The UE Bookstore is offering 20% off the original price of all hooded sweatshirts purchased in the store between November 16 and 20. Stop in and save! 

Don't forget to join us on Monday, November 16, from 5:00-6:30 p.m., at the Newman Center for our weekly Monday Night Dinner and Discussion. This Monday, we will feature UE junior Fran Prexl who will be leading a discussion on "Mary, the Mother of God". Spaghetti is on the menu this week! We hope to see you there!

Please call/text Kristel at (812) 760-8610 for more information!
 

The PT club will be having a meeting Monday, November 16, at 12:00 pm in Room 100, Koch Center. This is a change from our normal location! We will be nominating officers for next year so if you are interested in getting more involved please attend. We look forward to seeing you! 

On Monday, November 16, at 9:00 pm, UE's FCA will be hosting its next huddle. Members of USI's FCA will be joining in for a night of fun and worship. There is also a guest speaker lined up for the night. It'll be a great time, see you there! 

The Study Abroad Fair is planned for Monday, November 16 from 11:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m., on the first floor of Ridgway University Center. Students will find information about programs abroad, have the opportunity to talk with former program participants and leaders, learn about scholarships for study abroad and more. Questions? Contact studyabroad@evansville.edu 

On Monday, November 16, at 7:00 p.m. in Eykamp Hall, Ridgway University Center, International Education Week 2015 will host a panel discussion on "Cuba in Context: Four Perspectives." Panelists include Davies Bellamy, UE associate professor of education; Young Kim, UE director of International Studies; Matthew Knoester, UE assistant professor of education, and sociologist Maura Robinson, UE alum and CEO and president of M.G. Robinson, Inc.

For more information visit www.evansville.edu/iew or contact studyabroad@evansville.edu 

The best part of the year - the International Bazaar - is tonight! The event is from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., with the student preview at 4:30 p.m. and food being served until 7:00 p.m.

Visitors to the bazaar will have the opportunity to experience the food, customs and cultures of UE’s international students, a diverse group that represent 51 countries. There will be all-you-can-eat cuisine, music, games, dancing, photo opportunities, and more.

The event is open to the public. General admission is $10. UE students and children five and under will be admitted for free.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Soles 4 Souls, an international not-for-profit organization that donates shoes for people in need. Guests will receive $2 off admission if they bring a pair of shoes for donation.

The bazaar is part of the University’s celebration of International Education Week.

To learn more about the bazaar, visit www.evansville.edu/iew or contact the Office of Cultural Engagement and International Services at 812-488-2279 or ms331@evansville.edu.

The Department of Music continues its concert season this Tuesday in Wheeler Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. with a performance by the Department’s resident string ensemble, the Eykamp String Quartet. Quartet members include violinist and Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra Concertmaster Robert Anemone, violinist and EPO Associate Concertmaster Alicia Choi, EPO Principal Violist Rose Wollman, and EPO Principal Cellist Kirsten Jermé. The program will begin with Haydn’s String Quartet in G Major, Op. 76, No. 1. The ensemble will then perform Béla Bartók’s String Quartet No. 2, and the program will conclude with Felix Mendelssohn’s String Quarter in E Minor, Op. 44, No. 2. The Eykamp String Quartet is made possible by the special underwriting of Rita, Richard, and Dorothy Eykamp, friends of the University of Evansville and the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra.

Visiting Assistant Professor and Director of Orchestral Activities Jessica Morel will conduct the UE String Ensemble in its Fall Concert in Wheeler Concert Hall on Thursday, November 19, at 6:00 p.m. The program will begin with a performance by the UE String Trio, a student ensemble consisting of violinist Sarah Lee, violist Taylor Farlin, and cellist Kaitlyn Lowe. The trio will perform works by Sir Edward Elgar and Haydn. The full String Ensemble will then follow with performances of works by Alessandro Scarlatti and Gustav Holst. Both concerts are free and open to the public.
 

The Department of Art would like to announce the second exhibition in the Senior Showcase series for 2015. The students participating are Hali Martin, Bethany Boeglin, Lelia Dant, Emily Kern, and Aryeh Lax. The opening reception is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. to noon on Thursday, November 19, in Krannert Gallery. This event is free and open to the public.  Please stop by to meet the artists and view their artwork.

Are you looking for Christmas gifts that will also help a good cause and are fair trade? Students from Marketing 325 will be selling products from Uncharted International, a not-for-profit organization that supports adult, orphan women and children from Myanmar, Central Asia, China, and the Middle East who have survived Human trafficking rings or were saved from being trafficked by being in an orphanage. The organization was founded to help those in poverty have hope for a future. All products are handmade by Myanmar women and 90% of each sale will pay the salary of the woman that produced that product.

Some of the items that will be sold are blankets, headbands, wallets, jewelry, and more!

You can find us in first floor Ridgway, by the information station on these dates:
Wednesday, November 18 from 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 19 from 12:30-3:00 p.m.

For more information about Uncharted International visit unchartedinternational.org.
 

Research paper coming up? Join us this Wednesday, November 18, at 5:00 p.m. in the Writing Center for some help with citation. This final workshop will cover how to format and cite papers according to the APA and CMS style manuals, including the cover and reference pages, internal citations, running heads, footnotes, and endnotes. 

UE students, staff, administrators and faculty are invited to participate in the Rotary Club of Evansville Santa Run with a special discount of $5.00 off of the $25 registration fee. To register for the run using the UE discount, go to www.evansvillerotary.com and use the code: campus5

This special discount will be offered until November 20.

The Santa Run takes place Saturday, December 5 at 10:00 am at the Buffalo Trace Council Eykamp Center off the Lloyd Expressway. This officially timed 5k run or 1 mile walk is for serious and not so serious runners, walkers, families, and friends. Santa suits and other goodies included for the first 500 registrants.

Meet, eat and discover leadership at Lunch and Lead! We invite you to our session on Tuesday, November 17, 12:15 pm-1:15 pm. This week’s presentation is "Experiental Learning and Model United Nations" with UE's Model UN student members. This Lunch and Lead session is held in conjunction with International Education Week! Bring your lunch and meet us in Eykamp 252, Ridgway University Center. All members of the UE community are welcome.

On Tuesday, November 17, in Eykamp 254  in Ridgway University Center, from 1:30-6:00 p.m. student presentations on study abroad in Argentina, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Russia, and Peru. For more information visit www.evansville.edu/iew or contact studyabroad@evansville.edu 

On Wednesday, November 18 in Ridgway University Center,  International Education Week will offer 30-minute, interactive and fun language and culture capsules from noon to 3:30 p.m. Languages: Persian, Russian, German, French, Thai, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese. For more information contact studyabroad@evansville.edu or visit www.evansville.edu/iew

Join other walkers, runners and philanthropists on December 12, at 9 am, at the downtown Old National Bank Building to participate in this year's Jingle Bell Run. This 5k raises funds and awareness in hopes of finding a cure of arthritis.

Use the UE discount code below for $5 off any type of registration!

DISCOUNT CODE: UOFEJBR15
 

The Department of Art is pleased to announce its annual Holiday Art and Crafts Sale. Everyone in the UE community who creates art or crafts is welcome to participate. This includes faculty, staff, students, spouses, children, parents, relatives and friends.

The date of this year’s sale is Thursday, December 3. Barring another car crashing into the building, the sale will be held in the Melvin Peterson Gallery, located immediately across from campus. Doors will open at 7:00 a.m. and the sale will continue until 6:00 p.m. Participating artists and craftsmen may drop work off the day prior to the sale or on the morning of the sale before the doors open. Vendors do not need to stay with their work as Art Department staff and volunteers will be on site to handle the sale.

If you would like to join in this year’s Holiday Sale, or think you might want to participate but need more information, please contact the Department of Art at ca5@evansville.edu or 812-488-2043.

The recent terrorist attacks have caused many of us to take stock of our lives and our place in the world. I'm reminded of the Advent hymn, "I wonder as I wander..." We grieve for Paris, Beirut, Syria...our world. We can't help but ask, "What's next?" I had a conversation over the weekend with someone who said, "I just don't think it's ever going to end. It's not going to get better." The person's statement was the antithesis of hope and one that isn't all that helpful when trying to make sense of terrorism or any other tragedy.

Paul Krugman's sensible op-ed "Fearing Fear Itself," which appeared in the New York Times this morning reminds us to think critically about terrorism, "Again, the goal of terrorists is to inspire terror, because that’s all they’re capable of. And the most important thing our societies can do in response is to refuse to give in to fear.... So what was Friday’s attack about? Killing random people in restaurants and at concerts is a strategy that reflects its perpetrators’ fundamental weakness. It isn’t going to establish a caliphate in Paris. What it can do, however, is inspire fear — which is why we call it terrorism, and shouldn’t dignify it with the name of war."

Krugman isn't approaching terrorism from an intentionally theological position, but he gets at the doctrine of hope appropriately. If we are willing to concede to the terrorists by believing that this is as good as it gets, they win. If we are giving up and believing that life is simply a series of terrorist attacks, that time is marked by ISIS, they win. Certainly, we are living in a different kind of world and no one would deny that the weekend we just lived through was dark, but I would urge us all to live in hope. Not a head-in-the-sand, Pollyanna kind of hope, but one that allows us to plan for an energizing future in a global society.

Now more than ever, we need to surround ourselves with people who want to inspire positive voices for change in the world. We must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with one another and work for good. Naeem Baig, president of Islamic Circle of North America, wrote wise words over the weekend when she reminded us, "All of our faiths call us to greater degrees and more honest engagements with people of different faiths and religious traditions. All of our faiths call us to be true peacemakers to heal deep divisions in our world. Only when we dare to stand face to face as human beings with a courageous conviction of making life better for each other and especially the weak, the poor and the downtrodden will the light of justice shine out to light the future with hope and goodness."

I am grateful our students studying at Harlaxton are safe and sound at the Manor and I am thankful to serve at the University of Evansville where Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, religious and non-religious people live and move and have our being together, peacefully as we hope against hope. If you're so inclined, I bid you to continue prayers for Paris and the world as we work for peace together.

Happy Monday, y'all.

Tammy

The University of Evansville Honorary Degree Committee is now soliciting your recommendations for honorary degrees to be conferred at the May 2015 Commencement.

We need your help in selecting accomplished individuals to receive one of our university’s highest honors.

According to the UE Faculty and Administrator Manual, the committee is charged with requesting and reviewing honorary degree nominations made on the basis of individual service to the University and individual achievement. An honorary degree may also be awarded to individuals who exemplify the University’s mission. Selected persons have excelled in a variety of areas--law, medicine, education, business, literature, politics, and entertainment. Last year’s recipients were UE Professor Emeritus of Chemistry Jean Beckman and the Honorable Lee Hamilton.

The committee will forward nominations to President Kazee so he can make his recommendations to the faculty. The faculty will vote on the final list of nominees.

Please email the following information to Robert Dion, committee chairperson, at rd35@evansville.edu, by Monday, November 23:

1. Nomination by (include name, phone and email address)
2. Name of person nominated
3. Title and/or profession of nominee
4. Rationale for the nomination (see criteria above)
5. Any biographical or background information on the nominee
6. Address information for contacting the nominee

The committee looks forward to receiving your recommendations.

We need YOUR help for International Bazaar on November 20! Follow the links below to volunteer for specific slots - either the night-of or days before the Bazaar. Volunteers are especially needed to chalk sidewalks and boards on Friday. Volunteering slots are set up in short time-frames to make sure you will be able to fully enjoy the 2015 International Bazaar experience! In addition, you may log your hours as volunteering as the proceeds of the event go to Soles 4 Souls.

If you have any questions contact aa354 or as564.

If you want to sign up for Night-of events (greeting, ticket taking, and clean-up) follow this link:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a48aeab2aabfc1-volunteer

For marketing (chalking boards and sidewalks) sign up here:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a48aeab2aabfc1-marketing 

Students in a philosophy class are collecting personal hygiene items to give to the homeless. Please help donate new, unused soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, sugarless gum, shampoo, conditioner, tissues, and feminine hygiene products. NO items containing alcohol. There will be donation boxes in Ridgway University Center until November 20. 

Have you heard about events like the Changemaker Challenge? Do you have a passion for social innovation? Then you may be interested in some of the open positions in the Social Innovation Club!

Open positions include: master emailer, newsletter author, website management, university relations chair, photographer, promotion and flyers chair, volunteer events chair, corporate relations chair, individual relations chair, pitch organizer, interclub relations chair, academic representatives, secretary for recruitment, event planner, vice president of volunteers, and vice president of special projects

If you would like to know more about any of these positions, then please let us know and we can send you the job description! Contact ll115@evansville.edu or po22@evansville.edu or stop by the Institute for Global Enterprise for more information! 

The residence halls will be closed for winter break from noon on December 17 to noon on January 8. Students participating in official University functions or other approved activities have the opportunity to apply for Winter Housing. Simply submit an Online Winter Request Form (hyper link this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WinterHousing by noon on Reading & Study Day to be considered. For more information about Winter Housing, contact the office of residence life. 

Are you a student staying on campus for Thanksgiving? A few UE faculty and staff members are willing to host students, who are remaining on campus, for a Thanksgiving meal. If you are interested, please contact Michelle Hahn at dh196@evansville.edu or call her at 812-488-2279 by Tuesday November 17. 

Graves Hall will be accepting the following donations for the Evansville Rescue Mission and the Christian Life Center this Christmas season: new gloves, mittens, socks, hats, scarves for men, women and children. These items can be placed on the Christmas tree in Graves Hall after November 16. We are also collecting new or gently used coats for children in grades K-5. The coats can be placed in the box in the lobby of Graves Hall. Also, men's toiletries for the Evansville Rescue Mission (body wash, shampoo, shaving cream, deodorant, disposable shavers, toothpaste, toothbrushes, body lotions) can be put in one of the designated boxes in the lobby of Graves Hall beginning November 16. Please NO travel sizes; NO bar soap; NO items containing alcohol.

Please contact Pam Young X2848 or Karen Doss x2360 if you have any questions. Thank you! 

The University of Evansville will be closed during the holidays to allow our employees to enjoy this special time with their families.

The following November-December-January holiday schedule will be observed:

Thanksgiving 

Wednesday, November 25, 2015 – close at noon
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Friday, November 27, 2015

Christmas/New Year’s        

Wednesday, December 23, 2015, through Friday, January 1, 2016 – returning on Monday, January 4, 2016

The November Pcard cycle which began October 22, ends on November 23, at midnight. As of November 25, cardholders may schedule and run the November Cycle report. November transactions may be reconciled in SDG2 until December 2. On December 2, the general ledger Pcard file will be uploaded and cardholders will be locked out of (unable to make changes) posted transactions for the November Cycle. 

Congratulations to John and Abby Michel on the arrival of their firstborn, Luke Arnold Michel. He arrived on November 12, weighing 9.9 pounds at 22 inches long. Abby is an assistant director in the Career Development Center. 

UE students Andrew Nunn, Michelle Sonnenberger, and Matt Roberts will present the results of their research on the effects of deer browsing on tree diversity at Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve on Tuesday, November 17 at 7:00 pm at the Wesselman Nature Center in Evansville. The trio did their research under the guidance of Cris Hochwender, professor of biology, during the summer of 2015. The Evansville Audubon Society has monthly conservation and education programs and this program should be of particular interest for all who have visited the Nature Center and walked the trails. Come and support these UE students on Tuesday evening. 

University of Evansville alumna and member of the board of trustees Rose Mays was recently inducted into the Indiana Academy at its 45th annual symposium. She was one of four honorees recognized by the Independent Colleges of Indiana for lifetimes of achievement and contribution to the state of Indiana. 

Mays, an Indiana University School of Nursing professor emeritus, recently retired from IU after a 36-year career. During her time there, she worked to improve life for vulnerable adolescents by carrying out a research and professional service program focused on health promotion and disease prevention.

Mays is active in various education, health and social service organizations, including her alma mater, the University of Evansville.

Some of the many contributions that she, in partnership with her late husband William G. Mays, has made to UE include:

• A contributing founder of the Zerah Priestly Carter Endowed Scholarship (named after the first African American to graduate from UE in 1938).

• Dr. Rose M. Mays Endowed Scholarship, awarded to an African American student with financial need and academic merit with a 3.0 GPA, annually.

• Rose and William Mays Endowed Professional Development Fund for Nursing, used to meet the need for professional development seminars at UE, professional development and conferences related to nursing at other sites, and tuition assistance for doctoral coursework

• William G. and Rose M. Mays Martin Luther King Jr. Lectureship that annually funds the keynote speaker during UE’s annual MLK Jr. Day celebration.

• Mays Challenge, which generated enough donations to reach the goal of taking the ZPC Scholarship to $100,000, by matching any gift made to the Zerah Priestly Carter Endowed Scholarship in time for the UEAAA Reunion 2015.

Besides serving on UE’s Board of Trustees, Mays is a founding and current member and past president of the University of Evansville African American Alumni Association (UEAAA) She also served as chair of UE’s Annual Fund Campaign (1995-1996)

In recognition of her generosity and dedication to the school, Mays has received several awards over the years from UE. They include the Distinguished UEAAA Award in 2015, from the UEAAA Executive Board, The Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2010, from the University of Evansville Alumni Association, and the University’s Medal of Honor Award in 2004.
 

University of Evansville’s ACM Programming team of Guilherme Andrade, Evan Higgins, and Kane Catt placed first out of 24 teams at the Association of Computing Machinery's (ACM) International Programming Contest, Saturday, November 7th, at the University of Louisville site of the Mid-Central Region.

Teams of the Mid-Central Region include University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Centre College, Morehead State University, Marshall University, Georgetown College, Berea College, IU Southeast, Northern Kentucky University, and Eastern Kentucky University.

Additionally, they placed 10th overall in the entire region which consists of over 155 teams. They finished ahead of many larger schools including nearby rival, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

The ACM International Programming Contest consists of nine questions which must be solved with computer programs within a five hour time limit. The UE team, Andrade (junior), Catt (junior), and Higgins (sophomore) Computer Science students solved seven out of the nine questions. The first place teams of the entire region solved eight out of the nine questions.

Congratulations on a big win for the University of Evansville!

Congratulations to University of Evansville’s new Physician Assistant (PA) Program! The Office of Development and Alumni Relations is pleased to announce two new grants in support of the PA Program. The Welborn Baptist Foundation, Inc. awarded a $25,000 grant, which has assisted in facilitating a successful search for the PA program’s department chair, Michael Roscoe. In addition, the Haddad Foundation provided $10,000 to support fundamental start-up investments for the program.

UE’s PA program will be the first in the area to provide much needed health care to underserved populations. High school students will be able to apply for direct entry into the program for the Fall of 2016, and any undergraduate majors meeting the pre-requisites will be welcome to apply. The Department is excited and appreciative of these funding opportunities as this new program is preparing to kick off.
 

Junior Sara Dickey posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, but Raeshaun Gaffney countered with 18 points to lead Xavier to a 65-57 win over the University of Evansville women’s basketball team on Saturday afternoon at the Cintas Center.

Dickey hit six of her 18 shots and hauled in 10 boards to lead the Purple Aces in both categories. Aaliyah Gaines registered 14 points while Kerri Gasper drained four of her five shots to record 11 points.

“I’m proud of our team. We showed a lot of energy, togetherness and fight. I through we battled hard in the second half,” UE head coach Oties Epps said. “We were able to created positive plays from our press and transition game. Overall, we did not shoot the ball as well as we are capable of, but we are confident that we can improve our shooting.”

The Musketeers scored the first four points of the game before UE got on the board and scored the next five to take its first lead at 5-4 on a Gasper layup. Later, Evansville retook the lead at 9-8 on a Camary Williams free throw before XU responded with six in a row. Xavier went on to lead by three, 18-15, after one quarter.

Evansville stayed within shouting distance midway through the second frame, trailing 27-20. That is when Xavier made its move, finishing the half on a 9-2 run to lead by a 36-22 score at the break. In the third quarter, the Musketeers came out firing, extending their lead to 18 points at 41-23. The Aces did not give up as a 5-0 stretch to wrap up the quarter saw them get within nine at 51-42.

Trailing by 13 points (59-46) with 5:41 remaining, the Aces mustered their way back into the game. A 7-0 run was capped off by a Gaines triple that got UE within six with just over three minutes remaining. After Xavier extended the lead back to eight on a pair of free throws, the Aces scored the next four to make it a 61-57 game with 1:26 left.

The late rally came up just shy as the Musketeers hit all four free throw attempts in the final 78 ticks to escape with the 65-57 win.

UE’s offense hit 31.7% of its shots, but was able to rally thanks to a stifling defense that forced 18 turnovers. Xavier’s size played a difference as they recorded eight blocks and outrebounded UE by a 42-37 tally.

On Monday night, the Aces will look to get in the win column as they stay in the Cincinnati area to play Miami University. Tip is set for 7 p.m. ET at Millett Hall in Oxford, Ohio.

- INFO: For all of the latest information on University of Evansville women’s basketball, log on to the sport page on GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthletics_WBB.

- DONATE: For information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the DONATE tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com.

- TICKETS: To purchase tickets for University of Evansville athletics events, log on to GoPurpleAces.com and click on the TICKETS tab on top of the page.
 

A memorable run fell just short on Friday evening as the University of Evansville women’s soccer team fell to top seed Florida State by a 3-0 final in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

The 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Champions put up a great effort but fell just short as the defending national champion Seminoles outshot the Purple Aces by a 34-3 tally. For FSU, 14 of their shots were on goal. MVC Tournament Most Valuable Player Whitney Biggs made an impressive 10 saves in the match.

"I was very proud of our team, obviously our game plan was to keep the score as close as possible going into halftime and then depending on what that score was going to be would determine our tactics in the second half,” Aces head coach Krista McKendree said.

“Obviously with a 2-0 game we knew we had to score to win so we just thought, ‘Let’s just play the way we normally play. Let’s see what happens.’ I thought our girls fought very hard together, they executed they tried to execute our game plan as much as possible in the first half and they gave themselves a chance."

Molly Lear had the shot on goal for UE while Emily Richardson and Allie Arguello also registered shots.

Biggs was strong in the first half, but Florida State finally got one past her at the 30:33 mark as Megan Connolly found the back of the net. Twelve minutes later, Elin Jensen found Berglind Thorvaldsdottir for their second goal of the game.

Thorvaldsdottir capped off the scoring in the 89th minutes on a header to make it the final of 3-0.

"Well communication was key tonight. We went into the game knowing we were going to get a lot of shots taken on us so we stuck to the game plan,” Biggs said. “We held it in tight, we knew that their throw-ins were going to be dropped right into our six so we marked up, we stayed tight, we communicated well. It was just a team effort tonight and I’m really proud of our girls."

Picked to win the Valley in the preseason, the Purple Aces went 6-11-3, but in the end, accomplished their goal. Hosting the MVC Tournament on their home field last weekend, UE took down UNI by a 1-0 final to advance to the championship match. In Sunday’s game, Evansville fought Loyola through a scoreless 110 minutes of action before winning in penalty kicks.

- INFO: For all of the latest information on University of Evansville athletics women’s soccer, log on to the sport page on GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthleticsWSOC.

- DONATE: For information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the DONATE tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com.

- TICKETS: To purchase tickets for University of Evansville athletics events, log on to GoPurpleAces.com and click on the TICKETS tab on top of the page.
 

Genesis Miranda led the University of Evansville volleyball team with 10 kills, but it was Illinois State who tallied 50 kills on their way to a 3-0 victory over the Purple Aces on Saturday night at the Carson Center.

Miranda had the top tally for UE (8-22, 2-14 MVC) while Stephanie Cerino notched 8. Jelena Merseli led the Aces with 20 assists while Kim Deprez checked in with 18 digs. Leading Illinois State was Jaelyn Keene with 14 tallies while Ali Line notched 11.

Illinois State scored the first two points of the opening set before Evansville fought back to take its first lead at 3-2 on an ISU service error. After the Redbirds took a 7-5 advantage, the Aces retook the lead at 12-11. A 6-1 run saw Illinois State take the lead for good and their advantage would eventually reach seven points at 24-17. The Aces made it interesting down the stretch, scoring five in a row before the Redbirds clinched the set.

In the second game, Illinois State registered 19 kills on their way to a 19-8 win. They opened up the frame on a 14-5 run before UE fought back to get within five at 21-16. ISU scored the final three points it needed to grab a 25-18 victory.

Prior to the match, the five seniors for the Purple Aces were recognized for their contributions to the program. The senior class included: Stephanie Cerino, Kim Deprez, Lorena Marquez, Tathianna Cordero and Gabriela Roman.

The Redbirds opened up a 4-1 lead in the third frame before UE came back to tie it up at 8-8 on a Jelena Merseli kill. On the ensuing point, Evansville took its first lead of the set on an ISU error. UE held strong, up 10-9, but ISU roared back once again as a 12-6 run saw them take a 21-15 lead before hanging on for the 25-21 win.

Next week, the Aces will complete the season with a road trip to Wichita State and Missouri State.

- INFO: For all of the latest information on University of Evansville athletics volleyball, log on to the sport page on GoPurpleAces.com or follow the program on Twitter via @UEAthletics_VB.

- DONATE: For information on giving to UE Athletics or its individual athletics programs, visit the DONATE tab on the top of GoPurpleAces.com.

- TICKETS: To purchase tickets for University of Evansville athletics events, log on to GoPurpleAces.com and click on the TICKETS tab on top of the page.
 

Seniors D.J. Balentine and Egidijus Mockevicius led the way as the University of Evansville men's basketball team opened up the season with an 80-65 victory over Southeast Missouri State on Sunday afternoon at the Ford Center.

Balentine hit a game-high 10 free throws on his way to 20 points. He also registered six assists. Mockevicius came within shouting distance of a double-double as he posted 18 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocks. His efforts in blocks and rebounds were each game highs. Mislav Brzoja also finished in double figures, tallying 16 points and 12 rebounds while knocking down 9 of his 10 free throw attempts.

"We had some good spurts today, making the extra pass on offense and also doing some great things defensively," head coach Marty Simmons said. "We had a size advantage and Egidijus did a great job on the glass and Mislav came in off the bench to give us great play overall."

"In that 9-0 run, we really did well in transition and playing fast," Simmons continued. "Give Southeast Missouri State credit, they kept battling back every time and did a great job."

SEMO (0-2) was led by an 18-point effort from Joel Angus III. Angus also hauled in a team-best seven rebounds. Antonius Cleveland finished the day with 14 points and 6 assists.

Evansville had the early edge, jumping out to an 84 lead, but after hitting two of its first three shots, the Aces made just 1 of their next five and allowed the Redhawks to score the next seven points to take an 11-8 lead. Southeast Missouri State extended its lead to as many as three points at 16-13 as the Aces made 1 out of 7 shots over a stretch midway through the first half.

Balentine put a halt to the streak and began a 10-2 run that gave the Aces the lead for good. His free throws broke up a 17-17 tie as the Aces would go up by a 27-19 tally with 6:30 remaining in the first half. UE led by 11 in the final minutes before the Redhawks made it a 44-36 game at the break.

Coming out of halftime, SEMO clicked on all cylinders, hitting three shots in a row as part of an 8-2 stretch that got them within two just over two minutes into the period.

At that point, Evansville put its foot down. UE extended its lead to five at 57-52 before embarking on a 9-0 run that was capped off by a Brzoja triple. Evansville led by as many as 18 points at 72-54 before finishing off the 80-65 win.

The Aces had a stellar day on the boards, hauling in 47 while limiting SEMO to just 30. Evansville shot 44.4% on the day and checked in at 82.4% from the free throw line. The Aces also outscored the Redhawks by a 28-13 tally in points off the bench.

On Tuesday, Evansville continues its 3-game homestand to begin the season as it hosts Marian (Ind.) at 7 p.m.

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