Twelve players scored at least five points, with eight scoring at least eight points, and University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball reached the century mark for the first time in five years as the Screaming Eagles rolled to a 108-42 win over visiting Kentucky Christian University Friday evening at Screaming Eagles Arena.
The 66-point margin of victory was the Eagles’ largest margin of victory since they defeated Mid-Continent University, 109-42, November 18, 2012. The last time USI reached the 100-point plateau was November 20, 2016, when the Eagles defeated Hannibal-LaGrange University, 106-44.
USI (7-1) scored eight straight points in the opening two minutes of the game to build an 8-0 lead. The Eagles shot 52.4 percent (11-21) in the first 10 minutes and led 31-13 heading into the second period. They outscored the Knights 26-5 in the second quarter to extend their advantage to 57-18 at the intermission.
The Eagles went 9-of-19 (.474) from the field in the third period as they extended their advantage to 83-29 heading into the final 10 minutes, before a 62.5 percent shooting effort in the fourth quarter led to 25 more points and USI’s highest point total since it put up 109 points in a 48-point win over Salem International University November 22, 2013—the 108-point performance is tied for USI’s 10th-highest point total in program history.
Freshman guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) paced the Eagles with a game-high tying 16 points to go along with three assists and four rebounds. Shafford went 7-for-7 from the field and 1-for-1 from three-point range as she matched sophomore forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana), who also scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
Senior forward Ashlynn Brown (Perrysburg, Ohio) finished with eight points and a career-high 13 rebounds, while junior forwards Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) and Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri), fifth-year senior guards Ashley Hunter (Flossmoor, Illinois) and Emma DeHart (Indianapolis, Indiana), and freshman center Lauren Carie(Vincennes, Indiana) each finished with eight points.
Junior guards Addy Blackwell (Bloomington, Indiana) and Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana) joined sophomore guard Lexie Green (Indianapolis, Indiana) with seven points apiece, while junior guards Lexi Thompson (Lafayette, Indiana) and Soffia Rieckers (Evansville, Indiana) rounded out USI’s scoring with five and two points, respectively.
Rieckers added five rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Eagles, who out-rebounded the Knights, 54-23, while Robbe dished out a career and game-high tying four assists. Green also had three assists and three steals for USI, which forced the Knights into 28 turnovers.
Kentucky Christian (7-5), which played Friday’s game as an exhibition, was led by sophomore guards Jasmine Flowers and Anna Keeton, who each finished with nine points.
USI closes out the calendar year December 18-19 when it takes on the West Texas A&M University and No. 13 University of Tampa at the Las Vegas South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Notes: USI finished the game with a 23-of-27 (.852) effort at the free throw line. The Eagles made their first 20 shots from the free throw line before going 3-of-7 (.429) during the final 10 minutes of the contest.
