With the score tied at 56, senior guard Ashley Johnson made 3-of-4 free throw attempts in a 30-second span to jump-start the game-deciding run. Junior guard Emma DeHart drew a charge on the other end of the court following Johnson’s last two free throws and freshman forward Hannah Haithcock hit a jumper on the other end to put USI up 61-56 with just under four minutes to play.
Haithcock capped off the 7-0 run 30 seconds later when she hit a jumper in the middle of the paint, giving the Screaming Eagles a 63-56 advantage with less than 3:30 to play in the contest.
Southwest Baptist (7-4, 1-2 GLVC) got a three-pointer from senior guard Bailey Rezabek to cut the Eagles’ lead to four with just over three minutes to play, but a bucket by Haithcock followed by a three-pointer by DeHart gave USI a nine-point edge, the largest lead by either team, with 1:36 to play.
Haithcock and Johnson each had 17 points to lead the Eagles, while DeHart added 15 points and four assists. Johnson finished the game with a career-high 10 rebounds and four steals to pick up her first-career double-double, while Haithcock added six rebounds and three assists to her stat total.
Rezabek paced Southwest Baptist with 19 points and nine rebounds, while junior guard Kyleigh Vaught added 16 points.
Earlier in the game, USI (6-3, 2-1 GLVC) used a 10-0 run that began in the second quarter and ended in the third period to turn a four-point deficit into a 35-29 lead. The Bearcats rallied to take a 45-41 lead midway through the third, but the Eagles regrouped to take a 50-48 lead into the fourth period.
The contest featured eight lead changes and seven ties, including four lead changes in the third period alone. USI led 15-13 after the first period and 31-29 at the break.
USI (6-3, 2-1 GLVC) returns to action Thursday at 4:30 p.m. (CST) when it travels to Indianapolis to take on the University of Indianapolis. The Eagles return to Screaming Eagles Arena next Saturday to host arch-rival Bellarmine University.
