The Purple Aces ended non-conference play just shy of their fifth win
CHICAGO – In the final non-conference game of the season the University of Evansville women’s basketball team fell to the Loyola Chicago Ramblers 70-57.
The Purple Aces struggled to overcome a quiet offensive first half against their final non-Missouri Valley Conference opponent on Saturday. UE bounced back in the second half with a 56.5% shooting percentage and nine-three-pointers. But it wasn’t quite enough to put Evansville over the Ramblers before Valley play.
The Aces scored early on Saturday afternoon as sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) had UE’s first bucket just under a minute into the game. Hartwig was Evansville’s only player to make field goals in the first 10 minutes as her second came early in the fourth minute. But Hartwig’s layup was the Aces’ last as they went scoreless for over five minutes to end the quarter as Loyola broke out to a 15-point lead.
UE matched the Ramblers’ shot for shot over the first four minutes of the second quarter. Evansville had its first run of the game scoring five straight points in just over a minute of action. But after a Loyola timeout, the Aces wouldn’t score again in the first half as they faced a 20-point deficit.
It was a different UE team to start the second half as Evansville made its first five shots. The Aces put together a seven-point run capped by a Kaiden Kreinhagen (Indianapolis / North Central HS) three to force a Rambler timeout only three minutes in. UE kept its offense going out of the timeout extending its run to 13 points. The run ended just over five minutes into the third quarter, but Evansville had shrunk its deficit to single digits. Two separate runs for Loyola to close out the quarter had the Aces looking to make a 12-point comeback in the final quarter.
UE’s first points in the fourth were freshman guard Logan Leubbers Palmer (Union, Ky. / Randall K. Cooper HS) only two of the game. Evansville’s next basket two and a half minutes later was a second-chance three for senior guard Júlia Palomo (La Seu d’Urgell, Spain). The Aces then made three treys in a row from three different players to get back within 11 points. But a six-point run from the Ramblers put the game out of reach for UE. Palomo ended the game for Evansville with back-to-back threes for a new career high of four made treys in the 70-57 loss.
Hartwig led the game on the stat sheet for the Aces with 18 points, nine rebounds, and three steals. UE had two other players in offensive double-figures as freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) had 16 points and Palomo was right behind with 15 points. Along with a new career-high in made three-pointers, Palomo had a career-high in assists to lead Evansville with seven helpers.
The Aces return to action after the Christmas holiday in the Ford Center on Saturday, December 29th. UE will begin MVC play with the 2023-24 Champion Drake Bulldogs in an Evansville doubleheader. Following the women’s game at 12 p.m. the Aces men’s basketball team will take on
