CHICAGO – After coming back from sizable deficits in both the second and third quarters, the University of Evansville women's basketball team wasn't able to put together a final surge as the Purple Aces fell 67-54 Loyola at Gentile Arena on Sunday afternoon.
"We played great tonight, and we held a lead at some crucial points in the game," UE head coach Oties Epps said. "We were tied 49-49 at the last media timeout, but we kind of ran out of steam. Taylor Manuel is a great player, and they found a way to get her involved. We're still looking for a complete 40-minute game, but there are a lot of positives that we can take from this performance."
The Aces (2-20, 1-10 Missouri Valley) trailed for much of the first and second quarters before Sara Dickey caught fire with three three-pointers in the latter half of the second frame to pull UE ahead. The junior out of Montezuma, Ind., would actually hit her first five treys of the day, finishing with 17 points of 6-of-14 shooting. She now has 1,511 points for her career, which stands as the third-best total and Aces history.
Camille Coleman would also hit double-figures for UE, marking the second straight contest that the South Bend native has accomplished the feat. She too was 6-for-14 shooting on the day, ending with 15 points. Jordan Campbell also chipped in seven points, and Laura Friday made her return to the starting line-up for Evansville, racking up three points and six assists.
Meanwhile, the Ramblers (12-10, 8-3 MVC) were led by the duo Taylor Johnson and Taylor Manuel. Johnson filled up the stat sheet with 18 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Manuel, who was held quiet for much of the contest, started rolling midway through the fourth quarter, helping LU come back from five points down. She would finish with 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting to go along with 11 rebounds and a pair of blocks.
The size of LU proved the difference in the game as LU was out-rebounded the Aces 43-25. The Ramblers also held the edge in points in the paint (36-6) and second-chance points (15-6).
The Aces will return to action next Sunday as they will play host to Southern Illinois at the Ford Center.
NOTES: UE is 10-19 versus Loyola, including a 2-11 mark in Chicago … Shyla McKibbon-Puelston is the next target on the all-time scoring list for Sara Dickey. McKibbon-Puelston finished her Aces career in 2002 with 1,626 career points … Sasha Robinson is 15 rebounds away from entering UE's all-time top 10 in the category.
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