Evansville women's basketball taking it 'a game at a time' as MVC play continues

EVANSVILLE — Despite being competitive against two teams that made the postseason a year ago, the University of Evansville women’s basketball team dropped its first two Missouri Valley Conference games against Southern Illinois and Missouri State. The Purple Aces led the Salukis by as many as 11 points, but a late run sent the win to Carbondale. The Bears then overpowered UE on the glass, which led to Missouri State taking the game.

The Aces (5-5, 0-2 MVC) have made strides since Robyn Scherr-Wells took over the program in 2021. UE stands three wins off its total from last season, which was the Aces’ highest mark in five years. UE lost its first two conference games by a combined 21 points, while the same opponents beat the Aces by a combined 60 points in their first two meetings last season.

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“We’ve had some really good moments and we’ve had moments this season where I know we can be better,” Scherr-Wells said. “This weekend was definitely evidence of that. I think that we competed extremely well, but that wasn’t the goal. The goal was to win those games.”

Scherr-Wells came into the campaign with the goal of winning more games, something that seems likely nearing the halfway point. UE faces Valparaiso on Thursday as it searches for its first league win.

“We’re doing pretty well. I think our first two conference games were tough games, but we stayed in it,” point guard Anna Newman said. “We just gotta go back to our principles so we can push through fatigue and win those games because we’re right there.”

'We definitely had fewer turnovers' in non-conference play

With the exception of the loss to Bellarmine — “we just shot the ball extremely poor,” Scherr-Wells said — the Aces had success in the non-conference slate. UE lost to Iowa and Illinois, both teams that have made national headlines. And it beat the teams it was supposed to with the exception of the defeat against the Knights.

A home game against Tennessee-Martin was postponed because of weather, and a new date is yet to be announced. The hope is to play the game this season, but there are concerns regarding both teams’ conference schedules.

UE has found success on both ends. Abby Feit started the season slowly but took off against Chicago State at Ford Center while Myia Clark surpassed the 1,000-point career threshold against Southeast Missouri State.

“I think we’ve gotten better in all aspects,” Feit said. “We have, for the most part, the same team, so we’re just getting better at working together.”

Scherr-Wells said this season’s non-conference play was better and more competitive than last year’s, which gave the Aces a strong platform to build on heading into Valley play. As both players and coaches attested, the success came with ball security. That needs continued improving as the season progresses.

“In the non-conference season, we definitely had fewer turnovers,” Clark said. “That’s something that we’re trying to fix. Other than that, we’re doing pretty well, we just gotta close out games.”

'A game at a time': Improving in Missouri Valley play

Scherr-Wells pointed to areas on both sides of the ball as places UE needs to improve upon. She spoke about rebounding and playing better help defense while reducing turnovers within this fast brand of basketball.

Missouri State exposed the Aces’ rebounding ability, an area they are looking to improve upon. Scherr-Wells also emphasized pacing on the offensive end — knowing when to push and be more aggressive.

“We harped on our players to take it a game at a time, and that’s truly what we have to do as coaches,” Scherr-Wells said. “The bigger picture is the things that we need to get better at on our end of things, and that’s what we’re focusing on.”

UE has largely found success driving to the basket and with Feit and Clark hitting timely shots down the stretch. The Aces have also had success in getting to the free-throw line. All of those are things they’ll need if they are to start turning the positive momentum into wins on conference play.

“We just need to keep pushing the ball, keep our pace going,” Newman said. “If we can keep driving on teams and making good passes and making the extra with a great shot, that’ll help us a lot.

“On defense, we just have to help each other. If someone gets beat, we have to be there and they have to trust us that we’re there. A lot of communication, a lot of trust can go a long way.”

As UE continues to work on improving its game, Scherr-Wells has made strides in building the identity she wants for the program. Coming off the Aces’ best showing in five years, she felt last season could have brought more wins. While she noted the record may not show it to this point, she has “no doubt we’re a lot better and a lot further along than we were at this time last year.”

“I think it’s just pushing through fatigue,” Clark said. “We’re playing a lot of minutes and (it’s) just making sure that we’re doing our part continuously and consistently throughout the game so we’re able to finish out some of these wins.”

UE, which hosts Indiana State after traveling to Valparaiso, has shown some tangible improvements. The Aces average more points per game and are shooting nearly 40% from the field with improved 3-point shooting.

“I think the Valley is more even this year; it’s more balanced,” Feit said. “I think we’re definitely going to get quite a few wins out of it.”

While areas such as rebounding and turnovers have been a concern early in MVC play, there is confidence within the program that further improvements will come.

“There are areas that we can grow and they’re within our control, and that’s the positive thing,” Scherr-Wells said. “I think we’re going to continue to get better. We’re still building, this is a program that is building, and our girls believe in where we’re headed. We’re certainly going to keep fighting to get better.”

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville women's basketball taking it 'a game at a time' in MVC play