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Newsom catches fire from three as Lady Blazers pick up win over Rend Lake

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VINCENNES, Ind. – Vincennes University sophomore Cherrelle Newsom (Indianapolis, Ind.) has now hit 11 three-pointers in her last two games, hitting five at Lincoln Trail Wednesday night before adding six more Saturday afternoon in VU’s 93-75 win over Rend Lake College at the P.E. Complex.

Newsom’s 148 career three-point makes puts her fifth all-time in VU Lady Trailblazers program history and is quickly closing in on the top spot of 171 set by Ashley Buis in 2010.

The game got off to a back and forth start, with each team trading baskets before VU finally broke away with a 6-0 scoring run.

This would be the difference in the early stages of the game as the Lady Trailblazers held a 25-19 lead after the first quarter of play.

VU again looked to break the game open in the second quarter, using an 11-0 run to take a 40-23 lead midway through the period.

The Lady Warriors would answer back however, using a small scoring run to cut the deficit down to 13 heading into the halftime break at 45-32.

Rend Lake continued to work their way back into the game, cutting the VU margin to seven early in the third quarter, but Vincennes answered every comeback with a run of their own.

The Lady Warriors used a late 7-0 run in the third quarter to head into the final 10 minutes of play trailing 65-55.

Vincennes looked to close out the Region win strong in the fourth quarter, holding a double-digit lead throughout most of the final period, before using a 10-1 scoring run to take their largest lead of the game at 20 points.

Vincennes would pick up their fifth Region 24 victory of the season and 12th win overall by defeating Rend Lake College by the final score of 93-75.

“I thought we played decent defense, good enough to win,” VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Harry Meeks said. “We got off to a little bit of a slow start again, didn’t do a great job in the third quarter. We gave up some easy baskets. Rebounding in the second half was not to my liking.”

“We just need to play better,” Meeks added. “We need to play a little harder. We need to be more aggressive with our block outs. We need to call the shot, so we know when the shot has been taken and we can look around and grab the rebound. The little things like that we need to work on and we will continue to work on.”

“I thought the team played well as far as executing and doing the things well that we needed to do,” Meeks said. “We didn’t make that many errors handling the ball. We did a really good job offensively. Cherrelle got it going, making some threes which helped us jump away from them. This was a game where everybody got to play. We are going to need everybody to play and everybody to be a major contributor the rest of the season. The schedule is going to be tough going forward, we have Wabash Valley next week and that is going to be a really tough game for us. Before that we go to Southwestern Illinois, which is quite a trip and it’s in the middle of the week.”

VU was led offensively by Cherrelle Newsom who finished with a new career-high 27 points, including six made threes. Newsom would also lead the Lady Blazers with six assists and grab four rebounds on the game.

Sophomore Kennadi Harris (Columbus, Ohio) got started early and cruised to a 17-point, eight-rebound and four assist game. Harris would also stand out defensively, ending with three steals.

Sophomore Daylynn Thornton (Lafayette, Ind.) had a very efficient shooting night, ending with 15 points on just eight shots, four assists and a pair of steals.

Sophomore Chanice Willis (Champaign, Ill.) came away with her first career double-double Saturday afternoon after finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds and a team-leading six assists and four steals.

“Those four all play really hard, that’s the thing,” Meeks said. “They all pressure the ball defensively and can transition from defense to offense and get down the floor quickly. One of the things that I noticed in the second half was that we tend to play better when we don’t hold the ball. We’ve got to pass the ball quickly and run the offense. We were able to get some wide-open shots when we sped the offense up and that’s what we need to do.”

“All four of them are sophomores, they’ve been here and they know what we are about here,” Meeks added. “They know the price that you have to pay to win a game like this and I think they showed up and did a really good job for us today.”

The Lady Trailblazers look to continue this great play as they continue this stretch of three games in five days.

VU will next travel to Belleville, Ill. to take on Region 24 opponent Southwestern Illinois College Monday, Jan. 16 at 6 p.m. eastern.

Then the Lady Blazers will face-off against No. 14 Wabash Valley for the first time this season at the P.E. Complex, Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. eastern.

“This, right now, is the part of the season that we have been aiming for,” Meeks said. “We’ve played some really tough teams. We’ve been on the floor with a lot of ranked teams so far this season. I’m glad to see the team start to come around because we are going to have to play extremely well against Wabash Valley.”

“They have a lot of second and third year players,” Meeks added. “He has some players that have transferred in from other schools. Coach Scheidecker does a great job of coaching them and we are going to have to deal with that. They run a pressing defense. They are running at the ball pretty much the entire game. We are going to have to be able to handle that. Offensively we are going to have to handle the press and if we do that, we will see how long we can stay in the game. I think if we bring our ‘A’ game, we’ll do a really good job with that.”

“Southwestern Illinois is much better and more improved than they were last year,” Meeks said. “I think that game will be similar to this game this afternoon. They are going to show up and play hard and we will get their best effort. We look forward to playing over there. I promise you, we are not looking past Southwestern. We’ve got to take these games one at a time and hopefully we can string some wins together at the end of the season and give us something to build on as we move towards the Region tournament.”

 

No. 7/12 Hoosiers Handle No. 15/13 Michigan

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It was a senior day of celebration on Saturday (Jan. 14) for No. 7/12-ranked Indiana swimming and diving as the men’s and women’s programs opened their spring with wins over No. 15/13 Michigan inside the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center.

The Hoosiers left no doubt in the victory, with the men winning 212-88 while the women posted a 208.5-91.5 score, as Indiana won 28 of the 32 events contested. For the women, it was their first dual meet win over the Wolverines since 2012 while the men extended a streak of six straight victories over Michigan.

“The team wanted to make a statement today,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze said. “We’ve worked really hard. Our women haven’t beaten them since 2012, and it was great to see them get that monkey off their back, and our men did a similarly great job. I thought that was a wonderful team effort across the disciplines. I’m just proud of them, and we told them that we have a lot more to do. All our goals for the season remain in front of us, so it’s nice little feather in the cap.”

“It’s a step along the way. It certainly builds confidence. We have to keep doing positive things that put our swimmers and divers in a position to succeed.”

Indiana honored its senior class on Saturday with a pregame ceremony that featured fifth-year seniors Mikey Calvillo, Andrew Capobianco, Jack Franzman, Mackenzie Looze, Van Mathias, Noelle Peplowski, Margaret Rogers and Maggie Wallace, true seniors Jacob Destrampe, Carmen Hernandez, Samantha Muma, Grace Pangburn, Zain Smith, Ashley Turak and manager Ainsley Brown.

“It was a great day,” IU head diving coach Drew Johansen said. “Between Andrew as our only male senior and one of our future hall of famers, finishing his career collegiately here, it was great, and he did it in classic Andrew style, with an almost 100-point dive to win the event at the end. And our three senior girls, Margaret, Zain and Carmen, they led the team in setting the culture that we have for this women’s team now. It was an important day for IU diving for them to move on and then hand it off to the next generation.”

Capobianco returned to collegiate competition for the first time since the 2022 NCAA Championships. The redshirt senior won both men’s diving events, scoring 412.95 points on the 1-meter springboard and 427.65 points on the 3-meter. Capobianco had an emphatic finish, earning a 96.90 score on his final dive of the day, a forward 4 ½ somersault tuck.

“He probably had as much if not more, or different, powerful emotions going through him today than he did when he was standing on the stage at the Olympics or NCAA Championships,” Johansen said. “And true to form, he performed great.

“We also see that there’s more in the tank, that he can put another 100 points on that list pretty easily. We’re doing the hardest list of dives in the world. No man is doing dives any harder than what Andrew is doing, and when they all come together, which, hopefully, with these next three dual meets, and then championship season after that, we should see him going to a new place. It’s hard to say that he can get better, but he can.”

Diving filled out the top spots in the standings. Junior Anne Fowler won both women’s events, scoring 304.13 on the 1-meter and 343.05 on the 3-meter. Sophomore Megan Carter placed third in each. On the men’s side, Hoosiers earned each of the top-five spots on the 3-meter board. Sophomores Quinn Henninger (402.60) and Carson Tyler (351.60) placed second and fourth, respectively, on 1-meter.

The sister duo of sophomore Anna Peplowski and senior Noelle Peplowski impressed again, winning four events each. The younger swept the backstroke events while her senior captured victories in each of the breaststroke events, highlighting their performances.

Senior Brendan Burns had another strong day, sweeping the men’s backstroke events to go along with a victory in the 200-yard butterfly, which he won by over six seconds after touching in 1:42.11. Despite wearing a training suit, Burns’ time is the sixth-fastest in the country this season.

Hoosier swimmers posted 10 NCAA B cuts while competing in training suits. Eight divers combined for 14 NCAA zone qualifying marks.

TEAM SCORES

Men

No. 7 Indiana 212, No. 15 Michigan 88

Women

No. 12 Indiana 208.5, No. 13 Michigan 91.5

HOOSIER WINNERS

Men

Luke Barr – 200 medley relay (1:25.74)

Brendan Burns – 100 backstroke (46.29), 200 butterfly (1:42.11), 200 backstroke (1:42.56)

Mikey Calvillo – 500 freestyle (4:27.52)

Andrew Capobianco – 1-meter diving (412.95), 3-meter diving (427.65)

Tomer Frankel – 200 medley relay (1:25.74), 100 butterfly (46.58), 400 freestyle relay (2:54.29)

Jack Franzman – 200 medley relay (1:25.74)

Josh Matheny – 200 breaststroke (1:59.54)

Van Mathias – 200 medley relay (1:25.74), 50 freestyle (19.59), 400 freestyle relay (2:54.29)

Rafael Miroslaw – 200 freestyle (1:35.28), 100 freestyle (43.63), 400 freestyle relay (2:54.29)

Gavin Wight – 400 freestyle relay (2:54.29)

Jassen Yep – 100 breaststroke (54.50)

Women

Elizabeth Broshears – 200 medley relay (1:38.80)

Anne Fowler – 3-meter diving (343.05), 1-meter diving (304.13)

Mariah Denigan – 1,000 freestyle (9:48.93), 500 freestyle (4:49.77)

Mackenzie Looze – 400 freestyle relay (3:20.82)

Kacey McKenna – 200 medley relay (1:38.80)

Kristina Paegle – 200 medley relay (1:38.80), 50 freestyle (22.40), 100 freestyle (49.60), 400 freestyle relay (3:20.82)

Anna Peplowski – 200 freestyle (1:47.21), 100 backstroke (53.84), 200 backstroke (1:56.93), 400 freestyle relay (3:20.82)

Noelle Peplowski – 200 medley relay (1:38.80), 100 breaststroke (59.93), 200 breaststroke (2:09.40), 200 IM (1:59.69)

Ashley Turak – 400 freestyle relay (3:20.82)

NCAA CUTS

A: None.

B: Brendan Burns – 100 back (46.29), 200 fly (1:42.11); Tomer Frankel – 100 fly (46.58); Van Mathias (19.59); Rafael Miroslaw – 200 free (1:35.28); Kristina Paegle (22.40); Anna Peplowski – 100 back (53.84), 200 back (1:42.56); Noelle Peplowski – 100 breast (59.93), 200 breast (2:09.40)

NCAA ZONE QUALIFYING SCORES

1-meter: Andrew Capobianco (412.95), Megan Carter (288.83), Anne Fowler (304.13), Quinn Henninger (402.60), William Jansen (263.85), Carson Tyler (351.60), Maxwell Weinrich (341.78)

3-meter: Andrew Capobianco (427.65), Megan Carter (321.45), Morgan Casey (285.15), Anne Fowler (343.05), Quinn Henninger (396.98), Carson Tyler (396.00), Maxwell Weinrich (346.88)

Vanderburgh County Recent Booking Records

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Booked Last 24 Hours-Public

Vanderburgh County Crash Report

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Crash Report

IT IS TIME FOR MAYOR TERRY TO CONDUCT A “FORENSIC AUDIT” OF THE FORD CENTER

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 CCO EDITORIAL: IT IS TIME TO CONDUCT A “FORENSIC AUDIT” OF THE FORD CENTER

APRIL 9,  2024

(REPUBLISHED  BTY POPLAR DEMAND)

Following six years of mystifying, extravagant impact claims, and efforts to influence the public without a vote, Evansville opened the Ford Center in November of 2011 with a concert by Tri-State favorite Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. The first concert was a sellout and the facility proved itself to have good acoustics and comfortable seats. The then City Council members filed in smiling and waving to the crowd while occupying the first-row seats at the long-awaited concert.

The Ford Center construction was managed by John Kish, who should have gotten a standing ovation for bringing the project to fruition on time and within the original budget of $128.5 million. Most projects of this type go over budget by tens of millions of dollars and Kish will be forever remembered for being an impeccable steward of the Evansville taxpayer’s money.  We also give five cheers for the outstanding job that members of our local trades did building the Ford Center.

With minor opposition from Evansville movers and shakers, the City of Evansville, and its surrogates they decided to move forward with construction without having a public vote. One former citizen who didn’t support a stadium launched a campaign called “Sewers Before Stadium to force a prioritization of projected billion-dollar Water and Sewer improvements mandated by the EPA to no avail. The Ford Center is now completed, and some positive progress has been made with the all-important projected billion-dollar Water and Sewer project that Evansville has needed for many decades.

Years ago, the City of Evansville commissioned a consulting firm called Chema to do a financial projection for the Ford Center. They concluded that it would pay for itself from day one and start earning profits in year three. These projections have never been achieved.  Quite the opposite, the Ford Center has reportedly lost the City of Evansville millions of dollars in cash flow for every year it has been operating. In fact, over the years other city departments’ budgets have suffered due to the unprojected recurring annual financial shortfalls at the Ford Center.

In defense of former Mayor Winnecke from day one his administration inherited the 6-million-dollar annual interest payment associated with a $128.5 million arena construction bond debt. Coupled with the annual 6-million-dollar arena bond payment his administration was also forced to figure out a profitable marketing plan to generate enough income to pay the bills. After attempting to do so for the last 12 years it turned out to be an impossible task.

The early years of athletics and entertainment created the illusion of financial success with dollars flowing to the Ford Center from rents north of $10,000 per game rental charge from the University of Evansville Aces men and a lot less for women’s basketball teams, and the Evansville Icemen hockey team, plus a healthy dose of concerts. After only a few years, the Evansville Icemen decided to leave after a contractual disagreement with the city for the greener grass of Jacksonville, Florida where they reportedly found phenomenal success. The Lady Aces unfortunately never had the kind of crowds needed to pay the kind of rent that the Ford Center required and left for the friendly environment of Carson Center on the University of Evansville campus. The UE men’s basketball team struggled with attendance and with winning as the Purple Aces fans had become accustomed to at Robert’s Stadium where they won 5 NCAA championships and routinely drew crowds of over 10,000 per game. The Evansville Thunderbolts that were brought in to replace the Icemen have also been disappointing in attendance because of their up-and-down seasons over the years and the blush falling off of the rise of hockey in a baseball town.

The largest crowds ever at Ford Center are the two trips to the Tri-State by former President Donald Trump during his campaigns that drew over-capacity crowds that spilled into the street. It is not publicized as to whether the Trump campaign paid a fee or not. Â Also, over the years some rock and county concerts drew respectable crowds while others didn’t even fill the floor. 

The Ford Center, as nice as it may be, has seemingly never been anything but a financial drain on the people of Evansville. The most recent example is the approval of  Evansville City Council Financial ordinance G-2023-17 that grants the City of Evansville Redevelopment Authority (not to be confused with the Commission of the same name) the approval of a 9 million dollars in “LEASE /RENTAL REVENUE BONDS by a 6-2 vote (Missy Mosby and Ron Beane voting against the proposal with Jonathan Weaver absent and didn’t vote). Voting yes for the proposal were: Ben Trockman, Alex Burton, Zac Heronemus, Jim Brinkmeyer, Koehler Lindsey, and Kaitlin Moore). The City Council members voted Yes to approve the “LEASE /RENTAL REVENUE BONDS to do capital updates to the Ford Center knowing that the current Ford Center annual income cannot support an additional 9 million dollar bond debt payment.

The collateral for the 9-million-dollar projected costs to update the FORD CENTER interior and exterior signage and concession areas are leasing and renaming rights of 29 streets throughout Evansville by using an obscure provision in the law known as “LEASE/RENTAL REVENUE” bonds.   It’s important to point out that members of the Evansville City Council unwisely approved this transaction with little discussion and without asking for a detailed breakdown of the costs of the improvements at the Ford Center, the interest rate of the bonds, or the term of repayment of these bonds. These terms and conditions were not disclosed in the loan document given to City Council members at the time they voted.  We wonder how many leasing and renaming rights of the 29 streets throughout Evansville the City of Evansville Redevelopment Authority has sold and for what amount since the City Council approved the issuance of the bonds.

It is time for transparency to be demanded on behalf of Evansville taxpayers concerning the Ford Center’s financial operations. The Evansville taxpayers, (not the politicians) who pay the tab at the Ford Center deserve to know how the cash flows from one government entity to another in the game of Multiple Card Monte played in Evansville to generate an honorable profit at the Ford Center.

We urge Mayor Terry to do the right thing by encouraging our newly elected City Council members to join her and conduct a Forensic Audit by an out-of-state private auditing firm of the Ford Center.  We would like to stress that we feel that a Forensic Audit would be appropriate due diligence on behalf of the taxpayers of Evansville and will help our elected officials correct the questionable financial and management practices of the past that will forge a new direction for making the Ford Center more financially sustainable.

FOOTNOTE: Attached below is a link to the recent contract between the EVANSVILLE REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND VENUE WORKS which manages the FORD CENTER on behalf of the City.

Ford Center Renewal Contract July 2021

The City does not refer to the Ford Center tenants as â PRIME tenants However, it is assumed the tenants that rent the most calendar dates are the ones you may be referring to. Those would be the University of Evansville and the Evansville Thunderbolts Hockey Team.  The Evansville Thunderbolts Hockey Team is managed by Venuworks/VW Sports of Evansville, there isn’t an additional contract included in the initial contract attached. Also attached is the contract between ERC and the University of Evansville.  This fulfills your record request.

 

CK Newsome Center Kitchen Project Design and Costs Questioned

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CK Newsome Center Kitchen Project Design and Costs Questioned By Evansville Parks Board Vice-President Michelle Peterlin
DECEMBER 21, 2023
Danielle,
Thank you for your hard work.  I appreciate how you have stepped up to the plate and filled in for the Parks Director.   It is never easy to pick up the threads of someone else’s job and projects.  You are doing a great job and are handling everything very well.
I need to have answers to the following questions as part of my due diligence.
Please note, with the holiday coming this weekend, I do not want or expect anyone to provide the following information until after January 1st. This should not be viewed as a last minute project, it is not that urgent. However, I would like to have it by the second monthly Parks Board meeting in January 2024.
When the CK Newsome Center kitchen renovation was first brought up early this summer, I was not made aware the design firm would charge $65,000 +/- for just the design.  As I stated during the meeting yesterday, I am dismayed this company requires another $35,000 for just the design bringing the design cost alone to approximately $100,000+.  Their representative said the kitchen is estimated to cost around $1.5 million dollars, possibly higher.
I have owned 4 restaurants over the last 30 years.  It is my understanding through my own experience,  the ansul fire prevention hood runs around $40,000 and the EPA required buried or above ground grease trap tank is around $30-50,000. The cost difference depends on the gallon size of the tank and how far away the plumbing has to be run.
Depending on the condition of the plumbing and wiring, these will likely have to be upgraded to match current building code.  The cost of appliances can be economical, state of the art or anything in between.
A new restaurant kitchen in a facility that is going to kick out 3 meal services a day, 7 days a week, is usually not over $1.5 million dollars.  If it is this high, it will have lots of specialized equipment that a civically owned facility will not need.
I would like a copy of the current kitchen design with a list of proposed equipment and its brands.  I would also like to know the square footage of the space designated for the kitchen.
I also would like to know how this kitchen is used, how often and by who on a regular basis. Who uses it, how many times a year is it used? Is there a charge to the public for use of the kitchen/hall for private functions?  If so, please let me know what it is.
It is customary in this day and age for events to be catered with food prepared ahead of time with it being reheated and/or kept cold until the time it is plated at the event.  Caterers need warming ovens, counter space, refrigerators and freezers, i.e. basic stuff.
Also, it was mentioned yesterday during the meeting that one of the homeless shelters occasionally or regularly serves meals at the CK Newsome Center. Please let me know who this group is.  How many meals do they serve a week, a month?  What is the CK Newsome Center’s arrangement with this group?  I would like to know who funds them.
Can food truck operators rent this kitchen in order to meet health dept requirements?  There is a strong need for this without our community.
At this moment without any additional information, I cannot accept that the CK Newsome Center needs a $1.5 +/- million kitchen to serve food to the homeless.  I agree that CK Newsome Center kitchen does need to be replaced.  However, I was expecting the cost to range around $300-400,000.
After reviewing the above mentioned materials I hope to gain a new understanding for the proposed cost of this kitchen.  I believe my fellow board members also need greater insight into this project.
Thank you for your understanding and patience.
Michelle Peterlin
Vice President
Evansville Parks Board of Commissioners
FOOTNOTES:
COPIES SENT TO:  “Crook, Danielle” <dcrook@evansville.in.gov>, Jerome Stewart <Jerome@diversitysafety.com>, Wayne Kinney <WKinney@innovativecg.com>, Derrick Cleon <dccleon@eagles.usi.edu>, Sarah Dauer <sbdauer@gmail.com>
Posted by the City-Counyty Observer with permission, without bias, opinion, or editing.

USI Men Defeat UT Martin, 80-66

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball capped off a successful homestand with an 80-66 win over the University of Tennessee at Martin Saturday evening at Screaming Eagles Arena. The Screaming Eagles, who were 2-1 on the homestand, go to 10-9 overall and 3-3 in the OVC, while Skyhawks are 11-8, 3-3 OVC.

USI took command in the first six minutes with a trio of eight-point leads, including an 8-0 explosion to open the game. UT Martin would put together a string of buckets to close the gap to one point at 14-13 and 17-16.

The Eagles took back the momentum with a 14-2 run after the 10-minute mark, hitting five-of-seven from the field to lead 31-18 with 6:56 left in the half. USI’s defense also played a big part of the run, holding UT Martin without a field goal for five minutes.

USI, whose largest lead of the half was 14 points (35-21), had to settle for a 39-29 margin at the break. Senior forward Jacob Polakovich (Grand Rapids, Michigan) paced the Eagles in the opening 20 minutes with 16 points on eight-of-10 from the field.

While the first half belonged to Polakovich, USI sophomore guard Isaiah Swope (Newburgh, Indiana) dominated the second. Swope dropped in 14 points second-half points on four-of-five from the field, two-of-three from long range, and was near perfect at the line, going four-of-five.

Swope’s second-half production would help USI maintain the double-digit lead throughout the final 20 minutes, increasing it to as many as 18 points, 80-62, with 1:13 to play. UT Martin would get the final four points of the game before USI closed out the 80-66 final.

As a team, USI dominated the boards for the second-straight game, outrebounding UT Martin, 43-33 overall and 31-10 on the defensive glass.

The Eagles had three players in double-digits on the scoreboard, led by the 21-point effort by Swope. Swope was seven-of-11 for the game from the field, three-of-six from beyond the arc, and four-of-five from the line. He also tied for the team-high with four assists.

Polakovich added three second-half points and finished with 19 points in addition to completing his seventh double-double of the year with a game-high 12 rebounds. Senior guard Jelani Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14 points, scoring nine in the second half.

Next Up For USI:
USI hits the road next week when it travels to Lindenwood University on January 19 and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on January 21 for OVC action. Game time Thursday at Lindenwood in St. Charles, Missouri, is set for 8 p.m., while tipoff Saturday at SIUE in Edwardsville, Illinois is set for 3:30 p.m.

The game will be streamed on ESPN+ in addition to being heard on ESPN 97.7FM and 95.7FM The Spin.

Lindenwood saw its record go to 7-12 overall and 2-4 in the OVC after falling at SIUE today, 68-58. SIUE, who will entertain Morehead State University Thursday before hosting USI next Saturday, saw its record go to 14-5 overall and an OVC leading 5-1.

Lindenwood was led in Saturday’s contest by senior guard Brandon Trimble and junior forward Keenan Cole, who had 12 points each, while SIUE was paced by sophomore guard Ray’Sean Taylor with 18 points.

USI leads the all-time series and conference matchups with Lindenwood, 4-0, since the Lions joined the Eagles in the GLVC in 2020. The Eagles took both GLVC games last season from the Lions, 70-56, on the road and 77-70 in overtime at home.

The Eagles have an all-time series lead over the SIUE Cougars, 44-21, and starting in 1971-72.  SIUE, however, has won the last two matchups, including the January 7 meeting in OVC action at Screaming Eagles Arena, 69-62. USI also holds a 15-12 series lead in games played at SIUE.

USI WOMEN EDGE OUT UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE AT MARTIN

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Eagles Edged Out After Skyhawks’ Fourth-Quarter Rally

JANUARY 15, 2023

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball was edged out at home Saturday night by a final score of 63-60 after a fourth-quarter rally by the University of Tennessee at Martin.

The Screaming Eagles found themselves in another contest on Saturday that came down to the final possession. Both teams were seeking to get back to .500 in Ohio Valley Conference play after entering Saturday with a 2-3 conference record.

The Skyhawks jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but the Screaming Eagles quickly answered to tie the game. Sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) provided the first lead of the game for Southern Indiana when she splashed in a three-pointer just under the six-minute mark of the first period.

Defenses took over in the back half of the first quarter, as both squads had trouble getting off clean shots from the floor. One Screaming Eagle who found an early rhythm was junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana), who gave USI a 14-7 lead inside the last minute of the first. Raley had six points after the first quarter, while USI led 15-9 after one period of play.

Raley began the second quarter with a jump shot to put USI up 17-9. USI continued the momentum in the following minutes, working aggressively inside and getting to the foul line. At the 7:29 mark of the second period, senior forward Tara Robbe (Wildwood, Missouri) drove toward the hoop for a layup after a spin move in the lane. The bucket put USI ahead by 13, 22-9, over the Skyhawks.

After shooting under 30 percent through the midway point of the second quarter, UT Martin found some late momentum before going into halftime. With USI ahead 27-14, the Skyhawks cut the margin down with a 7-0 run in the final two and a half minutes to make the score 27-21 USI heading into the intermission.

Out of the break, Southern Indiana pushed its lead back to double-digits, 31-21, on a pair of jumpers from Shafford and senior guard Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana). UT Martin cut the advantage back down to five for USI in the middle of the third quarter, but the Screaming Eagles were not fazed. USI went back up 10, 36-26, with 4:55 left in the third after a corner three from junior guard Lexie Green (Indianapolis, Indiana) and a layup by Raley.

USI’s defense continued to contest and force UT Martin into tough shots, especially from outside. In the third quarter, the Screaming Eagles held the Skyhawks to 3-14 shooting and 0-8 from three. Southern Indiana took a 43-33 lead into the fourth period.

UT Martin made a big run in the first portion of the fourth quarter. After USI led by 12 shortly into the start of the fourth quarter, the Skyhawks made their rally to tie the game at 49 with just under five minutes to play. The hot-shooting Skyhawks then took a 52-49 lead shortly later after a made triple.

UT Martin increased its lead to seven, 59-52, with two minutes left in the fourth. Following a timeout, Southern Indiana trimmed the deficit. The Screaming Eagles got the score down to four, 62-58, with 28 seconds remaining after Handley nailed a three-pointer. After USI got a steal on the defensive end, Shafford made a layup to make it 62-60 UT Martin. The Skyhawks made a free throw to go back up by three. USI had a little over five seconds to tie the game, but the last-second triple attempt did not go in for the Screaming Eagles and the game ended.

USI had four players in double figures Saturday night. Shafford led the way with 14 points on 4-6 shooting with five rebounds. Raley had 12 points and seven rebounds after a 5-6 night from the field. Handley and senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) each had 10 points. As a team, the Screaming Eagles were 20-42 from the floor for 47.6 percent with four made threes and 16 made free throws in the contest.

UT Martin had two players score at least 20 points. Sophomore guard Shae Littleford scored 21 points and freshman guard Josie Storey tallied 20. The Skyhawks finished 18-44 for 40.9 percent from the floor with seven triples and 20 made free throws. UT Martin won the rebounding battle 29-27.

Saturday’s result put USI at 8-9 on the season and 2-4 in conference play. UT Martin’s record moved to 7-10 overall and 3-3 in the OVC.

The Screaming Eagles will head back on the road next week to continue Ohio Valley Conference play. USI will face fellow OVC newcomer and former Great Lakes Valley Conference foe Lindenwood University from St. Charles, Missouri next Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Southern Indiana will then travel to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville next Saturday at 1 p.m. to face the Cougars for the second time during the OVC season. Both games can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on 95.7 FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com).

THUNDERBOLTS DEFEATED 8-2 IN HUNTSVILLE 

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THUNDERBOLTS DEFEATED 8-2 IN HUNTSVILLE 

 Huntsville, Ala.:  Despite a rally from a 2-0 deficit in the first period, the Havoc ran away with the score, getting just about every break possible, defeating the Thunderbolts 8-2 in Huntsville on Saturday night.  The Thunderbolts’ next home game will be on Sunday, January 22nd against the Huntsville Havoc at 3:00 pm CT.  For tickets, call (812)422-BOLT (2658), go to EvansvilleThunderbolts.com or visit the Ford Center Ticket Office.

A pair of goals from Rob Darrar in the first half of the first period gave the Havoc a 2-0 lead, before the Thunderbolts rallied to tie it back up.  The first Thunderbolts goal was scored by Scott Kirton at 13:49, assisted by Hayden Hulton.  Following up was Cameron Cook, scoring at 17:49 from Aaron Huffnagle.  Unfortunately, the momentum did not carry over into the second period.  The Havoc scored five times in the second period to build up a 7-2 lead.  In the third period, the Thunderbolts settled things down, only allowing one goal in the period and outshot the Havoc down the stretch, however, that would be all for the Thunderbolts in the 8-2 defeat.

Kirton and Cook scored one goal each.  Zane Steeves stopped 21 of 28 shots faced in goal, before being swapped for Sammy Bernard, who stopped 9 of 10 shots in relief.  These two teams meet again on January 22nd at Ford Center.

Individual game tickets, season tickets and group packages are on sale for this 2022-23 season.  Call 812-422-BOLT or visit our all-new website (www.evansvillethunderbolts.com) for details.

About Evansville Thunderbolts: The Evansville Thunderbolts is the area’s only professional hockey team. The Thunderbolts are a proud member of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). The team is owned and operated by VW Sports, L.L.C, a subsidiary of VenuWorks, Inc. www.evansvillethunderbolts.com  

 

VANDERBURGH COUNTY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE ANNOUNCES JURY FINDS RICARDO SANDOVAL, JR. GUILTY OF CHILD MOLESTING

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Evansville, IN – Prosecutor Diana Moers announces that, on January 11–12, 2023, the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office successfully prosecuted Ricardo Sandoval, Jr. in a jury trial where he was convicted of 7 counts of child molestation—with the most severe count being a Level 1 felony—and 7 counts of sexual battery.  The prosecution was led by Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Josh Hutcheson and Alec Baker.

The prosecution presented evidence that Mr. Sandoval engaged in frequent sexual abuse of the victim at a young age and over the course of at least six years.

The incident was investigated by Evansville Police Department Detective Kyle Campbell.  The abuse was disclosed to Holly’s House in Evansville, Indiana, which is a child and adult victim advocacy center.  A forensic interview was conducted by Kirsten Hettinga with the participation of the Indiana Department of Child Services. The prosecution deeply appreciates the testimony of Ms. Hettinga and DCS caseworker Harry Hazelwood at trial to reach a just resolution.

Prosecutor Moers thanked her Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Josh Hutcheson and Alec Baker and Victim Advocate Teresa Wink, as well as EPD Detective Kyle Campbell, for their diligent efforts. DPA Hutcheson stated at the close of trial that he was “very happy that the victim got the justice the victim so rightly deserved through the bravery and willingness to confront the abuser.”

“The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office takes its commitment to seek justice for victims of sexual abuse very seriously,” said Prosecutor Moers, “And it welcomes the opportunity to further partner with Holly’s House and DCS to empower victims to speak up about their abuse and to receive justice in the state’s courts.”    

Sentencing is scheduled for February 13, 2023 in front of Magistrate Judge Celia M. Pauli of the Vanderburgh Circuit Court.  Mr. Sandoval faces at least twenty to forty years for the Level 1 felony, either concurrently or consecutively with potentially more time given for the other convictions.

 

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