BOX SCORE

MADISON, Wis. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team fell to host Wisconsin, 73-55, in head coach Oties Epps’ return to the Kohl Center Sunday afternoon in Madison, Wis., despite a career-high 25 points from senior Samantha Heck.
 
Heck finished the afternoon 9-for-17 from the field, including a 3-for-6 mark from behind the arc and a 4-for-4 effort at the free throw line.  The Auxvasse, Mo., native also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and blocked two shots.  Senior Meagan Collins and redshirt sophomore Khristian Hart also finished in double figures for Evansville, as Collins scored 13 points and pulled down three boards, while Hart finished with 12 points, four rebounds and two steals.
 
Evansville (2-3) got off to a slow start, as Wisconsin (3-2) jumped out to an early 11-3 lead.  The Badgers created a UE turnover, which led to a Tiera Stephen on the opposite end of the floor at the 16:04 mark in the opening half, forcing a timeout by the Aces.
 
Heck allowed UE to hang around in the first half, scoring 10 of Evansville’s first 11 points on a trio of layups and a long three off of an assist by Kat Taylor that cut UW’s advantage to 15-11 with 13:29 remaining in the half.
 
The Badgers opened up a 31-20 lead at the 8:27 mark courtesy of a 13-5 run that was capped by a Stephen steal and layup.  Evansville battled back and cut the Wisconsin lead to eight at 36-28 on another Heck bucket with 3:12 on the clock for two of her 17 first-half points.
 
The two sides traded baskets for much of the latter part of the opening stanza, but Wisconsin captured the momentum heading into the locker room, as the Badgers rebounded a quick shot by the Aces and turned it into three points the other way.  After a Cassie Rochel board, Jacki Gulczynski buried a trey just before the first-half buzzer to give UW a 39-28 halftime lead.
 
The Badgers clamped down defensively in the second half, holding the Aces to just a 29.0 percent shooting clip over the final 20 minutes.  Wisconsin also dominated the paint and the offensive glass, scoring 18 of its 34 second-half points in the lane and 15 points following offensive rebounds.
 
Hart scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half and Evansville kept pace early in the second period, but Badgers broke the game open with a 10-2 run and took their largest lead of the contest at 62-39 with 10:38 remaining.
 
A pair of free throws by Heck at the 2:46 mark pulled the Aces within 16, but UE would get no closer and Wisconsin would pick up its third victory of the season.
 
Morgan Paige was one of three UW players in double figures and led the Badgers with 19 points, going 7-for-18 from the field and 5-for-5 at the charity stripe.  Stephen added 13 points and seven assists for Wiscosnin and Taylor Wurtz tallied 11 points and six rebounds.
 
Wisconsin outrebounded Evansville, 40-31, pulling down 17 offensive rebounds and turned 16 Aces’ turnovers into 19 points. 
 
The Aces will be back at the Ford Center for their next game, as UE will host UT Martin Wednesday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m.