EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball bounced back into the win column Thursday night with a 70-60 victory against Eastern Illinois University in the annual Play4Kay pink game at Screaming Eagles Arena.
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The Screaming Eagles picked up their 15th win of the season against the Panthers, improving to 15-6 overall and 10-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference. USI maintained its first-place lead at 2.5 games going into Saturday’s slate of contests. The win was also Southern Indiana’s first all time against Eastern Illinois, who had won the four previous meetings. Eastern Illinois, who sought to keep pace with the top half of the conference, dropped to 9-15 this season with a 6-5 mark in the OVC.
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Southern Indiana found quick success in the paint after a competitive start with both teams looking for opportunities early in the shot clock. The Screaming Eagles scored 10 of their first 13 points down inside, as USI led 13-9 at the 4:30 mark of the opening quarter. Freshman forward Chloe Gannon (Manchester, Tennessee) led the Eagles’ early presence in the post with six first-quarter points, connecting on her first three shot attempts. Southern Indiana led 19-16 through the first 10 minutes of action.
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The tempo settled to start the second period, as each side exchanged baskets in the first four minutes. With just under six minutes left in the first half, Eastern Illinois tied the game at 23, starting an 8-0 run for the Panthers over the next three minutes. Senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) snapped the drought for USI with a hoop inside at the four-minute mark. Raley reached six points in the game with the made layup, joining Gannon and fellow senior forward Madi Webb (Bedford, Indiana) with six points each. After Southern Indiana brought the game to within one possession in the last 90 seconds of the second quarter, Eastern Illinois converted a pair of trips to the free-throw line late to take a 36-30 advantage into halftime.
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Coming out of the break, Raley knocked down a layup and a three-pointer within the first two minutes of the second half to cross into double figures scoring and to bring Southern Indiana within one possession once again, 40-37. The Panthers responded by holding onto a 45-37 lead at the halfway point of the third quarter. After USI was held scoreless for over four minutes, freshman guard Triniti Ralston (Louisville, Kentucky) canned a right-wing triple to end the scoreless drought. The Eagles organized an 8-0 run to knot the game up at 45 going to the last minute of the third frame. The contest was a two-point difference, 49-47 EIU, heading to the final stanza.
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The Screaming Eagles jumped out quickly to begin the fourth quarter. Junior guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) stuck back-to-back shots through the bottom of the net in addition to consecutive makes by Ralston and Raley to push USI ahead, 55-50. The two conversions by Shafford put the junior in double figures with Raley in the scoring column. With seven minutes on the clock, Raley capitalized on a three-point play to add to Southern Indiana’s run, which eventually stretched to a 13-0 span. Webb, who also reached double figures in the fourth quarter, joined Raley in leading USI to a double-digit lead in the middle of the period. The game was an eight-point contest, 66-58 USI, going into the final minute before Southern Indiana sealed the win with four made free throws.
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The Screaming Eagles were 28-58 for 48 percent from the field in the game, hitting three treys in addition to going 11-13 for nearly 85 percent at the charity stripe. USI outrebounded EIU by five, 43-38, and Southern Indiana outscored Eastern Illinois 15-6 on the fast break and 40-22 in the paint. Individually, Raley tied a season-high 22 points with 12 rebounds toward her fourth double-double of the season. Shafford also finished with a double-double, tallying 13 points and 10 boards for her sixth double-double this season. Webb posted 15 points on Thursday.
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The Panthers were held to 31 percent shooting (21-67) by USI. Eastern Illinois made six threes and went 12-17 for nearly 71 percent at the foul line. EIU had three players in double figures with junior forward Macy McGlone pacing the squad with 20 points and 11 rebounds.
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The Screaming Eagles continue the home set Saturday at 5 p.m. from Screaming Eagles Arena against Southern Illinois Univesity Edwardsville for Homecoming and Hall of Fame Night. Saturday’s game can be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on 95.7 FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com).
