EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball clinched its first-ever Ohio Valley Conference Tournament berth inside Screaming Eagles Arena on Saturday night behind a 75-58 victory against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

After missing out on the OVC’s postseason field of eight last season due to a tiebreaker, Southern Indiana became the first OVC program to claim its spot this season with its league-leading 11-1 conference record. Saturday’s win pushed USI’s overall record to 16-6. Following Saturday’s results, USI holds a three-game first-place lead in the conference standings. Additionally, Southern Indiana swept its pair of home games this week, marking the sixth OVC weekly sweep for the Eagles this season.

Saturday was Homecoming and Hall of Fame Night at Screaming Eagles Arena, and on an evening of celebration and welcoming back alumni, Southern Indiana got its largest crowd of the season of over 2,000 fans excited right away. USI started the game with back-to-back three-pointers within the first minute of action. USI led 8-0 before SIUE got on the scoreboard. Senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) had a fast start for the Screaming Eagles, scoring seven of USI’s first 10 points. The offense then cooled as the Eagles led 12-4 with 4:30 left on the clock in the opening quarter. Southern Indiana grabbed an 18-12 lead at the end of the first quarter off a buzzer-beating jumper by junior guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana).

Defenses continued to make things tough for both offenses in the early minutes of the second period. However, Southern Indiana got the offense rolling by using its size advantage inside to add to its lead. Raley reached the 10-point mark just 13 minutes into the first half. Shafford drained a jumper to put USI up by double digits, 25-14, three minutes into the second quarter. Southern Indiana produced two double-figure runs that allowed the Screaming Eagles to build a sizable lead. Freshman forward Chloe Gannon (Manchester, Tennessee) paced the charge by the Eagles with 10 second-quarter points, as USI outscored the Cougars 23-9 and shot nearly 70 percent in the second frame to take a 41-21 halftime advantage.

Out of the intermission, it took nearly four minutes for Southern Indiana to find the bottom of the net, but back-to-back triples did the trick. Sophomore guard Ali Saunders (Depauw, Indiana) drained one of the treys before stroking through a mid-range jumper to give USI a 21-point lead, 49-28, midway into the third quarter. The Screaming Eagles tacked on to their lead with another pair of threes from Saunders and graduate guard Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana). Southern Indiana’s defense also remained tough, as USI held SIUE to 3-15 for 20 percent shooting for the third straight quarter. The Eagles carried a 59-31 lead to the fourth stanza.

In the first portion of the fourth quarter, Saunders canned another three, while Gannon added to her solid game. Gannon reached 18 points in the fourth, matching a career best. Southern Indiana led by more than 30 in the middle of the period, but the Cougars did not go quietly. SIUE shot for 60 percent and connected five times from long range in the fourth.

For the game, Southern Indiana was 28-59 for 47 percent shooting, knocking down eight threes. USI was also 11-15 for 73 percent at the foul line. The Screaming Eagles had 36 bench points and won the rebounding battle, 39-36. Gannon paced USI with 18 points, and Saunders finished with 13 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting night and 3-3 from beyond the arc. Shafford tallied nine points with 11 rebounds. Shafford had scored 10 or more in the previous 19 games. Raley chipped in 10 points in the game Saturday.

SIUE (4-21, 1-11) was held by Southern Indiana’s defense to only 30 percent shooting (18-60) with seven triples. The Cougars did go a perfect 15-15 at the free-throw stripe. SIUE had three players score in double figures.

VINCENNES, Ind. – The No. 5-ranked Vincennes University Trailblazers made a few changes to the starting lineup Saturday afternoon against Lake Land College from Mattoon, Ill. and the Blazers jumped out to an early 16 point first half lead.

The Lakers battled back to cut the deficit to six at halftime but the Trailblazers were able to go wire-to-wire to pick up the 66-58 victory over Lake Land.

VU got off to an excellent start Saturday afternoon, scoring the first seven points of the game and later using a 10-0 scoring run to build a 20-4 advantage midway through the first half.

Lake Land would battle back and gain some momentum offensively, using an 11-1 scoring run to cut the deficit down to six, where the VU lead would hold throughout the rest of the first half.

The Trailblazers held on to a 28-22 lead heading into the locker room at the break.

Vincennes looked to get off to another quick start to begin the second half, growing the lead back to double digits at 34-24 before the Lakers again cut it back to six.

VU would add to the lead again to increase the margin to 45-34 before the Lakers answered with six straight points to get back within five.

The Trailblazers’ largest lead of the second half came at 59-47 before the Lakers converted a four point play and got back within six.

Vincennes would put the game away at the free throw line down the stretch, with Lake Land running out of time for another comeback as VU closed out a 66-58 victory over the Lakers.

“We played pretty good defense,” VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Todd Franklin said. “We’ve won two games this week and shot 35 percent twice. National best in the country, which we’re usually right there, is somewhere between 36 and 38 percent at our level and NCAA Division I. We’re shooting worse than that. So how do you win when you are shooting worse than that? You have to hold the other team down better than that and that’s what we’ve done.”

“We’ve played pretty good defense both games this week and I think our defense is getting better,” Franklin added. “We’ll have some mental breakdowns here and there, but if we can clean those up a little bit. I think since the Olney game our defense has been pretty good. We’ve held teams down into the 50s and the low 60s, with shooting percentages down. So there’s good things. When you shoot 35 percent and win, you have to do a lot of good things.”

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Tennis (1-3) began the weekend with a 6-1 loss to Western Kentucky University (3-3) Saturday evening at the Evansville Tennis Center.
 
Doubles: The Screaming Eagles put up a fight but lost the doubles decision. Junior Madison Windham (Clarksville, Tennessee)/senior Rachel McCorkle (Tulsa, Oklahoma) partners came up just short at number three with a 6-3 loss.
 
Singles: USI picked up a win in singles play after freshman Antonia Ferrarini (Caxias do Sul, Brazil) secured the 7-5, 6-1 victory at number three for her second career singles win.
 

BOSTON, Mass. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Track & Field had two meets this weekend between the GVSU Big Meet in Allendale, Michigan, and the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston, Massachusetts.
 
At the GVSU Big Meet, all five Eagles who competed in the 5,000 meters earned a personal best. Freshman Alex Nolan (Evansville, Indiana) paved the way with a time of 14 minutes and 54.76 seconds to earn sixth place in his heat. In heat number five, it was freshman Landen Swiney (Du Quoin, Illinois) who set the tone for USI with a ninth-place finish and a time of 15:15.29. Right behind him was freshman Tyler Zimmerman (Evansville, Indiana) after crossing the line in 15:26.86 to finish in 15th place while freshman Mukal Verma (Palatine, Illinois) finished the race in 15:54.42 to place 24th. Senior Draven Thompson (Huntertown, Indiana) closed out the day with a 15:18.78 time and an 11th-place finish in heat seven.
 
In Boston, senior Mitchell Hopf (Santa Claus, Indiana) shattered his 5,000-meter personal record with a time of 14:19.38 to cross the line in 21st place in the unseeded event. Freshman Cole Hess (Cannelton, Indiana) beat out his previous personal-best time in the mile with a time of 4:15.89. Senior Noah Hufnagel (Santa Claus, Indiana) rounded out the Eagle runners by making a top-100 finish with a time of 14:10.35.

Aces drop 73-70 road game

 EVANSVILLE, Ind. – With the score tied at 70-70 in the final seconds, Murray State hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to clinch a 73-70 victory over the University of Evansville men’s basketball team inside the CFSB Center.

“I’m proud of the way our guys fought today in a hostile environment.  We kept clawing away at the deficit and gave ourselves a chance to win,” UE head coach David Ragland said.  “Unfortunately, Murray State made one more play at the end than we did.  We will learn from today and be ready for Drake on Tuesday.”

Four Purple Aces finished in double figures with Tanner Cuff leading the way with 15.  He was 4-for-5 from the field.  Kenny Strawbridge Jr. and Ben Humrichous recorded 14 apiece.  Strawbridge added 10 boards on the way to a double-double.  Chuck Bailey III scored 10.

Ben Humrichous gave UE the perfect start, hitting a triple on the first possession.  Murray State countered with nine in a row to take their first lead before Evansville stormed back with a rally of its own.  Josh Hughes hit a jumper before Gage Bobe converted a 3-pointer.  Kenny Strawbridge capped the run with a field goal to make it a 10-9 game at the 14:55 mark.

MSU quickly retook the lead on a triple and the squads would swap the lead numerous times in the ensuing minutes.  With the game knotted at 16-16, the Racers went on an 11-2 run to take their largest advantage at 27-18 approaching the final six minutes.  The lead for Murray remained between five and eight points over the remainder of the half.

With the seconds winding down, Kenny Strawbridge Jr. connected on a triple at the buzzer to make it a 32-27 game at the break.

Humrichous got things going right out of the gate.  Following a Racers basket, he drained consecutive triples to cut the deficit to just one at 34-33.  Murray State retook control over the next four minutes, retaking a 9-point lead at 46-37.  Evansville continued to chip away as a Tanner Cuff 3-pointer got UE within a possession at 48-45 with 11:25 remaining.

Evansville got back within four on a few occasions but was finally able to get closer entering the final three minutes.  Another three by Humrichous made it a 68-65 game and a Cuff free throw made it a 2-point game.  With 2:05 left, Yacine Toumi drained a pair of free throws to cut the Racer lead to one at 69-68.

It was Toumi coming through once again less than a minute later as his second-chance basket tied the game at 70-70.  Unfortunately, MSU came through with a triple at the buzzer to take the win.  The Racers shot 49.2% on the day with UE finishing at 45.8%.