EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Interstat) — The Evansville Purple Aces used a decisive third-quarter surge to pull away from the Northern Illinois Huskies and secure a 65-52 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball game Sunday at Ford Center.

In a matchup of teams seeking to reach .500, it was Evansville that found its rhythm after halftime, outscoring Northern Illinois 18-7 in the third period to break open a close contest. The win elevated both teams to identical 2-5 records on the young season.

The game was a defensive struggle from the outset, with Evansville holding a narrow 10-9 lead after a low-scoring first quarter. The Huskies found a bit of offensive flow in the second, putting up 15 points, but the Purple Aces answered with 16 to take a 26-24 advantage into the locker room.

The complexion of the game changed dramatically in the third quarter. Evansville’s defense clamped down, forcing difficult shots and turnovers, while their offense began to execute with efficiency. The 18-7 scoring margin in the frame gave the Purple Aces a comfortable 44-31 lead heading into the final period, a deficit from which Northern Illinois could not recover. Both teams scored 21 points in a high-paced fourth quarter, but the damage was already done.

Logan Luebbers Palmer led all scorers for Evansville, pouring in 19 points to go with three rebounds and a block. The guard from Union, Kentucky, was a consistent offensive threat throughout the contest. She was complemented by a strong all-around performance from Camryn Runner, who stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, six rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal in 31 minutes of action.

Sydney Huber was also instrumental in the victory, contributing seven points, six rebounds, five assists, a block and two steals, providing steady leadership and versatility on both ends of the floor. The Purple Aces’ defensive presence was anchored by Georgia Ferguson, who recorded two blocks and five rebounds in just 14 minutes off the bench.

For Northern Illinois, Nevaeh Wingate paced the offense with 12 points and six rebounds. Julia Sollberger also chipped in 12 points for the Huskies, who struggled to find consistent scoring outside of that duo. Maria Serracanta facilitated the offense with three assists while also pulling down six rebounds in a team-high 32 minutes.

The game was a departure from pregame statistical projections, which heavily favored Northern Illinois. The Huskies were unable to capitalize on that expectation, hampered by cold shooting spells and the pivotal third-quarter run by the home team.

An announced crowd of 516 at the Ford Center watched as Evansville snapped a two-game skid, having lost to SIU Edwardsville and IU Indianapolis in its previous outings. Northern Illinois saw its two-game winning streak, which included victories over Chicago State and SIU Edwardsville, come to an end.

Both teams now look ahead to challenging road games on Wednesday. Northern Illinois will travel to face Indiana State, while Evansville is set for a formidable test against Purdue.