Eagles resume GLVC play to open New Year USI set to play four games in seven days
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.
Editorial: “Visit Evansville’s” Excellent Decision
“Visit Evansville’s” Excellent Decision
by City-County Observer Staff
December 29, 2022
“Visit Evansville” has been a long-embattled organization with the responsibility to turn Evansville, Indiana into a tourist destination of choice. The once Evansville Convention and Visitor’s Bureau made two moves in 2021 that will serve to clarify and focus the efforts to attract tourists to Evansville and the City-County Observer has high expectations for success this time.
The first big change was the name change to “Visit Evansville” which fully embodies the mission of the organization. It is now clear that visitors are what is sought, and the value of visitors is not segregated into categories like conventions, athletes, veterans, or casual visitors. It must be mentioned that many Convention and Visitors Bureaus changed their name to “Visit ——” in 2021 and the changes are widely expected to be positive.
The board of directors of “Visit Evansville” was also put into a position to do another search for a CEO by the resignation of Jim Woods who decided after two years to seek his fortune elsewhere. Woods was the 4th CEO of the organization in the last decade. Excessive turnover has plagued the entity for as long as most of us can remember. For some reason, past boards of directors have been infatuated with the prospect of bringing in a heavy hitter from other places.
After another national search, Alexis Berggren, who has been managing the Old National Bank Events Center was selected as the new CEO. Selecting a local is a welcome departure from the searches in the last decade and it is a good decision.
Berggren has demonstrated creativity in bringing national and exciting events to Evansville in ways that have not been done here for many years and it has paid off with an increase in tourists and day trips from what is called the drive market. This is precisely what Evansville can expect to find continued and sustainable success with. Berggren will have an achievable set of goals that will move Evansville forward in entertainment, youth sports, and other creative offerings that she will most certainly pursue.
For an entity that started the decade with an embarrassing Bacchanalian wine fest that squandered more taxpayer dollars than one can comprehend and the dismissal of a former CEO for political reasons, 2021 is a welcome positive advancement for “Visit Evansville”. Success in serving the drive market and the hiring of someone who already lives here has the potential to maximize the tourist industry performance of Evansville.
Congratulations to the “Visit Evansville” board of directors on the excellent decision to hire Alexis Berggren as their next CEO/President. We look forward to reporting on their success.
It’s The Party Of The Year- Happy Noon Years!
Maddox Joins USI Baseball Staff For 2022
 University of Southern Indiana Baseball announced the addition of sophomore right-handed hurler Parker Maddox (Columbus, Indiana) to the 2022 pitching staff.
Maddox is a transfer from Iowa Western Community College where he appeared in four games as a redshirt freshman, posting a 3.38 ERA in 5.1 innings of work with two strikeouts. Prior to pitching for Iowa Western, he had a 4.50 ERA in two appearances and three strikeouts on the hill for Ohio University during the COVID-shortened 2020 season.
“Parker is a power arm that is an upper 80s-low 90s mph arm,” said USI Baseball Head Coach Tracy Archuleta. “He will compete for a starting spot this spring.”
Before moving to the collegiate level, Maddox was letter winner in baseball at Columbus North High School (Columbus, Indiana). The two-time Perfect Game Preseason All-American (2017, 2018) had a 2.39 ERA and 49 strikeouts as a junior (2018) and helped Columbus North to a regional and sectional championship.
USI, which received votes for the ABCA Top 40 poll, opens 2022 play February 18.
102 Hoosier Artists Strengthen Careers, Communities Through Fellowships From The Indiana Arts Commission
The Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) announced it has awarded $204,000 to 102 creative entrepreneurs to fund arts projects around the state through the agency’s On-Ramp Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator program. Â
Each funded project will support the pursuit of a clearly defined business goal that also supports the entrepreneur’s community. Â
“The projects that are taking place around the state are reflective of the diverse talents of Indiana’s creative entrepreneurs,†said Paige Sharp, IAC Deputy Director of Programs. “This fellowship allows On-Ramp participants to grow in their career while strengthening the fabric of their community.â€Â
Franklin County resident Katherine Magalski is using funds from her project to assist with the cost of an electric kiln for her ceramic studio, allowing her to produce functional ceramic ware that will generate revenue. Additionally, in the spirit of giving back to her community, Katherine will participate in the 23rd Clay Alliance Empty Bowls benefit for the Freestore Foodbank by creating and glazing bowls, and by serving several times during the event. Participating in this event will help others in need and build Magalski’s network in the Tri-State area.
 Marion County resident Manon Voice’s long-term creative business goal is to find new and innovative ways to use art as a means of conversation and awareness around social issues and as a tool for community building, engagement, and empowerment. She will utilize the fellowship funding to create poetry and hip-hop to fuel more social awareness around housing stability issues in Indiana. Each produced piece will explore a different topic, such as eviction, gentrification, and redlining. After completing the album, Manon will pair performance with panel discussion on these topics, inviting people from impacted communities and those working on the issues to participate in discussions that can lead to actionable steps toward solutions.Â
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