EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball displayed a hearty performance on Thursday evening when the Screaming Eagles battled first-place Eastern Illinois University into overtime, but the Ohio Valley Conference-leading Panthers came away with the 67-62 win.
 
Southern Indiana sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) paced the Screaming Eagles in the contest with a career-high 24 points and a career-best six triples. The nation’s top three-point shooter came through in big moments for the Screaming Eagles on Thursday while playing 42 minutes in the game.
 
Shafford jumpstarted Southern Indiana with a corner three-pointer and a mid-range jumper to give USI an early 5-0 lead in the first quarter. Meanwhile, USI’s defense also started strong, forcing Eastern Illinois into a 0-for-5 start from the field. Around the halfway point of the first period, and USI ahead 7-2, Eastern Illinois went on an 11-0 run to take a 13-7 lead. USI senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio), who also had a big game with 21 points for USI, snapped the scoring run for the Panthers with a layup inside. Eastern Illinois led 17-11 after the opening 10 minutes.
 
Both defenses buckled down to begin the second quarter, as each side went scoreless past the first two minutes of the second. After Eastern Illinois pushed its lead to 29-20 with under two minutes left in the first half, USI went on a 7-0 run to finish the quarter and the half to cut EIU’s lead down to two, 29-27, at the intermission. Southern Indiana’s late second-quarter run was driven by a pair of makes from Shafford and one by Haithcock, as both players crossed over into double figures during the stretch.
 
In the opening minutes of the third period, Haithcock picked up right where she left off from the end of the first half. The senior tied the game on a pair of occasions. USI’s defense continued its stout performance in the third, challenging shots from the Panthers. With 3:17 left in the third, Eastern Illinois went up by five, but USI junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) answered on the next two makes from the field for the Screaming Eagles to bring USI within one, 38-37. USI tied the contest 39-39 before entering the fourth quarter.
 
In USI’s first possession of the fourth quarter, Haithcock cashed in to give USI its first lead since midway in the first quarter. Her bucket put USI up 41-39. The Screaming Eagles’ momentum continued, as Shafford buried two triples to push USI in front, 47-41, with 8:28 remaining in the fourth. Midway into the fourth quarter, Eastern Illinois went on an 11-0 run to go up by five, 52-47. Then Shafford and USI responded, as the sophomore drilled two threes to make it a one-point game, 54-53, with EIU ahead and 1:57 left in the quarter. Raley put USI back in front on the next possession with a three-point play, 56-54. Eastern Illinois tied the game at 56 with 28 seconds left. The teams remained tied at 56 to force overtime.
 
In the extra frame, EIU scored first before Shafford tied the contest back up at 58. The Panthers went back ahead with under three minutes left in overtime, but again, USI answered on a layup by Haithcock and tied the game at 60. With just over a minute remaining, Eastern Illinois went ahead 62-60 on a pair of free throws. Even though USI was able to make it a one-possession game with 15 seconds left, Eastern Illinois closed out the game in the final seconds.
 
Shafford’s 24 points and Haithcock’s 21 tallies marked the third time this season that USI had two players score 20 or more in the game. The other two instances came in the non-conference season. Shafford was 9-16 from the field with five rebounds, while Haithcock went 8-13 from the floor with seven boards. Raley finished with 11 points in the contest. Southern Indiana was 21-for-50 for 42 percent overall on the evening with six triples. The Screaming Eagles went 14-for-16 at the stripe.
 
Eastern Illinois was led in the game by the OVC’s scoring leader in senior guard Lariah Washington. Washington recorded 14 points, but USI’s defense held the senior to 4-19 shooting and 1-6 from three.  The Panthers had three other players finish in double figures. Southern Indiana’s defense almost held EIU to a season-low shooting from the floor, but the Panthers managed to go 22-for-66 overall for 33 percent. EIU was limited to 3-for-23 night from three for 13 percent, but Eastern Illinois was 20-for-24 for 83 percent at the foul line. Eastern Illinois claimed 46 rebounds compared to USI’s 31.
 
With Thursday’s result, USI’s record moved to 9-11 overall and 3-6 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Eastern Illinois improved its record to 17-3 on the season and 9-0 in the OVC to remain in first place in the standings.
 

First Team Second Team 

200 Yard Medley Relay 200 Yard Medley Relay 

Aubree Meyer (11) Castle Nicole Fant (10) Jasper 

Ailyn Zurliene (11) Castle Lillian Polley (10) Jasper 

Madelyn Porter (12) Castle Kara Kurucz (10) Jasper 

Ava Butterfield (11) Castle Linzi VanMeter (10) Jasper 

200 Yard Freestyle 200 Yard Freeystyle 

Madelyn Porter (12) Castle Jordan Gehlhausen (10) North 

200 Yard IM 200 Yard IM 

Ailyn Zurliene (11) Castle Avery Lasher (10) North 

50 Yard Freestyle 50 Yard Freestyle 

Nicole Fant (10) Jasper Leighton Beasley (12) North 

1 Meter Diving 1 Meter Diving 

Anna Bunnell (11) North Payton Folz (12) Castle 

100 Yard Fly 100 Yard Fly 

Ava Butterfield (11) Castle Ada Emerson (11) North 

100 Yard Freestyle 100 Yard Freestyle 

Madelyn Porter (12) Castle Caroline Jones (12) Memorial 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – No. 7/9 Indiana swimming and diving will compete in its final dual meet of the season when it visits No. 17/6 Louisville on Friday (Jan. 27) inside Ralph Wright Natatorium. The meet is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET and can be streamed on the ACC Network+ digital platform.

In last year’s meet, the Hoosiers and Cardinals split in Bloomington, with IU’s men earning the victory. The No. 9-ranked IU women will hope to change their script in their rematch with the No. 6 Louisville ladies.

Indiana is set for its third meet in as many weeks this spring after defeating Big Ten opponents Michigan and Purdue over the last two weeks. The Cardinals split their meet with Kentucky last weekend, with the men winning, 200-96, and the women falling, 168-132.

MEET INFO

Friday, January 27 • 2 p.m. ET

Ralph Wright Natatorium • Louisville, Ky.

Opponent: No. 17/6 Louisville

Live Results (Swimming): Meet Mobile App

Live Results (Diving): http://bit.ly/3hMY9jM

Live Stream: https://www.espn.com/watch/ (ACC Network+)

SCHEDULED EVENTS

Diving: 1-meter, 3-meter
Swimming: 200 Medley Relay, 1,000 Freestyle, 200 Freestyle, 100 Backstroke, 100 Breaststroke, 200 Butterfly, 50 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle, 200 Backstroke, 200 Breaststroke, 500 Freestyle, 100 Butterfly, 200 IM, 400 Freestyle Relay

OF NOTE…

Tyler Named Big Ten Diver of the Week

IU sophomore Carson Tyler earned his first Big Ten Diver of the Week award this season after his showing in IU’s win over Purdue. The honor marks Tyler’s fourth-career weekly honor as he was named diver of the week twice and freshman of the week once during his debut season in 2021-22. Tyler is the third different IU men’s diver to earn the award this season, following redshirt senior Andrew Capobianco last week and fellow sophomore Quinn Henninger twice previously. Between swimming and diving, the Hoosiers have totaled 12 Big Ten weekly awards over four different cycles.

Tyler won the men’s platform diving competition on Saturday as IU divers won three of four events contested in men’s and women’s team dual meet victories at Purdue. The sophomore showed consistency in his performance with all six dives earning at least 60 points, including four dives worth at least 70 points. His six-dive total score of 423.80 sits as the best mark in the country this season. His teammate, Henninger, holds the second-best mark at 416.55, scored at the Ohio State Invitational.

HOOSIERS NAMED TO USA SWIMMING NATIONAL TEAM

Six athletes with ties to the Indiana swimming and diving program were named to USA Swimming’s 2022-23 national team rosters in September. Of the six Hoosiers, five are breaststroke specialists, and, on the women’s side, IU makes up three of the nine breaststroke selections. The selections include current Hoosiers Mariah Denigan, Mackenzie Looze and Josh Matheny as well as Indiana Swim Club athlete Tommy Cope, Lilly King and Annie Lazor.