University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball resumes Great Lakes Valley Conference play to begin the 2022 calendar year with four games in seven days, beginning with a trip to Lebanon, Illinois, to take on McKendree University Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Screaming Eagles (8-2, 2-0 GLVC) also visit Lewis University January 4 at 5:30 p.m. and Lindenwood University January 6 at 5:30 p.m. before returning to Screaming Eagles Arena for the first time in a month when they host Southwest Baptist University January 8 at 1 p.m.
All four games will be aired live on the GLVC Sports Network as well as 95.7 The Spin, while audio, video and live stats can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com.
USI Women’s Basketball Notes
• Eagles wrap up 2021 calendar year with split in Las Vegas. USI Women’s Basketball concluded its 2021 calendar year by going 1-1 at the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Screaming Eagles opened the trip with a 90-78 win over West Texas A&M but suffered a 79-71 setback in a top 25 clash with then No. 9/13 Tampa.
• Last week’s leaders. Junior guard Addy Blackwell averaged 19.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game to lead the Eagles, while fifth-year senior guard Emma DeHartand junior forward Hannah Haithcock respectively added 17.5 and 14.0 points per outing. Junior guard Soffia Rieckers led USI with 4.0 assists per appearance, while senior forward Ashlynn Brown contributed a team-high 5.5 rebounds per contest.
• DeHart reaches milestone. DeHart became the 19th player in program history to record 1,000 career points in the first half of USI’s 90-78 win over West Texas A&M. She entered the game in need of 13 points to reach the milestone and finished with a game-high 24 as she jumped two spots to No. 18 on USI’s all-time scoring list in the process.
• Blackwell’s big week. Blackwell followed a career-high 17-point effort in USI’s win over West Texas A&M with another career-high, this time a 22-point performance in USI’s loss to Tampa. Blackwell connected on an eye-popping 70.6 percent (12-17) of her shots, including 83.3 percent (10-12) of her three-point attempts.
• USI receiving votes outside Top 25. The Eagles dropped out of the latest D2SIDA Top 25 Media Poll after going 1-1 at the Las Vegas South Point Holiday Hoops Classic. USI is the top vote-getter outside the Top 25 Media Poll after being ranked No. 23 last week, while the Eagles are still receiving votes in the latest WBCA Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll.
• Stein closing in on 400. USI Head Coach Rick Stein, whose been on the sidelines for 555 of USI’s 703 wins as an assistant and head coach, is just four wins away from his 400th career victory.
• Season Leaders. USI has four players averaging in double-figures in the scoring column, with Haithcock and DeHart leading the way with 12.6 and 11.7 points per game, respectively. Sophomore forward Meredith Raley and Blackwell respectively average 10.8 and 10.1 points per game, respectively, while Brown is chipping in 9.1 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds per contest. Blackwell leads USI with 2.7 assists and 2.1 steals per appearance, while Haithcock is averaging a team-high 0.5 blocks per game.
• Big leads. The Eagles have jumped out to leads of at least nine points in nine of their first 10 games and have had no less than a 17-point cushion represent its largest lead in eight of their first eight contests.
• Double-figures. USI has already had seven different players reach double-figures in the scoring column this year, all of whom have scored 10-or-more points in multiple games. The Eagles had nine different players reach double-figures in the scoring column last year, with eight players having had 10-or-more points in multiple games.
• About McKendree. The Bearcats are 1-9 overall and 0-3 in GLVC play. Sophomore guard Christy Fortune averages 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game to lead McKendree, which is looking to stop a five-game skid.
• About Lewis. The Flyers are 3-7 overall and 1-1 in GLVC play after losing a closely-contested contest with nationally-ranked Grand Valley State to close out the 2021 calendar year. Junior guard Grace Hilber and sophomore forward Kathryn Schmidt respectively average 15.9 and 15.8 points per game for Lewis, which hosts Illinois Springfield January 2. Schmidt leads the Flyers with 7.1 rebounds per appearance.
• About Lindenwood. The Lions are 5-5 overall and 2-1 in GLVC play entering 2022. Fifth-year senior guard Julia Ruzevich averages 19.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per game to lead Lindenwood, which has won three straight games. Senior guard Devin Fuhring and senior forward Ellen McCorkle contribute 13.6 and 12.5 points per game, respectively, for the Lions, who host Truman State January 2.
• About Southwest Baptist. The Bearcats are 6-4 overall and 2-1 in GLVC play after winning the previous three games. Senior guard Kyleigh Vaught averages 10.8 points and 3.3 assists per game to lead Southwest Baptist, which hosts Hannibal-LaGrange December 30. Senior guard Nyah Pettus averages 9.0 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds per game for the Bearcats, who resumes GLVC play with a home game against No. 2 Drury January 4 before visiting Quincy January 6.
