut game was the best for a freshman in the MVC in at least 20 years and was Evansville’s top debut game in the DI era and is believed to be the best freshman debut in program history.
His 28-point game surpassed Marty Simmons’ debut game at UE in 1986 where Simmons scored 27 points. That also marked the debut of Scott Haffner, who recorded 26 in the contest. Pozzato’s point total was the most by an Evansville freshman since Colt Ryan scored 31 points at Creighton in 2010.
On Saturday, Pozzato scored 18 points while picking up four assists and three steals in the win over Brescia.
Senators Braun and Young Need to Hear Your Voice on Republican Senate Leader
A very important vote is taking place today, 11/13. The U.S. Senate is voting on which of three prospective candidates will replace Mitch McConnell as Republican Majority Leader in 2025.
John Thune (SD), John Cornyn (TX), and Rick Scott (FL) are under consideration. To share your thoughts, phone the offices of Todd Young, 202-224-5623, and Mike Braun, 202-224-4814, ASAP.
Evansville Christian Health Clinic Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Dental Blitzes for Our Neighbors
Evansville Christian Health Clinic Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Dental Blitzes for Our Neighbors
On November 22nd, Evansville Christian Health Clinic, formerly Impact Ministries, will proudly celebrate two decades of service, transforming lives in our community through its Dental Blitz program. The 20th-anniversary event will be held on November 22nd and will feature a special hymn performance by Gina Moore, along with a tribute to key individuals who have been instrumental in the program’s success, including Dr. John Anoskey, a dedicated advocate for compassionate dental care in Evansville.
For over 20 years, Dr. Anoskey has led this initiative, offering emergency dental extractions to low-income individuals and families in Evansville. In 2005, Dr. Anoskey and Impact Ministries organized the first one-day Dental Blitz, focused exclusively on emergency extractions, what he calls his “mission work” at home. Thanks to the generosity of local volunteer dentists, on a monthly basis we are serving about 40 patients a Blitz, and just since 2020 our team has extracted 1,416 teeth. The Dental Blitz has brought critical relief to thousands who lack access to traditional dental care, restoring health and hope to countless lives in our community. Since its inception, and under the new name Evansville Christian Health Clinic, the initiative has become a vital part of our mission to serve our neighbors with accessible healthcare.
“We are honored to continue this essential service alongside so many wonderful volunteer dentists and dental professionals since absorbing the clinic in 2016,” says Katie Grunow, Executive Director of the Evansville Christian Life Center. “The Dental Blitz has become a beacon of hope and healing, demonstrating what a caring community can accomplish together.”
Evansville Christian Health Clinic offers not only dental care but also essential pregnancy and medical services, reinforcing our commitment to comprehensive healthcare for the underserved. The November 22nd celebration will be an opportunity to reflect on the Clinic’s mission, recognize the dedication of volunteers like Dr. Anoskey, and inspire ongoing support for the Dental Blitz program. Join us at 7:30 am for the opening of the celebration and kick off of the blitz! Community members, local healthcare providers, and supporters are invited to join us in honoring the journey, faith, and perseverance that have sustained this program for 20 years.
About Evansville Christian Health Clinic
Evansville Christian Health Clinic, a part of the Evansville Christian Life Center, is dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality healthcare to underserved members of our community. Through initiatives like the Dental Blitz, the Clinic fulfills its mission of restoring health, dignity, and hope to those in need.
For further details about the 20th-anniversary celebration or ways to get involved, please contact:
Katie Grunow, Executive Director
kgrunow@restoringpeople.com
Evansville Christian Life Center