Despite getting career-high scoring efforts from sophomore forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) and senior center Audrey Turner (Fishers, Indiana), University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball could not hang onto a seven-point third-quarter lead as visiting Truman State University handed the No. 11 Screaming Eagles a 73-67 Great Lakes Valley Conference setback Saturday afternoon at Screaming Eagles Arena.
Haithcock had a career-high 22 points and team-high eight rebounds, while Turner finished with a career-high 15 points. However, a season-high 27 fouls proved to be too much for the Eagles to overcome as Haithcock was among three starters to foul out in the fourth quarter.
Truman State (11-2, 11-2 GLVC), which overcame a seven-point third-quarter deficit to earn the win, went 21-of-37 from the free throw line, including 14-of-18 in the fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs used runs of 11-3 and 5-0 in the final period to take a 67-60 lead with a minute to play in the contest.
Turner, however, hit a pair of free throws and a layup in the lane to get USI to within three points with 37 seconds to play.
After a pair of free throws by sophomore guard Hannah Belanger put the Bulldogs back up by five, senior guard Emma DeHart (Indianapolis, Indiana), who finished with 15 points and a career-high six assists, converted the old-fashioned three-point play to get the Eagles to within two points (69-67) with 32 seconds left on the clock.
The Bulldogs converted one-of-two free throws on the other end and USI had the ball with a chance to tie the contest with a three-pointer in the final 20 seconds. Junior guard Katie Klucking, however, intercepted a pass from sophomore guard Soffia Rieckers (Evansville, Indiana) and was fouled by DeHart, who picked up her fifth personal in the process.
Klucking, who had 20 points, hit 1-of-2 free throws to raise Truman’s lead to 71-67 with 18 seconds left. After the Eagles failed to score on their next possession, Belanger, who had a game-high 26 points, put the game on ice with a pair of free throws.
USI, which had four fouls in the first 75 seconds of the contest, overcame early foul trouble to take a 36-33 lead at the break. Haithcock had a pair of three-pointers and 13 first-half points to pace USI in the opening 20 minutes.
The Eagles extended their advantage to 49-42 six minutes into the third period before the Bulldogs closed the frame on an 8-2 run. USI led 53-50 early in the fourth and had a 56-54 lead before Truman State scored seven straight points to build a five-point edge.
USI returns to action Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. when it visits Quincy University. The Hawks (1-12, 1-12 GLVC) suffered an 87-52 setback to the University of Indianapolis Saturday in Indianapolis.
