Team sign-ups are still open for this year’s Nerd Wars trivia competition, scheduled for Monday, March 25 at 6:00pm in Eykamp Hall.  The Honors Program invites you to form your team of five competitors to battle in a competition of wits for prizes and bragging rights.  Teams of students, faculty, administrators, and staff are welcome to register.

Both spectators and competitors can enjoy pizza and snacks at the event, as well as the nerdiest-dressed competition and the chance to receive giveaway prizes!

Register online now at this link:  https://forms.gle/6iY2tgyLoVQMKb3F9

Registration is free for the event.  Those who are unable to compose a team of five may still register and will be matched to form a team.  The registration deadline is Friday, March 1.

Please contact Rafay at rk166 with any questions.

Join us on Sunday, February 25 for a Black History Month celebration! We will be featuring a wide variety of delicious foods!

The Eatery will be featuring a special meal for Lunar New Year on February 23! Come join us at lunch and celebrate the Year of the Dragon!

Educator. Poet. Singer. Hip-Hop Emcee. DJ.  These are just some of the titles that Manon Voice goes by.  However, when she steps on the campus of UE, she will be Professor Manon Voice, the dynamic, energized professor that gives room for her students to fall in love with MUSIC-the universal language. 

Educator. Music Lover. DJ.  Not just any DJ but DJ for the Indiana Pacers!  DJ Stylistic will join Professor Manon Voice for this inaugural music celebration on the campus of the University of Evansville. 

This event is FREE and open to the public.  Event is taking place on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 6pm-Eykamp Hall Room 251.

As we enter Black History Month, the Black Student Union is thrilled to invite you to our exciting Black History Month fundraiser: the BSU 3v3 Basketball Tournament!

Date: February 25

Time: 12 pm

Location: University of Evansville Carson Center

Form a team of three and showcase your skills on the court! Entry fee: $6 per team (cash at the door). Co-ed teams welcome! Don't have a team? No problem, we'll assign you one.

For any questions or concerns, please contact Trinitie Terrell (tt141@evansville.edu)

Link to Sign Up: https://forms.gle/QK4hNwZuiRUNW8aDA

Join Venturing Crew on March 1-March 6 for a trip to remember in North Carolina for only $75!

We will have 2 spring break options!

Hanging out in a base camp exploring the mountains, waterfalls while in a cabin that is right on a mountain lake.

There will also be a second group, weather permitting that will be backpacking the Art Loeb Trail!

Email me at venturing@evansville.edu to ask more questions and sign up!

We will also have tables at the following dates and times if you want to learn more and sign up!

Feb 1 Thursday (12:30-2:30)

Feb 2 Friday (1-3)

Feb 9 Friday (12:30-2:30)

Feb 15 Thursday (4:30-6:30)

Feb 16 Friday (12:30-2:30)

Feb 22 Thursday (12:30-2:30)

Join the Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion along with UE panelist for a discussion on their FREEdom of their hair in showing up in higher education settings.

Lunch will be provided and registration is required (scan the QR code to register) OR click to register.

The Department of Art is pleased to welcome the spring 2024 Efroymson Artist in Residence, Shannon Bourn. Her exhibit, "I SEE YOU", will be open from January 22 - February 24, 2024 in the Melvin Peterson Gallery. Ms. Bourn will lead a student lecture and several student workshops during her residency in the Melvin Peterson Gallery. These events are supported by the Efroymson Family Fund.

Please plan to attend the public reception and lecture in the Melvin Peterson Gallery on Thursday, February 15 at 6:30 pm.

The Center for Innovation & Change is thrilled to welcome Robert Lopez '23 to the team as Office Operations Coordinator.

Robert is an ethics and social change graduate and changemaking rock star - and quite a familiar face around the community. As a student at Bosse High School, he competed in the High School Changemaker Challenge with an idea to establish what has become the Toyota Trinity Stormwater Park in downtown Evansville. Robert remained engaged with UE through high school graduation and became an incredibly engaged student as he pursued his degree. He was president of Students for Social Innovation, the UE Venturing Crew, and an impactful student in several ChangeLab courses. We are so happy someone with his talent chose to stay in our community and couldn't be more proud he accepted the position on our team.

Robert stated, “Having worked with or for the CIC in some capacity for almost 7 years, there isn’t another department on campus or organization in Evansville that has a more profound effect on my life’s trajectory, and I couldn’t be happier to finally give some of that back in a meaningful way.”

Please join us in welcoming Robert officially to the team. Send him an email at RL138@evansville.edu or stop by our office on the second floor of Ridgway University Center.

Biology 107 (4 cr) will be offered asynchronous online this summer session 1. The lab component will be online as well utilizing web-based simulations. This course satisfies lab science General Education credit (Outcome 8). All majors are welcome! If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Gordon at ng62@evansville.edu.

Each student, staff member, faculty, and employee will be provided with a pair of eclipse glasses, to be distributed one week prior to the occurrence of the eclipse.

Employee glasses will be distributed by campus mail to the employee’s department. Students will have the option to pick up glasses in Ridgway a week before the Eclipse.

View the UE campus eclipse map.

PSYC 121 – Introduction to Psychology will be offered as an online asynchronous class during Summer Session 1 (May 13 – June 14, 2024).

PSYC 420 – Children, Psychology, and Law will be offered as an online asynchronous class during Summer Session 1 (May 13 – June 14, 2024).

PSYC 229 – Social Psychology will be offered as an online asynchronous class during Summer Session 2 (June 17 – July 19, 2024). This course is also an affiliated course for the Gender, Women's and Sexualities minor.

PSYC 259 – Abnormal Psychology will be offered as an online asynchronous class during Summer Session 2 (June 17 – July 19, 2024).  This course is also an affiliated course for the Gender, Women's and Sexualities minor.

PSYC 406 – Gender, Psychology, and Law will be offered as an online asynchronous class during Summer Session 2 (June 17 – July 19, 2024).

If you have questions about these courses, please contact Dr. Evan McCracken via email: em157@evansville.edu

SPAN-111 – Elementary Spanish will be offered as an online asynchronous class during Summer Session 1 (May 13 – June 14, 2024).  This course fulfills Outcome 6. If you have questions about this 3-credit hour course, please contact Dr. Diana Rodríguez Quevedo via email: dr130@evansville.edu

University of Evansville Civil Engineering Scholarship is Funded Annually by NATE; Honors Jones’ Legacy as a Structural Engineer, Industry Icon

NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association announced that Henry Hall, a junior Civil Engineering major at UE has been named as the 2024 recipient of the Ernie Jones Memorial Civil Engineering Scholarship. The official announcement was made at the NATE Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, February 21 during the annual NATE UNITE 2024 Conference in Memphis, Tennessee.

ES 103 (Fundamentals of Environmental Science), which fulfills the non-lab science General Education credit (Outcome 8), will be offered during Summer Session 2 as an online, asynchronous class.  If you have questions about this 3 credit hour course, which will run from June 17-July 19, please contact Dr. Aldred via email – ka59@evansville.edu

Biol 107 (General Biology), which fulfills the lab science General Education credit (Outcome 8), will be offered during Summer Session 2 as an online, asynchronous class.  Although it is generally intended for those majoring in EXSS, public health, and similar areas, all majors are welcome!  The lab portion of the course will be completed via Labster, an exciting virtual lab simulator!  If you have questions about this 4 credit hour course, which will run from June 17-July 19, please contact Dr. Aldred via email – ka59@evansville.edu

Student Media has produced a brand new internet radio station, Fireside Aces Radio. The station is life with limited, but growing progaming. Enjoy sports, news, music, podcasts, and more. Current programming includes...

The Monday and Friday Nerve hosted by Beverley Buchanan, senior at UE, every Monday from 11am-1:30pm.  This show is centered around the band Nirvana, their personal music inspirations from the 70s-90s, and current music that came after them- inspired and molded by their sound.  The Friday Nerve is also hosted by Bev, every Friday from 11am-2pm.  Since Kurt Cobain was an all-around feminist, this show is reserved for the exploration of all female punk, folk, independent, and alternative rock from the 70s to today.

Musical Madness is hosted by Andrea Lenser, who is a sophomore at UE. This show airs from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM every Saturday and features show tunes from a variety of stage and movie musicals, such as Hamilton, Beetlejuice, Dear Evan Hansen, Six, Tick Tick Boom, In the Heights, and many more.
Caution: strong language and mature themes may appear in the songs during this show, so it is recommended for teens and up.

Listening Local is hosted by Bev Rowley, a junior at UE. This show features locally signed bands and artists such as The Chugs, Ghost Prom, The Strangers, Swamp Eyes, and more. Most bands are signed by Wally Opus, a local record label here in Evansville, Indiana.

Soulsync Spectrum is hosted by Noah Watters, a senior at UE. This show typically airs every Tuesday and Thursday from 7-9pm CT. If you’re able to catch one of my shows, you’ll typically hear me playing relaxing RnB music that’ll really hit you, such as: Frank Ocean, Brent Faiyaz, Daniel Caesar and more!

And there is a lot more with a lot more to come.

Listen here... https://fireside.evansville.edu

UE students seeking financial aid or intending to use loan funds for summer courses at UE should complete a Summer Financial Aid Application and return it to the Office of Student Financial Services (Olmsted 105) however is most convenient by April 25, 2024. The application will allow our office to assess your financial aid and loan eligibility.

Work-Study:

On-campus jobs are available for continuing UE students during the summer. You do not need to be eligible for need-based Federal Work-Study during the academic year in order to apply. You may also apply regardless of your enrollment in summer courses. Applications will be available within the Student Employment area of Self-Service.

Activities are being planned for Monday, April 8, beginning at 11:00 a.m. as the eclipse approaches totality at 2:02 p.m. If you or your student organization is interested in providing an activity, please contact Kelsey Rowland at kr286@evansville.edu and copy Paula Heldt at ph28@evansville.edu by March 1.

Learn more about the eclipse by visiting, https://www.evansville.edu/ueclipse/

It’s Time to Nominate a Deserving Senior for the Outstanding Senior Service Award

Do you know a senior deserving of the highest award given by UE? Ten finalists will be selected, and one student will be presented this award at Commencement. Selection is based on academic achievement, demonstrated leadership, and community and campus engagement.

The Guthrie May and Mabel Dillingham Nenneker Outstanding Senior Service Award nominations will be accepted February 19 – March 15, 2024.?Students nominated must accept their nomination by 5:00 p.m. on March 22nd, 2024.

You can nominate deserving seniors by completing the form below. Once you submit a nomination, students will receive an automatic email giving them the opportunity to accept the award.

https://www.jotform.com/220724520906046

Please contact Alyson Roblero Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs/ Dean of Students (ar564@evansville.edu) with any questions.

The General Board of Higher Education & Ministry awards scholarships to United Methodist college students in the United States. The Fall 2024 deadline to apply for these scholarships is March 13th. To apply or get more information about the application process, visit GBHEM.org.

Congratulations to the 2024 Soupapalooza winner, Brooke Weaver! Her rendition of "Marry Me" was soup-er delicious, earning her this purple apron!

Thank you to SAA for hosting this epic Scholarship fundraiser and to all the chef submissions!

University of Evansville (UE) Professor Kristie Daugherty recently unveiled her groundbreaking paper titled "'Rooting for the Anti-Hero': Taylor Swift's Lyrics and the Contemporary Female Protagonist" at the highly anticipated Swiftposium. Organized by scholars from six universities across Australia and New Zealand, Swiftposium marks the first international academic conference dedicated to the cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift.

With over 400 paper proposals received, Daugherty's paper was among the select 130 chosen for presentation at the event, a testament to its academic rigor and innovative insights. Swiftposium hosted scholars from 78 academic institutions worldwide, representing diverse disciplines and perspectives at the University of Melbourne from Feb. 11 to Feb. 13.

Daugherty's paper expands on her previous work discussing Taylor Swift in academic circles. She previously presented at a Taylor Swift conference at Indiana University. The Swiftposium further explored Swift's impact on modern life, covering topics such as gender, fandom, popular culture, literature, and the music industry.

"It was an immense privilege to take part in the Swiftposium, delving into the profound influence Taylor Swift has on our culture," remarked Daughtery. "This event served as a unique platform for scholars to analyze her societal impact. I feel deeply honored to engage in this collective exploration, exchanging insights with academics from across the globe."

For the first and only time in the regular season, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team will face Southern Illinois in a Sunday game at the Ford Center.  Tip is set for 1 p.m. CT with ESPN+ and the Purple Aces Radio Network on the call.

Last Time Out

- Trailing by a 63-58 margin inside of six minutes remaining, UIC finished on a 30-16 run to take an 88-79 win on Wednesday night in Chicago

- Ben Humrichous put forth a stellar effort with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists

- Kenny Strawbridge Jr. tallied 14 points and 4 assists while Chuck Bailey III checked in with 13

- Gage Bobe was 4-for-4 from outside on his way to 12 points

Another in Double Figures

- In four games between Jan. 27 and Feb. 7, Chuck Bailey III was held to 4.5 points per game, but the last four games have seen major improvements

- Bailey has registered 9.5 PPG in the last four while shooting 55.1% (16-of-29)

- He made the first start of his career at Drake and recorded four of UE’s opening six points while grabbing four boards

- His 81.9% showing from the free throw line this season is tied for 9th in the MVC

At His Best

- Kenny Strawbridge Jr. may be playing the best basketball of his collegiate career

- Over the last six games, he has recorded 12.2 points and 4.2 assists per game

- Defensively, he is one of the best in the MVC and is second with 1.74 steals/game

- He has reached double figures in four consecutive games and has multiple assists in each of the last six outings

Back at his Best

- Ben Humrichous continues to get better and better since returning to the floor

- He has scored 18+ points in each of the last three games, averaging 19.7 PPG over that time

- He was 7-of-12 from the field with 6 boards and 6 assists at UIC

- Humrichous was held scoreless in the first half at Illinois State before erupting for 21 points in the final 20 minutes

- He finished the game 8-of-15 from the field and converted five 3-pointers; it was his first 20-point game since posting 27 against SEMO in Chattanooga

- That came on the heels of an 18-point effort versus Drake, his best since tallying 18 against UNI on Dec. 2

Scouting the Opponent

- Southern Illinois comes to the Ford Center with a mark of 18-10 and are 10-7 in the MVC
- After dropping a road game at Belmont on Feb. 14, the Salukis have rebounded with back-to-back home wins over #23 Indiana State and Murray State

- Xavier Johnson has been on of the league’s top players throughout the season and leads the team with 22.8 points per game

- He paces the MVC in scoring along with his average of 6.14 assists per contest

- Trent Brown is second on the team with 9.3 PPG

- On the boards, Clarence Rupert holds the top team mark with 6.2 per game

University of Evansville senior diver Madison Rollett (Evansville, Ind./Reitz) placed fifth in the one-meter diving competition on Thursday, as the Purple Aces hosted day two of the Missouri Valley Conference Swimming & Diving Championships at the Deaconess Aquatic Center in Evansville, Indiana.

Rollett posted a score of 262.70 in the final round to place fifth in a closely-contested one-meter final on Thursday night.  Illinois State’s Eva Reyes edged out Southern Illinois’ Farida Moussa by 0.1 points, 286.80-286.70, to win the overall title, while Rollett fell just 3.05 points shy of UIC’s Ciara McCliment for third-place.  With the fifth-place finish, Rollett earned honorable mention all-MVC honors for the second time in her UE career.

In other events, UE junior Sveva Brugnoli (Rome, Italy) advanced to the ‘C Final’ of the 200-Yard IM on Thursday, and placed sixth in her final with a time of 2:06.82.  Brugnoli also helped UE’s 200-Yard Freestyle Relay team place eighth with a time of 1:36.78.  She teamed with sophomore Mia Pesavento (Enola, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and freshmen Ane Madina Garate (Onati, Spain) and Evelyn Chin (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) in the 200 Free Relay.

Evansville currently ranks eighth as a team, with 137 points through seven events.  Defending champion Missouri State currently leads the field, with pre-tournament favorite Indiana State in second place.  The MVC Championships will continue on Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. with preliminary round swims in the 100-Yard Butterfly, 400 IM, the 200-Yard Freestyle, and the 100-Yard Breaststroke and Backstroke events, as well as the three-meter diving competition.

UPCOMING MVC CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Friday

Prelims - 10:30 AM (CT)

100 Butterfly

400 IM

200 Freestyle

100 Breaststroke

100 Backstroke

3-Meter Diving Prelims

Finals - 6 PM (CT)

100 Butterfly

400 IM

200 Freestyle

100 Breaststroke

100 Backstroke

3-Meter Diving (9-16)

400 Medley Relay

Saturday

Prelims - 10:30 AM (CT)

200 Backstroke

100 Freestyle

200 Breaststroke

200 Butterfly

1650 Freestyle*

Finals - 6 PM (CT)

1650 Freestyle*

200 Backstroke

100 Freestyle

200 Breaststroke

200 Butterfly

3-Meter Diving (1-8)

400 Freestyle Relay

The University of Evansville baseball team will look to continue its hot start to the 2024 season this weekend, as the Purple Aces travel south to take on the University of New Orleans Privateers in a three-game series.  All three games can be seen live on ESPN+, with the series starting Friday night at 6:30 p.m.

Evansville is off to a 3-1 start this year, which is UE’s best since a 3-1 start to begin the 2014 season.  The Purple Aces are off to an historic start offensively so far, as UE has scored more runs through the first four games (47) than in any year in program history.  Overall, Evansville ranks 18th in the country in runs scored with 47, and UE ranks 14th overall in scoring (11.8 runs per game).

Offensively, UE is led by the middle infield duo of senior shortstop Simon Scherry and junior second baseman Cal McGinnis.  Scherry leads the team with a .538 average, while McGinnis is not far behind at .529.  Evansville has six different hitters currently hitting over .300, and overall, UE is hitting .331 as a team.

New Orleans, meanwhile, is 2-2 on the year after dropping a 15-10 contest to Southern Miss on Wednesday.  The Privateers went 36-24 a year ago, and UNO advanced to the final game of the 2024 Southland Conference Tournament.  Graduate outfielder Victor Castillo currently leads the Privateers with a .333 average.

UE and New Orleans have not met since the 2000 season, with the Privateers holding a slim 4-3 advantage in the series.  UE head coach Wes Carroll is no stranger to New Orleans, as he played against the Privateers during his time at Evansville, and he also played one season of minor league baseball for the New Orleans Zyphers before returning to his alma mater in 2007 to help coach the Purple Aces.

The University of Evansville women’s basketball team came a basket shy of picking up its second road Missouri Valley Conference win at Indiana State.

The Purple Aces kept the Sycamores on their toes through 40 minutes but didn’t make their last shot in the 69-66 loss. UE had a strong game on defense, outrebounding Indiana State 42 to 38 and defending the arc to the tune of only 18.2%. Evansville’s post players led the way again as forward Maggie Hartwig had another 22-point game while forward Nevaeh Thomas had her fourth double-double of the season.

It was a quick start early for both teams, but the Aces took a 5-2 lead as guard Julia Palomo made the first three of the game. UE didn’t hold onto the lead for long as it was traded between the two teams four times in the first five minutes. Following the media timeout, neither team could find a basket on the floor as the game remained 8-7 Sycamores for three minutes. Evansville was able to keep it close under the glass, tying the game on a three-point play from Thomas with two minutes remaining. Indiana State was back in front briefly but layups from Palomo and Hartwig had the Aces up by two after one.

UE’s offense was quiet in the second quarter, with only 13 points through 10 minutes of play. Evansville’s first points of the quarter came from Thomas in the paint over two minutes in and would be one of only two baskets made in the first five minutes. The Aces' other nine points of the quarter came during a two-minute stretch following a timeout. UE couldn’t make another shot in the final two minutes as the Sycamores ended the half on an eight-point run for an 11-point deficit.

Evansville had a quick turnaround to start the second half, keeping Indiana State scoreless for the first three minutes while adding five points. The Aces were five of eight from the floor in the first six minutes of the third quarter, including three straight buckets right after the 5:30 mark. It returned to a back-and-forth pace for the rest of the quarter as neither team strung together a run in the back half of the third. But UE got within five points in the final seconds of the quarter with two free throws from guard Tené Smith.

It was a hot start to the fourth for Evansville as the team had its best offensive quarter of the game, shooting 46.7% from the floor and 50% behind the arc. Hartwig connected on back-to-back threes in the first minute and a half to make it a one-possession game early. The Aces tied the game for the first time since the second quarter with six minutes to go as Thomas put together five straight points on an and-1 along with two made free throws.

Only 20 seconds later, Hartwig made a three-point play of her own for UE’s first lead of the second half. But the Sycamores responded with a seven-point run after a timeout to retake the lead. Two layups from Hartwig and guard Lexie Sinclair put Evansville back within two points, but the Aces offense went cold for over two minutes as Indiana State had a four-point lead. With only nine seconds on the clock, Sinclair drilled a three from the top of the arc to make it a one-point game.  UE quickly fouled on the next possession, putting a Sycamore at the line for two. Evansville went back to Sinclair for the last shot setting up a three to send the game into overtime. But the shot from the left wing bounced off the far side of the rim and out as the Aces fell to Indiana State 69-66.

Along with Hartwig and Thomas, Sinclair had a double-figure performance with 13 points. Thomas led UE on defense with 13 rebounds while guard Kynidi Mason Striverson had two steals. Mason Striverson and Hartwig led Evansville in assists with five each while Sinclaire added four.

The Aces get two days off before the next game of their four-game road stretch. UE heads to Normal for its lone matchup with the Illinois State Redbirds on Sunday, Feb. 25. Tip-off for Evansville from CEFCU Arena is set for 2 p.m.

Spring play opens this weekend for the University of Evansville women’s golf team with the Purple Aces traveling to the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational.  White Wing Golf Course at Rio Verde Country Club in Rio Verde, Ariz. is the host course for the event.

Three single rounds will be played with one round taking place Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Par is 72 and the yardage is 6,024.  The field for the tournament includes Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Bradley, Butler, California Baptist, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Evansville, Illinois State, Kennesaw State, Loyola Chicago, Missouri State, Oakland, Ohio U., South Dakota, Utah Tech, Wichita State, Western Michigan and Xavier.

Evansville’s lineup is set to include Magdalena Borisova, Allison Enchelmayer, Jane Grankina, Kate Petrova and Destynie Sheridan.  Petrova was UE’s top performer in the fall, pacing the team with a 76.36 stroke average.  Her top finish was a tie for 5th at the Braun Intercollegiate at Oak Meadow Country Club.  She earned a 7th-place tie at the Saluki Invitational.

Enchelmayer had a solid fall season, completing her 11 rounds with a 78.27 average.  She came home in a tie for 11th at The Velvet for her top finish.

Week three of the season for the University of Evansville softball team will see the Purple Aces in Monroe, La. for the Best on the Bayou Tournament.  UE will face Northwestern State, Syracuse, Sam Houston and UL Monroe over the next three days.

Friday’s action opens with a contest at 11 a.m. against Northwestern State, who is 5-7 on the season.  Two weeks ago at the Texas State Tournament, NSU defeated Missouri Valley Conference rival Southern Illinois by a 6-3 final.  Following the first game, UE is right back on the field for a 1:30 p.m. game versus Syracuse.  The Orange stand at 6-3 on the season with a pair of wins over Maryland last weekend at the Southeastern Louisiana Lion Classic.

On Saturday, the Aces take to the field for a 2 p.m. match-up versus Sam Houston, who stands at 3-6 this season before facing host UL Monroe.  Evansville faces the Warhawks at 7 p.m. on Saturday evening before taking them on again on Sunday at 11:30 a.m.  ULM enters the weekend with a record of 8-4.

Evansville hosted a home tournament last weekend with Austin Peay and Miami Ohio coming to Tri-State Orthopaedics Field at James & Dorothy Cooper Stadium.  Batting .444 in the weekend home tournament, Marah Wood raised her season batting average to .409.  With two weekends in the books, Wood has accumulated nine hits in 22 trips to the plate.  Her .480 on-base tally also leads the squad.

Freshman Abby Bode made the first start of her career on Sunday against Austin Peay and provided an immediate spark in the lineup.  She picked up two hits in three at-bats and accumulated three assists on the defensive side.

Zoe Frossard has enjoyed a solid start to the year and checks in with a .353 batting average.  She leads the squad with four RBI and is tied for the team-high with four walks.

Ben Humrichous scored 20 while Kenny Strawbridge Jr. added 14 on Wednesday as the University of Evansville men’s basketball team dropped an 88-79 game to UIC inside Credit Union 1 Arena.

Humrichous was 7-of-12 from the field and connected on all four free throw tries.  He added six assists, six rebounds and two steals.  Strawbridge added four assists and two steals.  Chuck Bailey III recorded 13 points as he converted six of his nine attempts.  Hitting all four 3-point tries, Gage Bobe tallied 12 points.  UIC was led by Isaiah Rivera’s 25 points.

Gage Bobe got things started with a three before Ben Humrichous connected from outside to put UE on top by a score of 8-5.  UE slowly added to its lead as Cam Haffner posted a pair of field goals to help the Aces take their largest lead of the half at 17-9 at the 13:35 mark.

UIC rallied back with seven in a row before Haffner put an end to it with a triple that was made possible by a Humrichous offensive board.  The Flames rallied to tie it up at 20-20 before Evansville regained control.  Inside the 5-minute mark, Bobe knocked down his second triple to solidify a 31-25 lead.  Chuck Bailey III converted a 3-point play just over a minute later to reestablish a 6-point advantage at 36-30.

Over the final 3:26 of the period, UIC made its way back, scoring the final six points to tie the game at halftime.  Their defense clamped down, holding UE to 0-for-3 while forcing four turnovers in the final moments of the period.

On its first possession of the second half, UIC took its first lead of the evening at 38-36.  Kenny Strawbridge Jr. quickly put the Purple Aces back in front, countering with a triple on the other side of the floor.  Strawbridge recorded UE’s first nine points of the half to give his team a 45-43 edge.  Multiple lead changes ensued before Evansville was able to take a 2-possession edge.

With the Aces down 54-53, Humrichous hit two free throws to put his team back on top.  His layup with 8:05 remaining pushed the lead to five at 61-56.  Evansville remained up five when a turnaround jumper by Humrichous made it a 63-58 score.  The Flames used the next two minutes to go on an 12-4 run to retake a 70-67 lead with 4:37 remaining.  UIC converted four triples in less than two minutes.

UIC’s run continued as they extended the lead to a game-high nine points (78-69) with less than two minutes left.  During their run, the Flames hit eight out of ten field goal tries.  Entering the final minute, Bobe nailed his fourth triple in as many attempts to chop the deficit to six.  That would be as close as UE would get in the final seconds as the Flames clinched the 88-79 win.

Both teams shot exceptionally well with UE finishing at 52.5% while the Flames shot 51.9%.  UIC picked up a 30-27 rebounding nod.  Evansville will be back inside the Ford Center to welcome Southern Illinois on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Serving as the host for the Missouri Valley Conference Championships for the first time in school history, the University of Evansville women’s swimming and diving team completed their first night of the Valley Championships on Wednesday at the Deaconess Aquatic Center in Evansville.

The 200-Yard Medley Relay team of freshmen Ane Madina Garate (Onati, Spain), Rafaela Makariewicz (Porto Alegre, Brazil) and Rebecca Lago (Tezze sul Brenta, Italy) and junior Sveva Brugnoli (Rome, Italy) placed seventh overall with a time of 1:45.59.  The Purple Aces also placed eighth in the 800-Yard Freestyle Relay 45 minutes later, turning in a time of 7:57.74 from the quartet of junior Mari Mueller (Zurich, Switzerland) and freshmen Hannah Krings (Madison, Ala./Westminster Christian Academy), Luana Carrotta (Ercolano, Italy), and Lago.

Defending champion Missouri State currently leads the MVC Championships with 128 points, with Indiana State 20 points behind in second place.  UE is currently in seventh place, ahead of both Valparaiso and Southern Illinois.

The MVC Championships will continue on Thursday, with action in the 500-Yard Freestyle, 200-Yard IM, 50-Yard Freestyle, 200-Yard Freestyle Relay, and the one-meter diving competition.  Preliminary round swims will begin at 10:30 a.m., with diving scheduled around noon, and final-round competition beginning at 6 p.m.  Tickets for the MVC Swimming & Diving Championships are available on-line at GoPurpleAces.com/Tickets, with single-session prices being $10 for adults and $7 for kids ages 2-17.

UPCOMING MVC CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

Thursday

Prelims - 10:30 AM (CT)

500 Freestyle

200 IM

50 Freestyle

1-Meter Prelims

1-Meter Consolation (9-16)

Finals - 6 PM (CT)

500 Freestyle

200 IM

50 Freestyle

1-Meter Diving (1-8)

200 Freestyle Relay

Friday

Prelims - 10:30 AM (CT)

100 Butterfly

400 IM

200 Freestyle

100 Breaststroke

100 Backstroke

3-Meter Diving Prelims

Finals - 6 PM (CT)

100 Butterfly

400 IM

200 Freestyle

100 Breaststroke

100 Backstroke

3-Meter Diving (9-16)

400 Medley Relay

Saturday

Prelims - 10:30 AM (CT)

200 Backstroke

100 Freestyle

200 Breaststroke

200 Butterfly

1650 Freestyle*

Finals - 6 PM (CT)

1650 Freestyle*

200 Backstroke

100 Freestyle

200 Breaststroke

200 Butterfly

3-Meter Diving (1-8)

400 Freestyle Relay

After back-to-back conference wins for the first time since 2017, UE wasn't able to make it three games straight on Saturday in a 72-56 loss to Missouri State. The Aces hung with the Lady Bears within a possession through three quarters but ran out of gas in the 4th quarter. 

Indiana State comes into Thursday's game, after a loss to Southern Illinois on Saturday afternoon. The Sycamores have four Valley wins on the year, including their prior meeting Evansville to start conference play. Indiana State has excelled this season in three-point defense, as Valley teams have connected on just 25.7 percent of their 3-point attempts against ISU. The Sycamores are the only team in the MVC with a 3-point defense better than 28 percent in conference play. 

Freshman forward Maggie Hartwig added her fifth double-double of the season in 35 minutes against Southern Illinois. Hartwig led UE in scoring with 22 points and led on the defensive side of the ball, grabbing 12 boards. Hartwig also extended her double-digit scoring streak to five games against Missouri State with 11 points. For her performance last week, she was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week for the third time this season. It was her first honor during conference play after two during the non-conference portion of the season.

Two players set career-scoring highs against the Salukis on Thursday evening. Junior guard Lexie Sinclair had her best offensive game with 20 points and six assists for two new records. Freshman guard Tené Smith scored 16 points, going a perfect 5-5 from the floor to set a new career high. The Aces are also now perfect in overtime games on the season following Thursday's victory. UE pulled off a win at Chicago State in three overtime periods along with the 93-89 win over SIU.