Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team faced a defeat against the University of Evansville on Sunday. The game ended with a score of 85-70 in favor of the Purple Aces.

Evansville's team demonstrated strong performance, shooting 42% from the field and achieving 43% from beyond the arc. Their free throw accuracy stood at 85%, converting 23 out of 27 attempts. They consistently scored over 19 points in each quarter.

Gift Uchenna led Southern Illinois with an impressive performance, scoring 26 points, securing 19 rebounds, and making seven blocks. Despite her efforts, SIU struggled to keep pace with Evansville's aggressive play.

In the first quarter, Evansville set the tone by scoring 21 points compared to SIU's 13. The Salukis had a shooting percentage of just 33% during this period. In the second quarter, SIU was outscored again as Evansville capitalized on their opportunities at the free throw line.

By halftime, Evansville held a lead of 40-25. SIU's field-goal percentage for the half was 32%, with Uchenna contributing significantly to their scoreline.

The third quarter saw some improvement from Southern Illinois offensively, scoring 20 points with Isabella Palmqvist adding ten points to their tally. However, Evansville maintained their advantage by effectively utilizing free throws.

SIU had its most productive quarter in the fourth but couldn't close the gap as Evansville matched them point-for-point. Ultimately, Evansville emerged victorious with an overall scoreline of 85-70.

Aside from Uchenna's contribution, Isabella Palmqvist scored 19 points and Kayla Cooper added another 14 for SIU.

Southern Illinois is scheduled to host Northern Iowa on Friday, Jan. 24 at home.

For more updates on Salukis basketball news and events, fans can follow them on Twitter (@SIU_WBasketball), Instagram (@SIU_WBasketball), Facebook (Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics), or download their mobile app available on major app stores.