NASHVILLE — The University of Evansville women’s basketball team rekindles a series that last occurred in 1994 on Saturday afternoon.

The Purple Aces got back in the win column in a big way against SIUE on Sunday. UE had the program’s first game with three 20+ point scorers since at least the 2006-07 season in the double-digit win over the Cougars. Evansville’s scoring leader senior guard Julia Palomo set a career-high in 37 minutes of play with 26 points. One of four seniors on the Aces roster, Palomo shot a staggering 85.7% on Sunday missing only two field goals through 40 minutes. Along with setting a new career-high Palomo also matched her season-high in steals taking away three balls from SIUE.Saturday’s game will be UE’s only chance to play a Power Four opponent in the 2024-25 regular season. It will be Evansville’s first visit to Memorial Hall in 30 years as the program last faced the Vanderbilt Commodores in 1994 in a 121-64 loss. Tomorrow’s game will feature a marquee freshman match-up with the two most consistent scoring newcomers. Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes currently leads all freshmen in Division I basketball with 20.2 points per game. UE guard Camryn Runner follows right behind Blakes among freshmen with 19.6 points per game as both are early contenders for National Freshman of the Year.

Between Blakes and sophomore forward Khamil Pierre the Commodores are the only team in the nation with two starters averaging over 20 points per game. Vanderbilt comes into this weekend with a 9-1 overall record with the team’s only loss coming to #17 Michigan State at the end of November in the Acrisure Classic in Palm Springs, Calif. With their impressive start to the season, the Commodores received 15 votes in the AP Top 25 poll for the sixth week of the 2024-25 season. Saturday’s game is Vanderbilt’s first after 10 days away from the court following an 88-70 victory at Miami (Fla.).

With a 21-point and rebound-leading performance on Sunday, Runner earned her third MVC Freshman of the Week honor. Runner is one of three Aces to have earned 3 weekly honors in their first season at UE. She is only two weekly honors away from tying the most by an Evansville freshman in one season which was program points leader Sara Dickey during the 2013-14 season. Against the Cougars Runner recorded 21 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block through 36 minutes on the floor. The freshman also did not record a turnover on Sunday for her first 1.00 assist/turnover ratio.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Evansville men’s soccer team placed one student-athlete on the United Soccer Coaches all-region team, as announced in a release from the organization this week.

Senior forward Nacho Diaz Barragan (Almeria, Spain) was the only Purple Ace to make the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region honors. Diaz Barragan was named to the All-West Region second team after leading UE’s offense during the program’s historic 50th season. He also earned conference accolades for his performance in 2024 being named to the All-MVC Second Team.

With eight goals, two assists, 18 points, 43 shots, and 24 shots on goal, Diaz Barragan was the offensive leader for Evansville in 2024. Across 21 games started, Diaz Barragan was one of only two players in the MVC to score a brace in three games or more with the other player being the MVC Player of the Year Jesus Barea. At the end of the season Diaz Barragan was 22nd in the nation in shot accuracy at 55.8% and was in the Top 100 for goals scored.

Overall, the MVC took 11 of 22 possible spots on either the first or second team in the West Region. Of the Valley’s 11 student-athletes, six were on the first team and five were on the second team.