EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (Interstat) — In a game defined by contrasting styles and a frantic fourth-quarter rally, the SIU Edwardsville Cougars held off the visiting Evansville Purple Aces 75-69 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at the Vadalabene Center.

The Cougars, who led wire-to-wire, improved to 4-2 on the season, while the Purple Aces fell to 1-5.

SIU Edwardsville established control early, capitalizing on Evansville’s sloppy ball-handling to build a 19-11 lead after the first quarter. The Cougars extended their advantage to 36-23 by halftime, dominating the interior by outscoring Evansville 42-14 in the paint for the game.

The contest turned into a tale of efficiency versus volume shooting. While both teams had an identical 72 possessions, the Cougars were the more effective squad, posting an offensive rating of 104.5 compared to Evansville’s 96.2. SIU Edwardsville shot 30 for 61 from the floor and was a perfect 8 for 8 from the free-throw line.

Evansville, conversely, relied heavily on the three-point shot to stage its comeback. The Purple Aces launched 30 attempts from beyond the arc, connecting on 16, but struggled mightily at the free-throw line, making just 3 of 10 attempts. The team also committed 18 turnovers, which the Cougars converted into 22 points.

Lauren Miller, a 5-foot-10 guard from Camp Point, Illinois, led all scorers with 22 points for SIU Edwardsville, adding two assists and a block in 31 minutes. She was instrumental in the Cougars’ interior-focused attack. She was complemented by Kiyoko Proctor of Alton, Illinois, who scored 16 points and dished out four assists.

The Purple Aces mounted a significant challenge in the second half, outscoring the Cougars 46-39. A 28-point fourth-quarter explosion, fueled by their three-point shooting, brought them back into the game. However, the early deficit and SIU Edwardsville’s steady scoring in the final period proved too much to overcome.

Camryn Runner led the Evansville charge, posting 18 points and six assists in a game-high 39 minutes. Sydney Huber scored 17 points, all in the second half, while Logan Luebbers Palmer and Jelena Savic each added 16 and 12 points, respectively. Savic, from Melbourne, Australia, was a key part of the long-range attack, hitting multiple critical threes during the comeback attempt.

Despite the loss, Evansville’s shooting from deep kept the pressure on until the final moments. The Cougars, however, secured the victory with clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch, not missing a single attempt from the line all night.

The game was played before an announced crowd of 708. Evansville will look to rebound on the road Sunday at Northern Illinois, while SIU Edwardsville returns to action at home Friday, Dec. 5, against Calumet College.