Aces on the road for two and home Sunday

 Three matches over the next two days are on tap for the University of Evansville women’s tennis team will be on the road Saturday before heading home on Sunday.

The weekend begins on Saturday at 10 a.m. as the Purple Aces take on Valparaiso at 10 a.m. in Niles, Mich. at the Lakeland Tennis Academy.  The Crusaders begin the weekend with an 0-4 mark following losses to Dayton and the University of Indianapolis last weekend.

From there, the Aces head south later in the day to Muncie, Ind. where they face Ball State at 5:15 p.m. ET.  The Cardinals stand at 5-2 with their lone losses coming to Cincinnati and North Carolina.

On Sunday, UE will be at Tri-State Athletic Club for a match against in-city rival USI.  That match will begin at 5 p.m.  The Screaming Eagles are 3-1.

Last time out, UE came just short of a big win at Indiana, losing by a final of 4-3.  Despite a tough start in doubles, the women were able to get it together in singles play, earning victories in flights 2, 4 and 6.  Leading the way in the second flight was freshman Diana Tkachenko.  She defeated the Hoosiers’ Caitlin Bernard, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4).

In the fourth flight, Andrea Pascual-Larrinaga defeated Alicia Robinson, 6-2, 6-3.  Andjela Brguljan helped the Aces earn the split in singles play with an exciting matchup in #6 singles. She earned the win over Emma Love, 4-7, 7-4 (10-8), 1-0 (10-8).

 Aces and Braves to meet on Saturday at 1 p.m.

 Part one of the final road trip of the regular season is up next for the University of Evansville men’s basketball team as they travel to Bradley for a 1 p.m. game on Saturday at Carver Arena in Peoria.

Evansville led from wire-to-wire in an 87-70 win over Drake on Tuesday night at the Ford Center.  Three UE players finished with 20 or more points, led by Jaylon Brown and Ryan Taylor, who notched 22 apiece.  David Howard added a career-high 21 points as he hit all nine free throws.  UE shot 57.9% on the night while outrebounding the Bulldogs by a final tally of 36-20.  For the night, UE hit 17 out of 18 free throws (94.4%), its best effort of the season.

Brown, Taylor and Howard each finished with 20+ points on Tuesday; it marked the first time three Aces registered 20 or more points in the same game since Matt Webster, Kyle Anslinger and Bradley Strickland had 20 apiece on Dec. 30, 2006 against Bradley.

Tuesday’s win over Drake marked the fourth conference win in a row for the Aces.  UE accomplished the feat twice last year and once in the 2010-11 and 2012-13 campaigns.  Head coach Marty Simmons is looking for his first 5-game MVC win streak in his tenure as UE’s head coach.  The last 5-game streak for UE in MVC play came from January 27 through February 10 1999.

A stellar streak of play continued for David Howard as he set his career mark with 21 points in the win over Drake.  A 64.2% free throw shooter on the season, Howard went a perfect 9-for-9 against the Bulldogs; Howard has hit 17 of his last 19 free throws over the last four games (89.5%) after starting the season shooting just 32% (8/25) in the first 24 games this season.

Bradley comes into Saturday’s meeting with a 9-19 overall mark and 4-11 in the Valley.  The Braves have dropped nine of their last 10 games, including a 64-61 loss at UNI on Wednesday.  Darrell Brown paces his team with 12 points per game; he also leads the team with a total of 76 assists.  Donte Thomas sits atop the Bradley list with 6.3 rebounds per game.

In the first meeting of the season, the Braves earned a 74-63 win over UE to move the series to a 26-22 tally in their favor.  In games in Peoria, Bradley has been dominant, going 18-5; Evansville has had the upper hand on the road as of late, winning three of the last five match-ups.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Indiana University women’s swimming and diving team had a successful morning at the 2017 Big Ten Women’s Swimming and Diving Championship prelims on Friday at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette, Ind.

In the morning, the Hoosiers qualified for 20 finals in total – nine Championship Finals, five B Finals and six C Finals. Gia Dalesandro had a great morning, qualifying for the Championship Final in both the  100 butterfly and 100 backstroke.

100 Butterfly

Indiana will bring back all four swimmers for Friday night’s finals, led by Dalesandro who qualified first overall with a NCAA B cut time of 51.79. The mark is just .04 seconds off her own school record and is the third-best time in IU history. Joining Dalesandro in the Championship Final will be Christine Jensen, who qualified eighth with a NCAA B cut time of 52.98.

Oliva Barker qualified 19^th overall to earn a spot in the C Final with a NCAA B cut time of 54.09, while Shelby Koontz also earned a spot in the C Final with a personal-best and NCAA B cut mark of 54.20. With her time, Koontz now ranks as the 11^th-best performer in the event in program history.

400 IM

IU also had a nice showing in the 400 IM, as the Hoosiers will bring back all four of their swimmers for the evening finals. Sam Lisy led the quartet, qualifying eighth overall to earn a spot in the Championship Final with a NCAA B cut time of 4:11.69.

In the B Final for Indiana, Bailey Pressey qualified 11^th overall with a NCAA B cut time of 4:13.46, while Reagan Cook earned her 16^th place qualification with a NCAA B cut mark of 4:16.41.

Shelly Drozda will swim in the C Final for IU after qualifying 18^th overall with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 4:16.92. Her mark ranks her as the 13^th-best 400 IM swimmer in school history.

200 Freestyle

Indiana will bring four swimmers back for the finals of the 200 freestyle, including two in the Championship heat.

Kennedy Goss qualified second overall with a NCAA B cut time 1:43.99 that ranks as the seventh-fastest time in school history. Freshman Maria Paula Heitmann had an unbelievable prelim swim for IU, cutting nearly seven seconds off her personal best with a mark of 1:45.74 that qualified her seventh overall. Heitmann’s time makes her the eighth-fastest swimmer in the event in program history.

Delaney Barnard will swim in the B Final after touching the wall with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 1:46.57 that ranks her as the 12^th-best swimmer in the event all-time at IU. Holly Spears earned a spot in the C Final with her time of 1:48.28.

Stephanie Marchuk just missed qualifying for the C Final, placing 25^th overall with a time of 1:48.63. Freshman Cassie Jernberg cut almost seven seconds off her previous best time with her mark of 1:48.94 to place 32^nd. Hannah Sakaluk placed 60^th overall with a personal-best time of 1:51.45.

100 Breaststroke

Defending NCAA and Big Ten champion Lilly King is the top qualifier for Friday night’s 100 breaststroke Championship Final, touching the wall with a NCAA A and Boilermaker Aquatic Center pool record time of 57.46. King’s time is the second-fastest this season to her won mark of 57.30 earlier this season. Her mark is the fifth-fastest time in IU history.

Laura Morley will swim in the B Final after touching the wall with a personal-best and NCAA B cut time of 1:01.25. Morley’s mark ranks her as the seventh-fastest swimmer in the event at Indiana.

Mackenzie Atencio qualified 24^th overall to earn a spot in the C Final with her personal-best and NCAA B cut mark of 1:02.12. Her time makes her the 10^th-best performer in IU history in the event.

Hope Hayward placed 35^th with a personal-best time of 1:02.89 which ranks her 14^th all-time in program history, while Taylor Truex with a mark of 1:06.32.

100 Backstroke

The Hoosiers will bring back four swimmers for the finals of the 100 backstroke on Friday night, led by Ali Rockett and Gia Dalesandro.

Both qualified for the Championship Final, with Rockett posting a NCAA B cut time of 52.67 and Dalesandro timing in with a personal-best mark of 53.24. Dalesandro’s time ranks her as the 13^th-best swimmer in the event in school history.

Rachel Matsumura will swim in the B Final after touching the wall with a NCAA B cut time of 53.89, while Marie Chamberlain will be in the C Final after posting a NCAA B cut mark of 54.17.

Katherine Keller placed 42^nd overall with a time of 55.47.

3-Meter Dive

Jessica Parratto was brilliant in the prelims of the 3-meter dive, earning the No. 1 seed for Friday night’s final with a NCAA qualifying score of 366.70.

After a solid start, Parratto reeled off four-straight great dives, starting with a 61.60 in the third round. The redshirt junior then followed with the best dive of the prelims, recording a 73.50. Parratto followed with scores of 66.00 and 63.00 to end the prelims.

The Hoosiers will continue at the 2017 Big Ten Championships on Friday evening with the finals of the 100 butterfly, 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, 3-meter dive and 200 freestyle relay. The action gets underway at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center in West Lafayette at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

100 Butterfly

Gia Dalesandro – 51.79 (NCAA B cut – A Final)

Christine Jensen – 52.98 (NCAA B cut – A Final)

Olivia Barker – 54.09 (NCAA B cut – C Final)

Shelby Koontz – 54.20 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – C Final)

400 IM

Sam Lisy – 4:11.69 (NCAA B cut – A Final)

Bailey Pressey – 4:13.46 (NCAA B cut – B Final)

Reagan Cook – 4:16.41 (NCAA B cut – B Final)

Shelly Drozda – 4:16.92 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – C Final)

200 Freestyle

Kennedy Goss – 1:43.99 (NCAA B cut – A Final)

Maria Paula Heitmann – 1:45.74 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – A Final)

Delaney Barnard – 1:46.57 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – B Final)

Holly Spears – 1:48.28 (C Final)

25. Stephanie Marchuk – 1:48.63
26. Cassie Jernberg – 1:48.94 (Personal Best)
27. Hannah Sakaluk – 1:51.45 (Personal Best)

100 Breaststroke

Lilly King – 57.46 (NCAA A cut, Boilermaker Aquatic Center record – A Final)

Laura Morley – 1:01.25 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – B Final)

Mackenzie Atencio – 1:02.12 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – C Final)

35. Hope Hayward – 1:02.89 (Personal Best)
36. Taylor Truex – 1:06.32

100 Backstroke

Ali Rockett – 52.67 (NCAA B cut – A Final)

Gia Dalesandro – 53.24 (Personal Best, NCAA B cut – A Final)

Rachel Matsumura – 53.89 (NCAA B cut – B Final)

Marie Chamberlain – 54.17 (NCAA B cut – C Final)

42. Katherine Keller – 55.47

3-Meter Dive

Jessica Parratto – 366.70 (NCAA Qualifying score)

The 14th-ranked University of Southern Indiana men’s basketball team posted a 33-point win over the University of Illinois Springfield, 90-57, Thursday evening at the Physical Activities Center. USI sees its record go to 24-2 overall and 14-2 in the GLVC, while Illinois Springfield goes to 8-17 overall, 3-13 GLVC.

The win gives USI a first round bye in the upcoming GLVC Tournament and keeps the Screaming Eagles one game back of fourth-ranked and GLVC East Division leading Bellarmine University. USI leads third-place University of Indianapolis by two games in the GLVC East, while the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Lewis University fell into a tie for fourth with a pair of losses tonight.

USI also reached 14 wins in the GLVC for the first time since 2010-11 and the 19th-time in the history of the program.

A two-point game through much of the opening half with the Eagles posting a 22-20 lead with 5:50 left before the intermission. USI broke the game open in the final five minutes of the first stanza with a 21-2 run and led 43-24 at the break.

The 21-3 run was led by the nine-point effort of senior guard/forward Jeril Taylor (Louisville, Kentucky), who topped the 1,000 point plateau with his third three-point bomb of the run and had 13 points before halftime. Taylor is the 19th Eagle to reach the 1,000 point plateau.

USI sophomore guard Alex Stein (Evansville, Indiana) matched Taylor’s 13 first half points, hitting five-of-six from the field and two-of-three from beyond the arc. Stein scored seven of the 13 points in the first eight minutes and combined with senior guard Bobo Drummond (Peoria, Illinois) to score the team’s first 16 points.

In the second half, Illinois Springfield cut the USI’s advantage to 11 points, 49-38, before the Eagles hit the boosters and flew through the Stars on a 28-7 run to make the score, 77-43, with 6:28 to play. USI never looked back from that point as it would lead by as many as 40 points twice before settling for the 90-57 win.

As a team, USI also shined on the defensive end of the floor. The Eagles, as a squad, had eight steals, four blocks, and forced 15 turnovers.

Individually, Stein added 10 points in the second half to finish with a game-high 23 points. The sophomore guard was nine-of-12 from the field, three-of-four from long range, and two-of-two from the line.

Taylor followed Stein in the scoring column with 22 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the year. The senior guard/forward, in addition to reaching 1,000 career points, moved into 25th place all-time at USI with 415 career rebounds.

USI junior guard Marcellous Washington (Lexington, Kentucky) and Drummond rounded out the double-figure scores for the Eagles with 14 points and 11 points, respectively.

The Eagles conclude the 2016-17 home slate Saturday at 3:15 p.m. when they host McKendree University for Senior Day. McKendree saw its record to go 9-15 overall and 3-13 in the GLVC after losing at Bellarmine this evening, 96-72.

USI, which defeated McKendree in the GLVC season-opener in December, 104-58, leads the all-time series with the Bearcats, 8-7, and holds an advantage at the PAC, 5-3. The Eagles have won eight of the last nine match-ups with the Bearcats.

Lady Eagles Rout Stars, Clinch 1st-Round Bye in GLVC Tourney

Seven University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball players scored at least eight points Thursday evening as the No. 24 Screaming Eagles defeated Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division foe University of Illinois Springfield, 85-57, in their Play4Kay game at the Physical Activities Center.

USI (22-4, 14-2 GLVC), which clinched a bye in the first round of the GLVC Tournament with the win, shot 47.9 percent (34-71) from the field and committed just five turnovers as it earned its second straight win.

The Eagles used a pair of 7-0 runs in the opening period to jump out to a 21-11 lead at the end of one quarter and a 33-23 advantage at the intermission. They used a 22-2 third-quarter spurt to build a commanding 55-27 lead and eliminate any chance of an Illinois Springfield comeback.

USI, which saw its bench outscore the Prairie Stars’ reserves 44-19, led by as much as 34 before settling on the 28-point victory.

Senior forward Tasia Brewer (Terre Haute, Indiana) led the Eagles with 13 points on a 5-of-5 shooting effort that included three trifectas. Sophomore center Kacy Eschweiler (St. Charles, Missouri) and senior guard Tanner Marcum (New Albany, Indiana) each had 12 points, while junior guard Randa Harshbarger (Philo, Illinois) chipped in 10 points and four assists.

Junior guard/forward Kaydie Grooms (Marshall, Illinois) and senior guard Kendyl Dearing (Huntingburg, Indiana) each had nine points, while senior forward Hannah Wascher (Rantoul, Illinois) added eight points and nine rebounds. Grooms had a team-best four steals.

Despite being out-rebounded, 42-37, the Eagles held a decisive 30-12 advantage in points in the paint as well as a 10-9 lead in second-chance points. USI also drained 11-of-18 three-point field goal attempts.

Illinois Springfield (8-16, 2-14 GLVC) was led by freshman guard Tehya Fortune and senior forward Syerra Cunningham. Fortune finished with 10 points, while Cunningham had eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

USI concludes its 2016-17 home schedule Saturday at 1 p.m. when it hosts McKendree University for Senior Day at the PAC. The Eagles, who can win the GLVC East Division title with a win Saturday, will honor their five seniors—Brewer, Dearing, Marcum, Wascher and center Ruta Savickaite(Vilnius, Lithuania)—following the game.

The Bearcats (10-16, 1-15 GLVC) suffered an 80-69 setback to No. 23 Bellarmine University Thursday evening in Louisville, Kentucky.