Preview: Illinois State Redbirds at Evansville Purple Aces EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Interstat) — The Illinois State Redbirds look to continue their climb in the Missouri Valley Conference standings when they visit the struggling Evansville Purple Aces in a women’s basketball matchup Sunday at Ford Center. Illinois State (13-9) enters on a four-game winning streak, its longest in conference play this season. The Redbirds are coming off a 77-70 home victory over Drake last Saturday, fueled by a standout performance from guard Trista Fayta. The team’s recent success contrasts sharply with Evansville’s season; the Purple Aces sit at 6-18 overall and have lost eight of their last ten. The teams met just over a month ago in Normal, with Illinois State securing an 82-71 win on Jan. 11. Fayta will be a focal point again for the Redbirds. Over her last five games, she is averaging 13.6 points and 6.0 assists, including a 23-point, 9-assist effort against Drake. Evansville seeks to halt its skid after a narrow 68-65 road loss to Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 7. The Purple Aces will rely on forward Breaunna Ward, who nearly posted a triple-double in that contest with 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Ward has been a bright spot, scoring in double figures in three of her last five games. Illinois State’s surge has been built on balanced scoring and timely defense, while Evansville has struggled to close out tight games, with three of its last five losses coming by single digits. The Redbirds aim to sweep the season series and solidify their conference positioning, while the Purple Aces look to capitalize on home court and salvage a split. Tip-off is set for Sunday afternoon. Illinois State visits Belmont next Friday, while Evansville hosts Northern Iowa on Feb. 21.