EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team has released its 18-game Missouri Valley Conference schedule for the 2011-12 season. First-year head coach Oties Epps will get his first conference test of the season at in-state rival Indiana State University December 30th.

The Purple Aces will hit the road to Terre Haute to take on the Sycamores, who have been invited to play in the 2011 Preseason WNIT Tournament, and then will continue on to Normal, Illinois New Year’s Day to take on Illinois State, 2011 WNIT semifinalists.

The Aces will play their first conference contest in the new downtown Ford Center Jan. 5th, hosting the defending MVC regular and tournament champions, Northern Iowa. UE will also host Bradley on Sunday, Jan. 8th.

Evansville will make the long trek west to Omaha, Neb. and Des Moines, Iowa, facing Creighton Thurs. Jan. 12th and Drake on Sat. the 14th, then will return to Evansville for a three-game home stand. Participants in the 2011 WNIT Tournament, Wichita State and Missouri State will come to the Ford Center Jan. 19th and 21st, respectively.

After a full week off from competition, the Aces host Southern Illinois Sunday, Jan. 29th. Last season, Evansville topped the Salukis in both meetings.

February will mark the start of the second half of the schedule as Evansville will get its second look at the league foes, starting with Bradley in Peoria, Ill. Feb. 2nd and UNI in Cedar Falls, on the fourth.

Creighton and Drake come to town Thurs. Feb. 9th and Sun. Feb. 12th, respectively, before the Purple Aces take off for Springfield, Mo. and Wichita, Kan. UE will face Missouri State on the 17th and Wichita State on the19th.

The Aces will close their road conference schedule at Southern Illinois on Sun. Feb. 26th.

UE will get a chance to beef up their conference record with home-court advantage in the final weekend of MVC play, hosting Illinois State March 1st and Indiana State March 3rd before heading to St. Charles, Mo. for the State Farm MVC Tournament, March 8-11 at the Family Arena.

The Aces return 11 letterwinners from last season, including four starters in senior Briyana Blair (9.5 ppg), junior Samantha Heck (9.3 ppg), junior Meagan Collins (8.5 ppg), and senior Chelsea Falkenstein (6.1 ppg). Senior Jordan Lewis will also make a comeback after a knee injury knocked her out of commission last December. Also returning: senior point guard Staci Gillum, junior Taylor Ware, and sophomores Katie Ellerson, Khristian Hart, Miranda Liles, and Hannah Weedman. Evansville also has three freshmen joining the program in Kat Taylor (Akron, Ohio/Lake Ridge Academy), LeiLoni Smith (Vian, Okla./Vian), and Juliann Miller (Louisville, Ky./Mercy Academy).

For season ticket information, visit www.gopurpleaces.com or call (812) 488-ACES.

2011-12 Women's Basketball Schedule

Saturday	October 29	Oakland City (Exhibition)
Friday	November 11	at Murray State
Friday	November 18	at Cincinnati
Sunday	November 20	at Bowling Green
Maine Tournament
Friday	November 25	vs. Maine/Brown/Troy
Saturday	November 26	vs. Maine/Brown/Troy
Tuesday	November 29	Ball State
Aces Winter Classic
Friday	December 2	E. Kentucky/Chicago St./Marshall
Saturday	December 3	E. Kentucky/Chicago St./Marshall
Saturday	December 10	Murray State
Friday	December 16	at Tennessee-Martin
Monday	December 19	at Missouri
Friday	December 30	at Indiana State*
Sunday	January 1	at Illinois State*
Thursday	January 5	vs. UNI*
Sunday	January 8	vs. Bradley*
Thursday	January 12	at Creighton*
Saturday	January 14	at Drake*
Thursday	January 19	vs. Wichita State*
Saturday	January 21	vs. Missouri State*
Sunday	January 29	vs. Southern Illinois*
Thursday	February 2	at Bradley*
Saturday	February 4	at UNI*
Thursday	February 9	vs. Creighton*
Sunday	February 12	vs. Drake*
Friday	February 17	at Missouri State*
Sunday	February 19	at Wichita State*
Sunday	February 26	at Southern Illinois*
Thursday	March 1	vs. Illinois State*
Saturday	March 3	vs. Indiana State*
State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament	March 8-11	St. Charles, Mo.