University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball is ranked No. 3 in the first release of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Point Rating System (PRS) standings. The Screaming Eagles, who have a rating of 4.33, trail Drury University and Truman State University, who are tied with a rating of 5.00.
The top eight teams in the GLVC PRS will determine the GLVC Tournament field in March.
USI (5-1, 5-1 GLVC) returns to action Sunday at 1 p.m. when it visits GLVC Central Division leader Truman State in Kirksville, Missouri. The Eagles also visit Quincy University January 5 at 5:30 p.m. before wrapping up their season-long four-game road trip January 9 at 1 p.m. when they visit McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois.
How to Watch
While fans are not permitted to attend the games, they can watch free of charge on the GLVC Sports Network, which is available both you’re your desktop, mobile/tablet devices, as well as four over-the-top (OTT) platforms, including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Apple TV (4th Generation). GLVCSN.comis the official website of the GLVC Sports Network, while the GLVCSN mobile app is available for iOS in the App Store and Android on Google Play. Apple users also can use AirPlay with their Apple TV or some of the newer smart TVs. (GLVCSN FAQs)
Other ways to follow the action
USI’s games will be carried on the airwaves at 95.7 The Spin as well as online at 957thespin.com. Links to both the online audio as well as live stats can be found at GoUSIEagles.com. Updates also will be provided on USI’s social media platforms (@USIAthletics), particularly Twitter.
USI Women’s Basketball Notes (12/29)
• Eagles suffer first loss. USI Women’s Basketball suffered its first loss of the 2020-21 season when Indianapolis defeated the Eagles, 62-55. USI fell behind early and trailed throughout the entire first half before taking an early lead in the third period. The two teams traded leads 14 times in the second half, but UIndy scored the final eight points to earn the win. Sophomore forward Hannah Haithcock scored 13 of her team-high 14 points in the second half, while senior guard Emma DeHart had 12 points.
• Eagles give up season-high 62 points. The 62 points USI gave up in their loss to UIndy marked the first time this year an opponent has scored more than 55 points against the Eagles. USI continues to lead the GLVC in scoring defense by a large margin, holding opponents to just 53.5 points per game, nearly 10 points fewer than No. 2 Rockhurst’s 62.0 points per game.
• Season leaders. DeHart leads USI with 17.5 points and 3.2 assists per game, while Haithcock is averaging 9.7 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds per contest. Sophomore guard Addy Blackwell is contributing 9.0 points per outing, while senior guard Ashley Hunter is adding 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and a team-high 2.0 steals per appearance.
• Hunter, Rieckers notch career-highs at UIndy. Hunter and sophomore guard Soffia Rieckers each recorded career-highs in the loss to Indianapolis. Hunter, who had nine points and five rebounds, dished out an NCAA career-high six assists, while Rieckers had a career-high three assists and four steals.
• Troubling trend? While USI has been one of the top teams in the nation at getting to the free throw line, the Eagles have had three games this season in which they have sent the opposition to the charity stripe at least 20 times; and that hurt them in their loss to UIndy. USI saw UIndy make 17-of-23 shots from the charity stripe, including 7-of-8 in a fourth quarter which saw the Greyhounds make only five field goals. USI, which has had just one player foul out this season, enters the week ranked No. 9 in the GLVC and No. 57, nationally, with 18.7 fouls per contest.
• GLVC Point Ratings System. USI is ranked No. 3 in the first GLVC Point Rating System (PRS) rankings of the 2020-21 season. The Eagles, who have a 4.33 rating, trail Drury and Truman State, who are tied for No. 1 with a 5.00 rating. Rockhurst is No. 4 (3.58), while Indianapolis, Missouri-St. Louis and Illinois Springfield are all tied for No. 5 with a 3.50 rating.
• USI ranks among Division II’s best in several categories. As of December 27, USI ranks No. 3, nationally, in free throw attempts (146), No. 7 in free throws made (99), No. 8 in scoring defense (53.5 ppg), No. 8 in steals (57) and No. 10 in scoring margin (+13.8 ppg).
• Eagles finish four-game road trip with busy week. With its first road game in the bag, USI wraps up its season-long four-game road trip with three games next week, beginning with a visit to GLVC Central Division leading Truman State Sunday in Kirksville, Missouri. USI travels to Quincy, Illinois, January 5 to visit Quincy, before finishing the road trip with a rematch against GLVC East DIvision opponent McKendree January 9 in Lebanon, Illinois.
• Roaring 20s. Senior guard Emma DeHart has reached the 20-point plateau three times this year after entering the year with one career 20-point game. USI had five different players reach the 20-point plateau a year ago, including DeHart and sophomore forwards Tara Robbe and Hannah Haithcock.
• Double-figures. USI has already had eight different players reach double-figures in the scoring column this year after having nine players reach double-figures a year ago. Eight of those players had multiple games with at least 10 points, while USI has already had five players with multiple double-digit games in 2020-21.
• About Truman. The Bulldogs are 3-1 overall, 3-1 GLVC, and are slated to visit Maryville Thursday in a rescheduled contest before hosting USI Sunday. Sophomore guard Hannah Belanger averages 20.8 points per game to lead the Bulldogs, who returned three starters from last year. Senior forward Katie Jaseckas is contributing 17.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, while sophomore forward Ellie Weltha is pulling down a team-high 10.5 rebounds per game.
• Last year. Truman outscored USI 30-11 in the second quarter and 22-11 in the fourth en route to an 89-59 victory at Screaming Eagles Arena a year ago. Jaseckas had 21 points and Belanger had 18 as Truman’s starters combined for 71 points. Senior guard Ashley Johnson paced the Eagles with 16 points.
• About Quincy. The Hawks are 0-6 overall, 0-6 GLVC, and have not played a game since a 104-53 exhibition loss to Bradley on December 18. Sophomore guard Laney Lantz averages 20.7 points per game to lead the Hawks, while freshman guard Jazzpher Evans is chipping in 12.8 points per contest. Sophomore forward Marta Rivera leads Quincy with 7.2 rebounds per outing.
• Last year. Johnson and then-sophomore forward Ashlynn Brown each scored 12 points, while Haithcock added 10 points for USI, which defeated Quincy, 65-41, last year at Screaming Eagles Arena. The Eagles held a 37-23 lead at the intermission before outscoring Quincy 18-5 in the third quarter to put the game away. Alexa Low had eight points and nine rebounds to lead Quincy.
• About McKendree. McKendree, which visits Drury on January 6, is 3-4 overall, 3-4 GLVC, after suffering an 80-70 setback to Missouri-St. Louis on December 20. Freshman guard Christy Fortune averages 12.0 points per game to lead the Bearcats, while senior guard Madison Jones is averaging 11.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per contest. Junior guard Sydney Diekhoff is chipping in 10.1 points per appearance.
• Last meeting. DeHart scored 28 points and had four assists to lead the Eagles, who defeated McKendree, 73-48, on December 12 at Screaming Eagles Arena. Jones had 15 points, five assists and eight rebounds to lead McKendree.
• Record book watch. The Eagles have one player making moves inside the USI Women’s Basketball Record Books:
–Emma DeHart has jumped 11 spots to No. 32 all-time at USI with 753 career points. She began the year ranked No. 43 but has made the big jump during the first six games of the year thanks to a strong start. DeHart is 27 points away from matching USI Hall of Fame guard Adrienne Seitz for 30th.
• Magic Mark: 75 points. The Eagles are 420-77 (.845) all-time when scoring at least 75 points. USI is 293-28 (.913) since 1996-97 when reaching the 75-point plateau.
