Palomo Soars to New Heights with Career-Best Three-Pointer at Loyola Chicago

CHICAGO – In the concluding non-conference match of the season, the University of Evansville women’s basketball squad was defeated by the Loyola Chicago Ramblers with a score of 70-57.

The Purple Aces faced challenges in overcoming a subdued offensive first half against their last non-Missouri Valley Conference foe on Saturday. UE recovered in the second half, achieving a shooting percentage of 56.5% and nine three-point shots. However, it was not sufficient to propel Evansville past the Ramblers before entering Valley competition.

The Aces made early progress on Saturday afternoon, as sophomore forward Maggie Hartwig (Sauk City, Wis. / Sauk Prairie HS) recorded UE’s initial basket just shy of a minute into the game. Hartwig was the sole player for Evansville to make field goals within the first 10 minutes, with her second shot coming early in the fourth minute. Nonetheless, Hartwig’s layup marked the last of the Aces’ scoring as they endured over five minutes without a score, allowing Loyola to build a 15-point lead.

During the initial four minutes of the second quarter, UE kept pace with the Ramblers shot for shot. Evansville managed its first scoring spree of the game, netting five consecutive points in just over a minute. However, following a timeout by Loyola, the Aces fell silent once more in the first half, trailing by 20 points.

A transformed UE team emerged at the start of the second half, hitting its first five attempts. The Aces orchestrated a seven-point run, topped by a Kaiden Kreinhagen (Indianapolis / North Central HS) three-pointer that forced a Rambler timeout just three minutes in. UE sustained its offensive momentum from the timeout, extending its run to 13 points. Although the scoring streak concluded just over five minutes into the third quarter, Evansville narrowed its deficit to single digits. Two separate runs by Loyola towards the end of the quarter had the Aces aiming for a comeback of 12 points in the final quarter.

The first points for UE in the fourth were logged by freshman guard Logan Leubbers Palmer (Union, Ky. / Randall K. Cooper HS), who scored the only two points of the game. Evansville’s next basket, occurring two and a half minutes later, was a second-chance three-pointer by senior guard Júlia Palomo (La Seu d’Urgell, Spain). The Aces then sank three consecutive threes from different players, reducing the lead down to 11 points. However, a six-point flurry from the Ramblers sealed the deal for UE. Palomo concluded the game for Evansville with back-to-back triples, reaching a new career high with four made three-pointers in the 70-57 defeat.

Hartwig topped the game’s statistics for the Aces with 18 points, nine rebounds, and three steals. UE had two additional players reaching double digits in scoring, as freshman guard Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind. / Hamilton Heights HS) amassed 16 points, with Palomo closely following at 15 points. Alongside setting a new career high for three-pointers made, Palomo also established a career best in assists, leading Evansville with seven assists.

The Aces are set to return to the court following the Christmas break at the Ford Center on Saturday, December 29^th. UE will kick off MVC competition against the reigning 2023-24 Champion Drake Bulldogs in an Evansville doubleheader. After the women’s matchup at 12 p.m., the Aces men’s basketball team will face Missouri State at 3 p.m.