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WICHITA, Kan. – Behind a strong performance by Rangie Bessard, the Wichita State women's basketball team defeated the Evansville Purple Aces, 58-50, to earn a second-straight Missouri Valley Conference victory.

Wichita State was led by Bessard, scoring a game-high 26 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Aundra Stovall and Diamond Lockhart both added eight points for the Shockers.

Both teams shot 40 percent from the field, but the Shockers had 16 assists on 21 field goals, while the Purple Aces had only six assists on 19 field goals.

Evansville was led by Kenyia Johnson with 16 points, while Sara Dickey added 12.

A good start for Evansville quickly gave it an early 12-4 lead, but a three-pointer by Bessard toward the end of the first quarter cut Evansville's lead to 13-7.

To open the second quarter, a basket by Bessard and a three-pointer by Lockhart cut the lead to one. Evansville then went on a 6-0 run of its own to push the lead back to seven, 19-12.

After a 9-0 run by the Shockers and back-to-back three-pointers by Lockhart and Stovall, Wichita State took a 27-24 lead into the locker room at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Purple Aces were able to cut the lead to four, but a basket by TaQuandra Mike and another three-pointer by Stovall quickly pushed the lead back to nine. Evansville scored one more time in the quarter for a 43-36 Shocker lead.

The Shockers put the game away in the fourth quarter with a  4-for-4 effort from the free throw line. Bessard led the Shockers in the fourth frame, scoring nine of the Shockers' 15 points for a 58-50 victory.

Wichita State is now 5-15 overall and 2-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Shockers will be in action again at 2 p.m., Sat., Jan. 30, against Missouri State in Charles Koch Arena.