University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball rallied from a nine-point third-quarter deficit to earn a 63-52 Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division win over visiting Lewis University Saturday afternoon at Screaming Eagles Arena.
USI (4-0, 4-0 GLVC), which trailed 41-32 with just under six minutes top play in the third period, outscored the Flyers 31-11 throughout the final 16 minutes of the contest to earn the victory.
The Screaming Eagles held Lewis to just 2-of-20 shooting during the stretch, 1-of-13 from downtown, and used a strong inside presence to overtake their opponent.
Sophomore forwards Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri) and Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) combined for 14 of the Eagles’ 31 points in the final stretch. Robbe finished with 10 points and four rebounds, while Haithcock scored six of her nine points in the run as she finished the contest with a game and career-high 13 points.
Senior guard Emma DeHart (Indianapolis, Indiana) added seven of her team-leading 14 points in the final 16 minutes as USI was able to overcome a three-point barrage from the Flyers.
Lewis (2-2, 2-2 GLVC), which got a game-high 18 points from freshman guard Jenna Badali, overwhelmed the Eagles with its outside game throughout the first 24 minutes of the contest. The Flyers made good on nine of their first 22 attempts from behind the arc as they rallied from an 11-point second-quarter deficit to take a 29-28 lead into the intermission.
The Flyers went 5-of-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from downtown in the first four minutes of the second half as they extended that cushion to nine points.
USI, however, ended the third quarter on a 10-3 run to close the gap to just two points (44-42) heading into the final period.
After a Haithcock layup tied the contest, the Flyers got a three-pointer from freshman guard Taylor Gugliuzza to take a 47-44 advantage. The three-pointer, however, would prove to be Lewis’s only field goal of the fourth quarter as the Eagles would go on to hold the Flyers 0-of-11 shooting throughout the final nine minutes of the game.
Freshman guard Kenna Hisle’s (Evansville, Indiana) layup with just over seven minutes to play gave the Eagles a 48-47 lead they would not relinquish throughout the remainder of the contest. Haithcock and Robbe followed with baskets throughout the next two minutes and a Robbe free throw with just over five minutes left in the game put USI up 53-47.
USI, which had six different players finish with at least five points, also got nine points from senior guard Ashley Hunter (Flossmoor, Illinois) as well as nine points, four assists and three steals from sophomore guard Addy Blackwell (Bloomington, Indiana). The Eagles held a decided edge in the rebounding battle as they outpaced the Flyers, 46-33, on the glass, while outscoring Lewis 36-12 in the paint.
The Eagles return to action next Saturday at 1 p.m. when they host McKendree University at Screaming Eagles Arena.
