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HOT JOBS
THUNDERBOLTS HOST HAVOC THIS FRIDAY FOR MILITARY APPRECIATION NIGHT
Evansville, In.: Following a weekend sweep on Ford Center ice over the Peoria Rivermen, the Thunderbolts will look for some revenge this Friday night against the Huntsville Havoc for Military Appreciation Night.
Week In Review:
The Thunderbolts led the way with strong defense and goaltending against Peoria on Friday and Saturday nights, winning 2-1 on Friday with goals from Jordan Simoneau and Connor Federkow, and 4-1 on Saturday with goals from Connor Tait, Matthew Hobbs, Aidan Litke and Simoneau. Evansville only allowed 23 and 24 shots in each game respectively, with Kristian Stead stopping all but one shot in each game as Evansville improved to a 4-2 record.
The Week Ahead:
Military Appreciation Night presented by National Vet Help is Friday, November 7 at 7:00 pm against the Huntsville Havoc! A discounted $12 goal zone or $17 center ice ticket is available for all current and former military personnel and up to 5 people with proof of identification using this link: bit.ly/MilitaryAppreciation25 . Game worn specialty jerseys will be auctioned off after the game and replicas will be available at the merchandise stand outside of Section 102.
EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT
FOOTNOTE: EPD DAILY ACTIVITY REPORT information was provided by the EPD and posted by the City-County-County Observer without opinion, bias, or editing.
Screaming Eagles open season with win over Franklin
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball opened the 2025-26 season Monday night at Liberty Arena, home of the Screaming Eagles, with an 85-45 victory against Franklin College.
USI Women’s Basketball (1-0) got stronger as Monday’s game went on, allowing its defense to turn into offense. The Screaming Eagles shot over 50 percent from the floor (32-63) while holding Franklin to just over 35 percent shooting (16-45). USI forced Franklin into 34 turnovers, which led to 46 points for the Eagles. USI also had 46 points in the paint compared to only 12 for Franklin. The Screaming Eagles received 29 bench points on Monday. USI was plus nine (38-29) on the boards.
Individually, junior forward Chloe Gannon tallied a game-high 17 points on 8-12 shooting with four rebounds in 31 minutes. Junior guard Shannon Blacher netted a career-high 15 points in her USI debut, going 5-8 from the floor with five rebounds and a career-best seven steals. Junior guard Sophia Loden totaled 11 points, six rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Junior forward Amiyah Buchanan had 10 points with four rebounds and a career-high four blocks.
Gannon scored the first basket of the 2025-26 season a minute into Monday’s contest. After Franklin grabbed a two-possession lead over the next couple of minutes, Gannon helped USI come back and take a 9-8 lead by the midway point of the opening quarter. The two sides battled for the remainder of the first quarter, with the score tied at 19 at the end of the first 10 minutes.
In the second period, a couple of threes by Loden and Blacher helped catapult the Screaming Eagles to a 10-0 run and a 29-19 lead. As the Grizzlies tried to respond, a three-point play by Gannon at the 3:16 mark of the second quarter pushed the Eagles’ advantage to a dozen, 36-24, as Gannon crossed into double figures for the game. Blacher also reached double digits later in the period to extend USI’s lead to 18, its largest lead of the first half. The Screaming Eagles went into halftime ahead 44-27.
While Franklin tried to cut into USI’s lead in the early going of the third quarter, the Screaming Eagles continued to get stronger as the game went along. Loden was aggressive, getting to the basket and converting at the foul line. Loden eclipsed double figures with a pair of free throws at the six-minute mark of the third, giving USI a 51-35 lead. A minute later, the Eagles’ margin swelled to 21 on a bucket from Buchanan. Freshman guard Lily Graves had a strong showing in the third with seven points, aiding USI to carry a 67-41 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Screaming Eagles continued to roll in the fourth quarter. Blacher drained another three, and Buchanan knocked down a jumper to reach 10 points in the game. Gannon scored another bucket to reach her game-high 17 points. Down the stretch of the fourth frame, USI’s lead reached as big as 42 points for the team’s largest lead of the night.
The Screaming Eagles will be back home Friday at 5 p.m. for the front end of a USI Basketball doubleheader at Liberty Arena. USI Women’s Basketball will host Murray State University. The game can also be seen with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on The Spin 95.7 FM and ESPN WREF 97.7 FM.
USI Basketball Tailgate planned for Friday
To celebrate the beginning of the 2025-26 season, a First Friday Tailgate for the USI community and Screaming Eagles fans will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, November 7, in Parking Lot P (behind the Screaming Eagles Complex). After the tailgate, USI Women’s and Men’s Basketball will tip off against Murray State and Virginia Military Institute, respectively. Women’s game starts at 5 p.m. with the men’s game beginning at 7:30 p.m. Purchase your tickets online or at the gate!
Sponsored by the Center for Campus Life, Housing and Residence Life, and the USI Foundation, the tailgate will feature food, music by DJ Brash, free giveaways, and activities including inflatables, putt-putt, games, and more. There will also be a beer garden for fans 21 years and older (ID required to enter; cash and card accepted).
Men’s basketball opens the season at top ranked Purdue
Aces and Boilermakers meet for first time since 2005
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the first time since 2005, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team will square off against Purdue as the squads meet up on Tuesday evening inside Mackey Arena with a 5:30 p.m. CST tip. The Big Ten Network and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.
Season Opener
-Tuesday will tip off the 107th season
of Aces basketball
– In 106 previous season openers, the Aces
are 69-37
– This year marks the fifth time in six years that UE has opened the season on the road
– The last road win in a season opener came in 2022 when the Aces finished with a 78-74 win at Miami Ohio
It’s Been A While
– UE and Purdue meet up for the first time in 20 years on Tuesday
– The last meeting came on Dec. 3, 2005 when Evansville earned a 75-69 win at Roberts Stadium
– Overall, the teams have met on 14 occasions with the Boilermakers leading by a 9-5 margin
– In the last meeting between the teams in West Lafayette, Purdue finished with an 82-62 triumph to improve to 4-0 in home games against the Aces
Facing #1
– Tuesday marks the fourth time in program history that the Aces face the top ranked team in the nation
– The last team UE faced the #1 team came on Nov. 12, 2019 when the Aces defeated Kentucky by a 67-64 final inside Rupp Arena
– Evansville’s match-ups against top-ranked teams include:
11/12/19 at #1 Kentucky W 67-64
12/18/08 at #1 UNC L 73-91
2/26/80 at #1 DePaul L 94-105
Exhibition Recap
– In its preseason tune-up, the Aces took on Henderson State on Oct. 25 earning a 90-74 victory at the Ford Center
– Josh Hughes and Keishon Porter tied for the game high with 22 points apiece
– Hughes was a perfect 10-for-10 from the line and dished out five assists
– Porter converted 10 of his 18 attempts and posted nine caroms
– Freshman Leif Moeller scored 21 points while AJ Casey added 16 points and 11 boards
– After the Reddies made it a 74-70 contest with just over seven minutes remaining, UE finished the game on a 16-4 run to win by 16 points
Scouting the Opponent
– Purdue enters the 2025-26 season as the #1 team in the nation in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Polls
– The Boilermakers went 24-12 last season and came up just short of a berth in the Elite Eight as they dropped a 62-60 contest to #2 seed Houston
– Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith posted 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game last season
– He was the Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus First Team All-American
– Trey Kaufman-Renn led the team with 21.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last year
Men’s basketball opens the season at top ranked Purdue
Aces and Boilermakers meet for first time since 2005
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the first time since 2005, the University of Evansville men’s basketball team will square off against Purdue as the squads meet up on Tuesday evening inside Mackey Arena with a 5:30 p.m. CST tip. The Big Ten Network and the Purple Aces Radio Network will have the broadcast.
Season Opener
-Tuesday will tip off the 107th season
of Aces basketball
– In 106 previous season openers, the Aces
are 69-37
– This year marks the fifth time in six years that UE has opened the season on the road
– The last road win in a season opener came in 2022 when the Aces finished with a 78-74 win at Miami Ohio
It’s Been A While
– UE and Purdue meet up for the first time in 20 years on Tuesday
– The last meeting came on Dec. 3, 2005 when Evansville earned a 75-69 win at Roberts Stadium
– Overall, the teams have met on 14 occasions with the Boilermakers leading by a 9-5 margin
– In the last meeting between the teams in West Lafayette, Purdue finished with an 82-62 triumph to improve to 4-0 in home games against the Aces
Facing #1
– Tuesday marks the fourth time in program history that the Aces face the top ranked team in the nation
– The last team UE faced the #1 team came on Nov. 12, 2019 when the Aces defeated Kentucky by a 67-64 final inside Rupp Arena
– Evansville’s match-ups against top-ranked teams include:
11/12/19 at #1 Kentucky W 67-64
12/18/08 at #1 UNC L 73-91
2/26/80 at #1 DePaul L 94-105
Exhibition Recap
– In its preseason tune-up, the Aces took on Henderson State on Oct. 25 earning a 90-74 victory at the Ford Center
– Josh Hughes and Keishon Porter tied for the game high with 22 points apiece
– Hughes was a perfect 10-for-10 from the line and dished out five assists
– Porter converted 10 of his 18 attempts and posted nine caroms
– Freshman Leif Moeller scored 21 points while AJ Casey added 16 points and 11 boards
– After the Reddies made it a 74-70 contest with just over seven minutes remaining, UE finished the game on a 16-4 run to win by 16 points
Scouting the Opponent
– Purdue enters the 2025-26 season as the #1 team in the nation in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Polls
– The Boilermakers went 24-12 last season and came up just short of a berth in the Elite Eight as they dropped a 62-60 contest to #2 seed Houston
– Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith posted 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game last season
– He was the Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus First Team All-American
– Trey Kaufman-Renn led the team with 21.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last year
USI opens ’25-26 with visit to Butler Eagles finish opening week by hosting VMI
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball opens the 2025-26 regular season Wednesday when the Screaming Eagles visit Butler University for a 6 p.m. (CT) contest in Indianapolis, Indiana. The opening week will end November 7 at Liberty Arena when USI hosts Virginia Military Institute for the home opener at 7:30 p.m.
The USI-Butler showdown will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and the USI-VMI contests will air live on ESPN+. The game can also be heard on ESPN 97.7FM (http://listentotheref.com) and 95.7FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com).
USI’s home opening game versus VMI also is a part of a men’s and women’s basketball doubleheader at Liberty Arena. USI Women’s Basketball takes on Murray State at 5 p.m., before the men’s game.
The Eagles are coming off their third season of NCAA Division I play that saw them post a 10-20 overall record, 5-15 in the Ohio Valley Conference. USI has completed its transition to Division I with the end of last season and is now NCAA Tournament eligible in 2025-26.
The Eagles are expected to be ninth in the OVC this season in a vote of the head coaches and athletic communication staff.
Butler, which was 15-20 overall in 2024-25, was picked 10th in the Big East preseason coaches poll. The Bulldogs open the year with an exhibition loss to the University of Notre Dame, 77-76, and an exhibition win over Indiana State University, 105-80.
VMI, which was 15-19 overall last year, is picked to place sixth in the Southern Conference 2025-26 preseason poll. The Keydets open the year November 3 at home against Johnson & Wales University in Lexington, Virginia.
USI, which is slated to host 14 home games this year at Liberty Arena, has single-game tickets on sale now on USIScreamingEagles.com.
Joining the fight against breast cancer
| October marked Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the Indiana General Assembly is doing its part to spread awareness, support early detection and encourage more research.
According to the American Cancer Society, there were more than 300,000 estimated new cases of breast cancer in the U.S. in 2024 and over 42,000 deaths. Early detection and screenings are critical when it comes to prevention and treatment. This session, I authored a new law to help advance more breast cancer treatment and prevention research, creating a dedicated fund for innovative research into novel forms of treatment and therapies. The law also created a fund for pediatric cancer research. |
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[To learn more about the new Breast Cancer Research Fund and Pediatric Cancer Research and Treatment Fund, click here.]
Last year, the General Assembly improved breast cancer screening protocols and awareness by ensuring patients with dense breast tissue, which can make cancer harder to detect, are informed of their increased risk. The law also outlined the protocol for mammogram examinations and documentation, and expanded insurance coverage on breast cancer rehabilitative services and reconstruction surgery. It’s important to get annual screenings for breast cancer, which can be present even if there are no symptoms. To learn more about low- or no-cost mammograms, click here. Together, we can raise awareness of breast cancer risks and treatment options, and support Hoosiers who are bravely fighting this disease. Sincerely, |
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This Week at USI
UPCOMING EVENTS
11 a.m. Monday, November 3
Wright Administration Building construction press conference
The University will host a press conference at 11 a.m. Monday, November 3 in the Redwood Lounge, located in the Wright Administration Building on campus. A media alert with additional information was sent Thursday, October 30 and earlier this morning, Monday, November 3.
Monday through Friday, November 3-7
Annual Distance Learning Week to begin at USI November 3
USI Online and Adult Learning is hosting its second annual Distance Learning Week Monday through Friday, November 3-7. Presented in conjunction with the U.S. Distance Learning Association’s (USDLA) National Distance Week, this event promotes online and distance learning, exploring issues and trends in distance and online learning while highlighting best practices.
Monday, November 3 through Sunday, December 7
56th annual USI Efroymson Family Fund Juried Student Art Show on display in McCutchan Art Center/Pace Galleries
The USI annual Efroymson Family Fund Juried Student Art Exhibition, a presentation of selected student artworks from the past academic year, is being held Monday, November 3 through Sunday, December 7 at the McCutchan Art Center/Pace (MAC/Pace) Galleries, located in the lower level of the Liberal Arts Center. This year’s exhibition features 85 artworks chosen by the juror from 229 submitted entries.
1 p.m. Friday, November 7
USI Psychology Department to host third annual Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference
The USI Psychology Department will host the third annual Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference (UPRC) at 1 p.m. Friday, November 7 in Carter Hall, located in University Center West. The event is open to the public at no charge, but registration is required. If you are not a presenter, mentor or moderator, register for the conference by completing this form before Monday, October 20.
SAVE THE DATE
November 15
USI Norwegian Foot March happening November 15
A USI tradition is celebrating its 21st anniversary on Saturday, November 15. The 21st annual Norwegian Foot March, an intense mental and physical challenge, will take participants 18.6 miles (30 km) through the rolling hills of Evansville’s west side. Carrying a 25-pound rucksack, participants will begin and end on the USI campus, working to make it back to the finish line generally in under four and a half hours depending on age and gender.
November 15
USI Ceramics Department to host Filling Empty Bowls for Veterans event at Barker Brewhouse
The USI Ceramics Department will host the Filling Empty Bowls for Veterans event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, November 15 at Barker Brewhouse, located at 96 N Barker Ave. With a $20 donation, attendees will receive a USI ceramic made bowl (while supplies last) plus soup and bread from Mother Truckers food truck. The event is open to the public.
November 26
USI accepting proposals through November 26 for second annual TEDxUSI event
The University will host the second annual TEDxUSI—an independently organized TEDx event—on Thursday, February 26 as part of the Core Speaker Series. The three-hour event will feature engaging talks and interactive Discover USI sessions at the USI Performance Center. Attendees can enjoy light refreshments, thought-provoking presentations and hands-on activities throughout the evening.
December 4-7
USI 54th annual Madrigal Feaste returns December 4-7
The USI Chamber Choir will host the 54th annual Madrigal Feaste Thursday through Sunday, December 4-7, in Carter Hall, located in University Center West on the USI campus. Performances will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, December 4-6, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m., and the Sunday, December 7 matinee performance will begin at 1 p.m. with doors opening at 12:30 p.m.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Released Wednesday, October 29
USI Historic New Harmony program receives $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.
USI has received a $2.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support Historic New Harmony’s efforts to strengthen exhibitions and programs focused on the history of religion and spirituality in New Harmony. Lilly Endowment made the grant through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative.
Downtown Evansville Holiday Décor Installation
November 3, 2025 – The Downtown Evansville Improvement District (DEID) is celebrating the holiday season with the installation of holiday décor. This is the eighth year the DEID has activated and decorated the streets and key pedestrian corridors of Downtown. Decorations are funded by property owners within the DEID. The 200 Block of Main Street will be temporarily closed on Monday, November 3 beginning at 7 AM while the archway is decorated.
Holiday Décor Details:
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Holiday Row: 38 trees bases wrapped in lights along Riverside Drive
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Tunnel of Light: 13,930 lights illuminating the tunnel at Old National Bank’s headquarters at One Main St. Anticipated installation date of Monday, November 10.
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NEW FOR 2025 Spool of Lights: 18 oversized vintage-style light bulbs on the 100 Block of Main
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Chandelier Tree: 17 chandeliers in the tree on the 100 Block of Main with newly wrapped lighting around the tree base
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12′ nutcrackers and the lighted archway: Custom painted nutcrackers, garland, and lights on the archway at Second and Main
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10′ Christmas Tree: On the 200 Block of Main
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Santa’s Mailbox Presented by Edward Jones-Financial Advisors: Jessica Engel, Steve Harding, Janet Schultheis, and Jenni Vaughn: Mailbox at Third and Main
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Decorated Fountain: Fresh greenery and oversized vintage-style light bulbs in the fountain on the 300 Block of Main
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Heart of DTEVV lighting installation: 2,220 lights on the 400 Block of Main
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12′ Snowflake: 3,000 lights on the 500 Block of Main and new lighting décor in the corresponding alley
The holiday décor installation precedes a lineup of holiday events, including Small Business Saturday on November 29 and A Downtown Christmas Presented by Engelbrecht Enterprises on Saturday, December 6.