EVANSVILLE, Ind. --- For the first time in 2018, the University of Evansville women's basketball team hosts a pair of Missouri Valley Conference foes inside Meeks Family Fieldhouse when the Purple Aces battle Illinois State at 7 p.m. on Friday night and challenge Bradley at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
The Aces took on a pair of MVC leaders last weekend when they traveled to Iowa to face UNI and Drake. In Friday night's showdown with UNI, Evansville fell behind early, but pushed back midway through the second quarter to get within six. UNI responded with a 7-0 run to push its lead back to 30-17 at the halftime break, in route to a 65-41 Panthers win. On Sunday at Drake, the MVC-leading Bulldogs jumped-out to a quick lead as Drake earned a 107-66 win over the Aces.
UE vs. Illinois State (Friday, 7 p.m.): Watch Live | Listen Live I Live Stats | ISU Website
UE vs. Bradley (Sunday, 1 p.m.): Watch Live | Listen Live I Live Stats | Bradley Website
Evansville returns to Meeks Family Fieldhouse this weekend, a place where the Aces are 3-3 this season and are outscoring opponents on average, 77.7-74. The Aces open the weekend against Illinois State on Friday at 7 p.m. for UE's annual We Back Pat game. UE players and coaches will be wearing co-branded "We Back Pat" shooting shirts for the game and fans are encouraged to wear purple to show their support for the fight against Alzheimer's disease. The first 150 fans in attendance at Friday's game will receive a purple t-shirt. The Redbirds hold a 30-19 advantage in the all-time series, but the Purple Aces won the last meeting the series on February 26, 2017 when Evansville captured a 60-56 win over Illinois State at the Ford Center. Illinois State rolls into Evansville with a 7-9 overall record and a 1-4 record in MVC action and is fresh off its first MVC win of the season; a 49-46 victory over Souther Illinois on Sunday.
The Aces wrap-up the weekend at 1 p.m. on Sunday when they host Bradley. The Braves own a 28-20 advantage in the series with the Aces capturing a victory in the last meeting, 73-71, on February 24, 2017 in Evansville. Bradley enters the weekend with a 9-7 overall record and a 3-2 mark in MVC play and is coming off a pair of losses on the road at Southern Illinois and Missouri State last weekend.
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