Sophomore forward Imani Guy (Columbus, Indiana) scored a career-high 25 points as University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball netted an 80-65 Midwest Region victory over Michigan Tech University in the final game of the USI Thanksgiving Classic Sunday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center.
Senior guard Alex Davidson (Salem, Indiana) added 17 points as the Screaming Eagles earned their 26th straight home win.
USI (6-1), winners of six straight games, jumped out to an early 6-0 lead as Guy scored all six points. Michigan Tech answered with a 12-1 run and the two teams went into the second period in a 17-17 stalemate.
The Eagles, however, used a 25-15 second quarter to take a 42-32 lead into the intermission. Davidson scored eight of her 10 first-half points in the second period as USI established control of the contest.
USI’s lead shrunk to seven early in the third quarter, but a 9-1 run that featured five points from Davidson put the Eagles back in front, 53-38, with just over five minutes to play in the third period.
Michigan Tech (3-3), once again, cut USI’s lead to seven and trailed 58-50 late in the third when the Eagles began a 7-0 run that the Huskies would not be able to recover from. Guy had five points in the spurt that put USI in front, 65-50, early in the fourth period.
In addition to her scoring, Guy finished with seven rebounds and a pair of steals, while Davidson added six rebounds and three steals.
Junior guard Ashley Johnson (Louisville, Kentucky) chipped in 12 points and three steals, while senior center Kacy Eschweiler (St. Charles, Missouri) contributed eight points and a game-high tying eight rebounds. Sophomore guard Emma DeHart (Indianapolis, Indiana) also had eight points and a game-high tying four assists.
Junior guard/forward Hannah Hobson finished with 17 points to lead the Huskies, who were forced into 22 turnovers.
USI returns to action Saturday at 5:30 p.m. as it briefly opens Great Lakes Valley Conference play against Bellarmine University at the PAC. The Knights (5-0) defeated Lake Erie College, 77-49, earlier in the day to match the Eagles with a perfect 2-0 record at the USI Thanksgiving Classic.
