The first shipment of the "Trophies and Tears" book will be available for sale in the UE Bookstore this Thursday, December 20.  The Bookstore will be open Thursday, December 20 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday, December 21 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  It will be closed then until January 2.  If you're looking for a great Christmas present be sure to stop in during those two days!

Steve “Animal” Neff is retiring after 33 years of service to the University, and will be honored at a reception on December 20 from 1:30-3:00 p.m. in the Ridgway University Center Class of ’59 Gallery and Lounge.  Everyone is invited to join in celebrating Steve’s unique contributions to the University as the Physical Plant carpenter and talented artist/sculptor, and to wish him a long and satisfying retirement.

Faculty, staff, alumni, students and other Aces are welcome to gather at Kilroy’s in Broad Ripple starting at 11:30 a.m. (Eastern time) to get psyched for the big game this Saturday at Butler.  11:30 a.m. ET – 1:30 p.m. ET, Kilroy’s Bar and Grill, 831 Broad Ripple Avenue, Indianapolis.  There is no cost and children are welcome.  Questions?  Contact alumni@evansville.edu. 

UE Libraries will observe the following schedule of hours during the December Recess beginning on December 12 and concluding on January 6. Contact William Louden, University Librarian, with questions at either 812.488.2376  or wflouden@evansville.edu

• Wednesday, December 12: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, December 13: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Friday, December 14: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, December 15: CLOSED
• Sunday, December 16: CLOSED
• Monday, December 17: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 18: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 19: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, December 20: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Friday, December 21: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday – Tuesday,, December 22–January 1: CLOSED
• Wednesday, January 2: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Thursday, January 3: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Friday, January 4: 7:45 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, January 5: CLOSED
• Sunday, January 6: CLOSED
• Monday, January 7: Resume regular hours

Fitness Center Winter Break Hours are as follows:

• Wednesday, December 5 – 8:00 am to 7:00 pm
• Thursday, December 6 -8:00 am to 7:00 pm
• Friday, December  7 – 8:00 am to 7:00 pm
• Saturday, December 8 – 11:30 am to 5:30 pm
• Sunday, December 9 – 11:30 am to 5:30 pm
• Monday, December  10  through Friday, December 14– 8:00 am  to 6:00 pm
• Saturda,y December  15 & Sunday,, December 16 – Closed
• Monday, December 17 through Friday, December 21  - 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Saturday, December 22 through Tuesday, January 1, 2013 – Closed
• Wednesday, January 2 through Friday, January 4 – 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
• Saturday,,  January 5 & Sunday,  January 6 – Closed
• Monday, January 7 – 6:30 am to 10:00 pm (Normal  Hours Resume)

Pool Hours are 12:00 to 1:00 pm  - depending on life guard availability

Please Note***The Fitness Center will close early on December 12 due to Winter Commencement

The University of Evansville women’s basketball team will conclude its non-conference schedule and the 2012 calendar year Thursday and Friday at the inaugural Toledo Invite at Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio.  The Purple Aces are slated to take on host Toledo at 6 p.m. Thursday and will conclude the event with a contest against either Hampton or Prairie View A&M at 3:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. Friday.

Evansville (2-7) has had a long break since its last outing, when it fell, 63-59, to St. Louis Dec. 9 at the Ford Center.  UE nearly overcame a 15-point second-half deficit by tying the game with 1:27 remaining, but the Billikens mounted a late rally to secure the win.  Redshirt sophomore Khristian Hart led the Aces with 20 points, knocking down a career-high six threes, while seniors Meagan Collins and Samatha Heck each added 13 points.

The trio of Collins, Hart and Heck has accounted for 73 percent of Evansville’s offense this season, as Hart leads the squad with a 15.0 points per game average, Heck is averaging 14.7 points per contest and Collins pitching in 11.1 points per outing.  In addition, Heck is the team’s top rebounder, pulling down 8.0 boards per game and ranks sixth in the nation with a .960 free-throw percentage.

As a team, the Aces are averaging 55.9 points per game and shooting 34.9 percent from the floor.  Evansville ranks second in the Missouri Valley Conference with 65 made three-pointer and is shooting 30.1 percent from behind the arc.  UE is knocking down 68.9 percent of its opportunities at the free-throw line and averages 35.2 rebounds per game.

Sophomore Mallory Ladd will be active for the Aces for the first time this season, as the Evansville native and Valparaiso transfer was ineligible for UE’s first nine games due to NCAA transfer rules.  Ladd averaged 10.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in six contests with the Crusaders last season.

Toledo (8-1) enters its own event on a seven-game winning streak, as it topped Milwaukee, 82-71, in its last outing.  The Rockets are receiving votes in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll and their only loss this season was a 79-76 setback at nationally-ranked Dayton.  Four UT players finished in double figures in Toledo’s win over the Panthers, including Andola Dortch, who led all scorers with 24 points.  Naama Shafir notched 17 points, while Brianna Jones and Inma Zanoguera each recorded 11.

As a team, the Rockets are shooting 43.4 percent from the field and are outscoring opponents by an average of 13.9 points per game.  The UT defense is forcing 21.9 turnovers per contest, including 12.1 steals.  Shafir leads a balanced Toledo scoring attack at 12.1 points per game and has dished out a team-high 48 assists.  Dorth ranks second on the team at 11.2 points per game, while four other Rockets are averaging at least 6.6 points per outing, including Yolanda Richardson, who is the team’s leading rebounder (8.9 rpg) and ranks third on the squad in scoring (8.9 ppg).

Toledo returns 10 letterwinners and three starters from last year’s team that finished 24-10 overall and tied for first in the Mid-American Conference West Division.  The Rockets are under the direction of former Evansville head coach Tricia Cullop, who ranks second on UE’s all-time coaching wins list with 123.  At UT, Cullop is in her fifth season and owns a 104-41 record.

Hampton (7-3) enters the Toledo Invite on a three-game winning streak and handily defeated UMBC, 81-36, in its last outing on Dec. 7.  The Lady Pirates are outscoring opponents by an average of 17.1 points per contest and are forcing 23.1 turnovers per outing. 

Keiara Avant leads HU in scoring (16.2 ppg) and rebounding (9.8 rpg).  Two other Hampton players, Nicole Hamilton (11.6 ppg) a nd Alyssa Bennett (10.8 ppg), are also averaging in double figures.

The Lady Pirates are coached by David Six, who is 78-27 in his four years at the helm of the HU program.

Prairie View A&M (2-5) saw its two-game winning streak snapped by nationally-ranked Kansas in its last outing on Dec. 16.  The Panthers defeated Memphis, 70-58, and Northwestern State, 63-31, prior to falling to the Jayhawks, 72-60, in Lawrence, Kan.  PVAMU is shooting 40.8 percent from the floor as a team, but has struggled from the charity stripe, converting on just 54.9 percent of its chances.  Prairie View A&M’s defense is forcing 18.1 turnovers per outing, including 9.9 steals per game.

Kiara Etienne and Latia Williams lead the Panthers in scoring at 15.7 points per contest and Williams leads the team in rebounding at 9.3 boards per game.  JaQuandria Williams is averaging 10.5 points per game off the bench for the Panthers, while Larissa Scott is contributing 8.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per outing.

Prairie View A&M is under the direction of third-year head coach Toyelle Wilson, who is 40-33 during her tenure at PVAMU.

Following the Toledo Invite, Evansville will open conference play Thursday, Jan. 3, when it hosts Drake at the Ford Center for a 7 p.m. contest.

For the second time this season, University of Evansville senior Colt Ryan was named Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week in an announcement today by MVC Commissioner Doug Elgin.  Ryan along with Anna Munn of Indiana State were honored for their performances for the period of December 10-16.In Evansville’s lone contest of last week, Aces senior Colt Ryan led his team to an 80-67 win over Alabama State at the Ford Center. Ryan tallied a season high 24 points on 7-of-16 shooting while knocking down three treys. He also put forth a 7-7 effort from the free throw line.

Ryan has hit 19 out of 20 free throws on the season, tops in the MVC while averaging 13.1 PPG. In five games since his return from injury, Ryan has found his scoring touch, averaging 17.6 points per game. Ryan boasts a 3.41 cumulative grade-point average as an accounting major.

To qualify for Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week laurels, student-athletes must carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20, completed at least one academic year at a Valley institution and must be at least a sophomore in academic standing.