EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball returned home to Liberty Arena on Sunday afternoon with a solid performance on both ends of the court, opening a three-game homestand with a 76-59 victory over Middle Tennessee State University.
 
USI (6-2) controlled the contest behind a balanced offense and a pesky defense against Middle Tennessee (4-6). In the Screaming Eagles’ final tune-up game before the start of Ohio Valley Conference play later this week, USI shot for over 42 percent (25-59) from the floor, including four made threes, and a season-best 91.7 percent (22-24). Defensively, USI converted 22 turnovers by the Blue Raiders into 23 points. The Eagles also had 22 fast-break points.
 
Senior guard Ali Saunders led the Screaming Eagles in scoring with a game-high 21 points, which was two shy of her USI career best that she set earlier this season against Murray State University. Junior guard Sophia Loden recorded a fourth consecutive double-double performance on Sunday, pouring in 19 points and hauling in 11 rebounds. Loden’s four straight double-doubles are the most consecutive by a USI player since Morgan Dahlstrom had four in a row in the 2017-18 season.
 
Sunday’s triumph was also highlighted by the debut of freshman forward Channah Gannon, who had been working back from injury. Gannon tallied 16 points in only 11 minutes. Gannon’s 16 points were the most scored in a true freshman debut for USI since Jessica Stuckman’s 21 points against Indiana Tech in the 2000-01 season. The last time a USI true freshman scored double digits in a debut was during the 2011-12 season, when Brooke Valentine registered 13 points against Saginaw Valley State University.
 
Following a slow start to Sunday’s game and a 7-6 lead for Middle Tennessee State, five and a half minutes into the game, USI got rolling late in the opening quarter. Gannon checked into the game and provided an immediate spark off the bench for the Screaming Eagles, draining a spot-up three from the top of the arc to put the Eagles in front. Gannon and the Screaming Eagles continued to be aggressive and get to the foul line to extend their lead. A layup in the final seconds of the first quarter by sophomore guard Lexi Sepulveda capped off a 13-0 USI run to end the period and give USI a 19-7 advantage going to the second quarter.
 
Sepulveda scored another easy one to start the second for the Eagles. Following a few minutes of exchanging buckets, Middle Tennessee was able to find some rhythm to trim USI’s lead down to 10, 30-20, by the midway point of the second quarter. Back-to-back layups by Loden got the Screaming Eagles back on track. Inside the last two minutes of the first half, Saunders cashed in a three-pointer and converted a three-point play to send USI into halftime up by 15, 40-25.
 
As the Blue Raiders looked to cut into USI’s lead to start the second half, Saunders quickly halted their momentum with five points in 15 seconds. Later, back-to-back layups by Loden pushed the Screaming Eagles ahead by 18, 51-33, at the seven-minute mark of the third quarter. Gannon continued her strong debut with a three-point play off a USI defensive steal later in the period. USI’s lead grew to over 20, as junior forward Maddy Fay scored a last-second layup to end the third and give the Eagles a 63-42 cushion going to the fourth quarter.
 
A layup by Loden and a triple from Saunders got USI off to a quick start in the final frame. However, Middle Tennessee continued to fight, trimming the difference down to 16, 71-55, with four and a half minutes to go. From that point on, it was all USI, as Saunders answered with another three-point play. The Screaming Eagles’ defense locked down the rest of the game, as the game went scoreless in the final two minutes of action.
 
The Screaming Eagles continue the homestand from Liberty Arena with their Ohio Valley Conference opener on Thursday at 5 p.m. against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The game can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM and WREF 97.7 FM.
 
Thursday’s OVC-opening doubleheader at Liberty Arena features a Penn Station sandwich coupon giveaway to the first 1,500 fans and a magnet schedule giveaway.
 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Evansville women’s basketball team dropped their first home game of the season on Sunday, falling to visiting Austin Peay by a score of 63-57. After facing a five-point deficit at the half, the Aces battled back to tie the game at 43 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Govs outscored the Aces 20-14 in the final period to take the win.

Camryn Runner (Cicero, Ind./Hamilton Heights) led the Aces in scoring for the seventh time this season, scoring 14 points. Runner was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line and has made 19 consecutive free throws dating back to November 30. Logan Luebbers Palmer (Union, Ky./Randall K. Cooper) added 12 points for the Aces for her eighth double-digit scoring effort of the season. Jelena Savic (Melbourne, Australia/Kurunjang Secondary College) scored nine points and grabbed a season-high six rebounds in 20 solid minutes off the bench.

Mireia Mustaros (Barcelona, Spain/Ins Argentona) got the Aces going early, converting two free throws and a layup to give her team a 4-0 lead. However, the Govs responded with an 8-0 run to grab the lead with 4:48 remaining in the opening quarter. Despite briefly grabbing the lead back on a three-pointer from Luebbers Palmer with just under two minutes remaining in the quarter, Austin Peay took a four-point lead heading into the second quarter on a three on the quarter’s final possession.

The Govs continued to control things in the second quarter, taking a 25-16 lead with 5:38 to go in the period. A pair of perfect trips to the line by Sydney Huber (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Mount Vernon) and Luebbers Palmer brought the Aces back within five, while an and-one layup by Georgia Ferguson made the score 26-22 with 3:07 to go in the half. Austin Peay responded with a five-point burst to bring their lead back up to nine, but the Aces finished the half strong with a triple from Savic on the final possession of the quarter, making it 31-26 at the break.

Evansville quickly evened the score, using a three from Huber and a fast break layup by Runner on the Aces’ first two possessions coming out of the locker room. The Govs and Aces traded baskets over the next several minutes, with Luebbers Palmer knocking down a three and Ferguson converting a layup, but the Govs used a triple to regain a 40-36 advantage with 5:13 to play in the third. Evansville dug in defensively over the next five minutes of play, limiting Austin Peay to three points for the rest of the quarter, while Savic and Runner sunk four free throws and Luebbers Palmer drilled another shot from distance to make it a 43-43 ballgame heading into the fourth quarter.

Austin Peay regained their offensive footing in the fourth quarter, scoring five points on their first four possessions of the quarter to retake the lead. BreAunna Ward (St. Louis, Mo./John Burroughs School) knocked down a jumper and added a free throw to bring the Aces back within two, while Huber answered a Govs three with a three of her own to keep it a one-possession game with 5:29 remaining. However, Austin Peay responded with a 9-3 run over the next five minutes game action to open up a nine-point lead and would hang on from there, securing a 63-57 win.

The Aces open up MVC play on Wednesday, heading to Nashville for a clash with Belmont. Tip-off is set for 6:30 PM.