EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Interstat) — A dominant second-half surge propelled the Evansville Purple Aces to their first victory of the season, defeating the visiting IU Indy Jaguars 75-58 in a nonconference women’s basketball game Thursday night at Ford Center.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 275, was a tale of two halves, with the Purple Aces flipping a competitive contest into a comfortable win with a 27-point third quarter.

Evansville, which improved to 1-4, was carried by a stellar performance from guard Camryn Runner. The Cicero, Indiana, native scored 25 points and dished out seven assists, orchestrating the offense that found its rhythm after halftime. She was complemented by Logan Luebbers Palmer, who poured in 23 points, including five 3-pointers.

The Jaguars, who fell to 2-3, were led by Nevaeh Foster’s 16 points. Sydney Bolden added 11 points for IU Indy.

The first half was a low-scoring, back-and-forth affair. Evansville held a 16-11 lead after the first quarter, but the Jaguars’ defense stiffened in the second, holding the Purple Aces to just seven points. IU Indy took a 26-23 lead into the locker room at halftime, capitalizing on Evansville’s offensive struggles.

That momentum evaporated completely in the third quarter. Evansville exploded, outscoring the Jaguars 27-16. The Purple Aces’ offense was efficient and potent, shooting effectively from the field and from beyond the arc to build a double-digit lead from which IU Indy could not recover.

The fourth quarter saw Evansville maintain its offensive pressure, adding another 25 points to seal the victory. The Purple Aces shot 46.2% from the field for the game and were an efficient 9 for 19 from 3-point range. They also capitalized at the free-throw line, making 18 of 24 attempts.

Conversely, IU Indy struggled with its shooting throughout the night, finishing 18 of 53 from the floor for 34%. The Jaguars were hampered by 21 turnovers, which Evansville converted into key scoring opportunities. The Purple Aces also won the battle from long distance, outshooting the Jaguars, who made 8 of 24 from deep.

Defensively, Evansville recorded nine steals, with Runner collecting three of them. Georgia Ferguson contributed two blocks for the Purple Aces. For IU Indy, Hailey Smith and Sydney Bolden each recorded two blocks.

The loss snaps a two-game winning streak for the Jaguars, who had previously defeated Bradley and Indiana State. Evansville’s victory provides a positive turn after a difficult start to the season that included a lopsided loss to Iowa.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, IU Indy had been projected with a 68.80 percent probability to win the contest.

IU Indy will look to rebound on the road against Marshall on Sunday. Evansville continues its homestand, facing SIU Edwardsville next Tuesday.