WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Indiana women’s swimming and diving won its seventh Big Ten Championship – first since 2019 – on Saturday (Feb. 24), outscoring runner-up and four-time defending champion Ohio State by one-half of a point.

TEAM SCORES
1. Indiana – 1,359

2. Ohio State – 1,358.5
3. Michigan – 1,207
4. Wisconsin – 978
5. Minnesota – 816
6. Purdue – 572.5
7. Northwestern – 463.5
8. Nebraska – 409
9. Penn State – 382
10. Rutgers – 363.5
11. Iowa – 303
12. Illinois – 204

VINCENNES, Ind. – The Vincennes University Lady Trailblazers closed out their final home game of the 2023-24 regular season Saturday night, pulling away early and cruising to a 90-61 win over the Lady Blue Knights.

VU Hall of Fame Head Coach Harry Meeks adjusted the starting lineup specifically for sophomore night, electing to start all five Lady Trailblazer sophomores, Katrina Litte (Valmiera, Latvia), Brie Miller (Bainbridge, Ind.), Maycee Lange (Vincennes, Ind.), Najra Voloder (Konjic, Bosnia) and Elikya Baseyila (Paris, France).

Early on Saturday night, these five struggled to score, with the Lady Blue Knights striking first and scoring the first eight points of the game.

Vincennes would respond back however, battling all the way back with the help of a 17-2 scoring run to take a 17-10 lead.

The Lady Blazers would not surrender this lead for the rest of the game as VU closed out the first quarter holding a 19-16 advantage.

VU continued to add on to their lead in the second quarter with a 12-0 scoring run and outscored Olney Central 27-12 in the second quarter to lead 46-28 at the halftime break.

Vincennes helped put the game away early in the second half with an 8-0 run early in the third quarter, followed by an 11-0 run later in the period to lead 69-44 heading into the fourth quarter.

Olney Central looked to make a late comeback in the fourth but were unable to battle back as VU ultimately put the game away late with a 12-0 scoring run as Vincennes cruised down the stretch to pick up the 90-61 victory over the Lady Blue Knights.

The Lady Trailblazers were led by another double-double by sophomore Elikya Baseyila, who finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Saturday marks Elikya’s 10th double-double of the season, 22nd of her VU career and Baseyila officially moves into third place all-time in VU Lady Trailblazer history with 531 career rebounds.

Reigning NJCAA Division I Player of the Week freshman Destinee Hooks (Indianapolis, Ind.) had another strong game off the bench for the Lady Blazers, finishing with a game-high 20 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

Sophomore Katrina Litte got the scoring going early, connecting on a pair of first half threes on her way to 15 points and five assists on the night.

Freshmen Makyla Tucker (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Karina Scott (Noblesville, Ind.) round out the VU double-figure scorers with Tucker adding 11 points and Scott finishing with 10 points and three assists off the bench.

Sophomore Brie Miller continues to lead by example with her tough, physical play, leading the Lady Blazers with five steals to go along with eight points, six rebounds and four assists.

The Lady Trailblazers will look to keep this hot streak going into next week when the Blazers hit the road Wednesday, Feb. 28 to face off against Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Ill. Tip-off time for the Lady Blazers is set for 6 p.m. eastern.

VU defeated the Lady Statesmen earlier this season 100-68 in the P.E. Complex, getting a big boost from 18 points and six assists from Destinee Hooks and a 14-point, 15-rebound double-double by Brie Miller.

LOUISVILLE, Ken. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Tennis (1-5) took a hard loss to a talented Indiana University (10-3) group, 4-0, Saturday Evening at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center. The Screaming Eagles and Hoosiers played their match at a neutral site hosted by the University of Louisville.
 
Doubles: USI lost all three doubles decisions with freshman Eytan Michaeli (Beer Shiva, Israel)/junior Quinten Gillespie (Whiteland, Indiana) duo coming up close in a 6-3 loss at number two.
 
Singles: It did not take long for the Hoosiers to capture the match and take care of the Eagles after securing three straight singles points. Senior Dylan Brown (Evansville, Indiana) dropped the first matchup with a 6-0, 6-2 loss at number five before junior Blake Deaton (Indianapolis, Indiana) followed with

MACOMB, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball made it close in the final 30 seconds, but lost at Western Illinois University, 82-76, Saturday afternoon in Macomb, Illinois. The Screaming Eagles drop to 8-21 overall and 5-11 in OVC play, while the Leathernecks are 18-11 overall, 11-5 OVC.

With the loss, USI falls into a tie for eighth with Tennessee Tech University with a pair of games left in the regular season for both squads. The Screaming Eagles, who host Lindenwood University Thursday and Southeast Missouri State University Saturday, owns the tiebreaker if Morehead State University is the top seed in the upcoming tournament.

The TTU Golden Eagles are scheduled to visit the University of Tennessee at Martin Thursday and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Saturday to finish the 2023-24 regular season. TTU has the tiebreaker with USI if UT Martin or Little Rock finishes ahead of MSU.

The top eight teams at the end of OVC play advance to the league tournament March 6-9 at the Ford Center in Evansville.

The opening half saw control of the game bounce back and forth with six lead changes and four ties. The Screaming Eagles posted their largest lead of the game with 9:46 to play in the first half. WIU would make a run to the end of the first half, outscoring USI, 23-11, to post a 39-33 advantage at halftime.

The second half saw WIU continue to increase the margin to as much as 13 points twice. USI would start to chip away at the margin following the second 13-point deficit with 10:19 to play, 65-52.

The Screaming Eagles used an 18-9 lead to close to 74-72 with 57 seconds to play in the game. USI junior forward Jeremiah Hernandez (Chicago, Illinois) led the charge with nine points as the Screaming Eagles went eight-of-12 from the field during the run.

After four WIU free throws, USI would close to within two points one last time, 78-76, on a steal and bucket by sophomore guard/forward AJ Smith (Edwardsville, Illinois) with 12 seconds to play. That would be as close as USI would come in the final seconds as WIU closed out the 82-76 final.

In the scoring column, Hernandez led the Eagles with a game-high 27 points. The junior guard, who is averaging 22.3 points per game in the last four contests, eight of 18 from the field, including a three-pointer, and 10-of-14 from the stripe.

Smith followed with 20 points and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds for this 12^th double-double of the season. The sophomore guard/forward was seven-of-16 from the field, including a three, and five-of-six from the line.
Next Up For USI:
USI concludes the 2023-24 regular season with a pair of home games, hosting Lindenwood University February 29 and Southeast Missouri State University March 2. The USI-SEMO contest on March 2 is Senior Day for the Screaming Eagles.

The Lions of Lindenwood are 8-21 overall, 2-14 OVC, and have lost seven-straight after falling to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, 82-73, at home this afternoon.

USI, which is 7-0 all-time versus the Lions, took the first meeting with Lindenwood in St. Charles, Missouri, winning 73-62, December. Eagles’ sophomore guard/forward AJ Smith led USI to the victory with a career-high 27 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Jeremiah Hernandez and sophomore forward Kiyron Powell (Evansville, Indiana) followed with 16 points and 11 points, respectively.

SEMO Redhawks are 8-21 overall, 3-13 OVC, after losing to the University of Tennessee at Martin, 82-72, at home today. The Redhawks, who visit MSU Thursday before visiting USI, have lost five-straight after today’s action.

USI, which trails the all-time series with the Redhawks, 5-3, lost the opening game of the season series with SEMO in 2023-24, falling in overtime, 93-91, on a last second shot in the extra period. Hernandez led the Eagles with a career-high 35 points, while Smith had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.

The Purple Aces gear up for their final meet of the indoor season

JACKSONVILLE, Ala.—University of Southern Indiana Softball suffered a pair of setbacks Saturday at the Cocky Classic. The Screaming Eagles fell to host Jacksonville State University, 12-4, in five innings in the opener, before falling, 12-4, in five innings to Belmont University in the second game.
 
In the opener, the Screaming Eagles had a promising start to the contest when freshman designated player Alyssa Mumaw (Greenfield, Indiana) hit an RBI-double in the top of the first inning to give USI a 1-0 advantage.
 
Junior second baseman Hailey Gotshall (Lucerne, Indiana) opened the second inning with a double and reached third with no outs as USI looked as if it might add to its lead.
 
Jax State (5-9), however, got out of the jam unscathed before tagging the Eagles with seven runs in the bottom of the second to take a commanding six-run lead. The Gamecocks added two more in the bottom of the third and three in the last half of the fourth as their lead ballooned to 12-1 heading into the fifth.
 
USI made a run in the fifth, scoring three times in an attempt to keep the game from ending in a run rule. A lead-off triple by sophomore outfielder Caroline Stapleton (Shirley, Indiana) set up sophomore Olivia Money (Fort Branch, Indiana) for a pinch-hit RBI-single to right field.
 
The proceeded to load the bases with a single and a walk in the following at-bats, setting up freshman Kate Satkoski (Lanesville, Indiana) for a pinch-hit, sacrifice fly to bring in the second run.
 
Sophomore second baseman Julianna Hibbs (Henderson, Kentucky) drove in the third run of the inning with an RBI-single, but that’s as close as USI would get as Jax State closed the door on the comeback attempt with a strikeout.
 
Junior pitcher Whitley Hunter (Nashville, Illinois) was charged with the loss after giving up five runs off four hits in a little over an inning of work. As a hole, Jax State finished with 11 hits on the morning.

Like the first game, the Eagles opened the second game with a 1-0 lead following a run-scoring single by senior catcher Sammie Kihega(Greenfield, Indiana) in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Belmont (6-4), however, answered with a tally in the top half of the second inning before erupting for five runs in the third frame and a commanding 6-1 advantage.
 
After loading the bases in the bottom of the third, the Eagles were able to get a run back to cut the deficit to 6-2; but a two-run fourth inning followed by a four-run fifth put the Bruins up 12-2.
 
An RBI-double by Money, followed by an RBI-single by junior pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) in the bottom of the fifth got the Eagles back to within 12-4, but that was as close as USI would get as a ground-out and a fly-out would strand two Eagles on base.
 
Newman (2-3) took the loss for the Eagles after giving up 12 runs, five earned, off eight hits. She also surrendered six walks while fanning five batters.
 

Aces complete day two in Arizona

 

RIO VERDE, Ariz. – Kate Petrova posted a 2-under 70 to pace the University of Evansville women’s golf team on Saturday at the Rio Verde Collegicate Invitational at White Wing Golf Course at Rio Verde Country Club.

After finishing Friday with a 75, Petrova lowered her score by five strokes in the second round.  Her 145 is tied for 15^thplace.  Allison Enchelmayer continued her consistent tournament.  She began play with a 75 before carding a 76 on Saturday.  Her 151 is tied for 47^th.

Destynie Sheridan remains third for the Purple Aces.  She followed up Friday’s 77 with a 79 in the second 18.  With a 156, Sheridan is tied for 74^th.  Fourth on the team is Jane Grankina.  She made a 5-shot improvement between rounds, lowering her score from an 82 to a 77 on Saturday.  With a 159, she is tied for 87^th.  Magdalena Borisova enters Sunday’s third round with a 166.  Her score on Saturday finished at an 88.

Kara Carter of Xavier leads the individuals with a 137 while Esther Lee of Cal Baptist is one stroke behind in second.  Carter paced the field with a 5-under 67 on Saturday.  Xaver also leads the team standings.  Their 575 is one ahead of Cal Baptist.  UE is 16^th with a 607.  They are two behind Loyola Chicago.

Sunday will mark the third and final round of the event.

MACOMB, Ill. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball earned its 750^th win in program history on Saturday with a 96-89 overtime victory on the road at Western Illinois University.
 
The 750^th program win came in USI’s first overtime game of the season. Plus, the milestone mark came on the heels of a sweep of a four-game road swing for Southern Indiana and a regular season sweep of Western Illinois. USI Women’s Basketball Head Coach Rick Stein, who is in his 25^th season at the helm of the Screaming Eagles, has led USI to 602 of the 750 program victories. Saturday’s win was USI’s sixth consecutive victory going back to February 8, the second-longest winning streak this season.
 
With the win, Southern Indiana improved to 20-6 overall for USI’s 14^th 20-win season in program history as part of the Screaming Eagles 35^th winning season in 2023-24. USI also improved to 15-1 in the Ohio Valley Conference, having already captured the regular season championship and No. 1 seed at the OVC Tournament March 6-9 at Ford Center in downtown Evansville, Indiana.
 
Out of the opening tip on Saturday, Southern Indiana had a few good looks from beyond the arc that would not fall. The Screaming Eagles grabbed an early lead, but in the middle of the first quarter, Western Illinois went on a run to take a 13-9 lead with four remaining in the opening period. Western Illinois led 23-16 through the first frame.
 
Southern Indiana made a charge to start the second quarter, scoring five straight points. Three-pointers from senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) and junior guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) helped spark a 10-0 run, pushing USI in front, 26-23, with six minutes left in the first half. Later in the quarter, a scoreless drought allowed Western Illinois to retake a 37-33 advantage. Just ahead of halftime, USI hit a pair of threes with one right before the buzzer by graduate guard Tori Handley (Jeffersonville, Indiana). The Eagles trailed by one, 40-39, at the intermission.
 
Early in the second half, Western Illinois built its lead up to six, 49-43. Southern Indiana fought back with a run in the middle of the third quarter, highlighted by a pair of baskets from freshman forward Chloe Gannon (Manchester, Tennessee) and a fast-break layup by freshman guard Triniti Ralston (Louisville, Kentucky). The effort by the freshmen gave the Screaming Eagles a 53-51 lead midway into the third. The two sides battled the rest of the quarter, as USI carried a 64-61 lead to the fourth stanza.
 
Out of the gates for the fourth period, Gannon dropped in two consecutive baskets to reach double figures for the game, as USI led 68-64 at the 8:30 mark of the fourth. After Western Illinois regained the lead, Shafford knocked down a corner trey, putting USI back up by one at the six-minute mark. A minute later, Raley muscled up a three-point play to energize the Screaming Eagles. A two-possession game late, the Leathernecks made another push to eventually even the game at 81. In the last 1:48, neither side could find a go-ahead basket, leading to the first overtime of the season for USI Women’s Basketball.
 
Southern Indiana drew first blood in the extra session when sophomore guard Ali Saunders (Depauw, Indiana) cashed in a three. A minute later, Western Illinois took the lead, but Shafford and the Eagles answered with another three. Then senior forward Madi Webb (Bedford, Indiana) fired up the Screaming Eagles again with a three-point play. Webb then followed it up in the next possession with another make in the post, making the score 92-85 USI. Another late bucket from Webb and free throws iced the win for Southern Indiana.
 
The Screaming Eagles shot the ball for 47 percent (31-66) overall and for 38 percent (11-29) from long range. In a game with frequent trips to the foul line, USI was 23-29 for 79 percent at the stripe. Southern Indiana outrebounded Western Illinois by 15, 48-33. For the second consecutive game, USI had five players register double digits. Shafford posted her seventh double-double this season with 25 points and 10 rebounds. The 25 points were one off Shafford’s career best. Shafford drained seven three-pointers in the game. Webb poured in 15 points with eight boards, Gannon registered 14 points, and Saunders finished with 12 points. Saunders also grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists. Also noteworthy, redshirt senior guard Addy Blackwell (Bloomington, Indiana) had nine points with a career-high eight assists.
 
Western Illinois dropped to 16-11 and 7-9 in the OVC on Saturday. The Leathernecks exit Saturday in seventh place in the league standings. In Saturday’s game, Western Illinois was 38 percent shooting (26-68) with eight triples. The Leathernecks were 29-32 for above 90 percent at the charity stripe. Western Illinois had three players in double figures and was led by freshman combo guard Raegan McCowan. McCowan scored over half of Western Illinois’ scoring total, dropping 45 of the team’s 89 points.
 
Southern Indiana will return home to Screaming Eagles Arena next week for a pair of home games against Lindenwood University and Southeast Missouri State University. Both games are 5 p.m. starts. Thursday’s game is Ascension Heart Health Night, and fans are encouraged to red out Screaming Eagles Arena. Saturday’s contest is Senior Night and the regular season finale.