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Women’s Basketball opens homestand against Little Rock and Morehead State

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball returns to Screaming Eagles Arena this week to start a three-game homestand. The Screaming Eagles will tip off the homestand Thursday at 5 p.m. against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock before hosting Morehead State University Saturday at 1 p.m.

 

Both matchups can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on 95.7 FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com). Saturday’s game against Morehead State can also be heard on 97.7FM WREF.

 

Saturday’s USI-Morehead State game is Military Appreciation Day at Screaming Eagles Arena. Saturday’s military appreciation includes free tickets for veterans and their guests. Proof of service will be required, and tickets are limited to five (5) per veteran may be picked up the day of the game at Will Call. Military Appreciation Day tickets are courtesy of the USI Student Veteran Association. Additionally, arrive early for a special giveaway on Saturday.

 

Southern Indiana (10-5, 5-0) sits in first place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. However, both Little Rock (5-11, 4-1) and Morehead State (9-7, 4-1) are right behind USI with only one conference loss as they come to Screaming Eagles Arena this week.

 

USI enters the week with six consecutive wins, which is among the best top-25 winning streaks in the nation. Plus, USI has won five straight to begin the conference season, which is also a top-25 best in the nation.

 

The Screaming Eagles’ undefeated start in Ohio Valley Conference play and current overall winning streak is a team best since the 2021-22 season in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and USI’s best since going to Division I. Entering Thursday, USI has won seven of its last eight games and is the only OVC team with five conference wins.

 

Last Thursday, Southern Indiana grabbed an 87-64 road win against longtime foe Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. After a competitive first quarter, USI’s transition offense with 16 fast-break points and high-percentage work inside, shooting 47 percent and pulling down a season-high 54 rebounds, allowed the Screaming Eagles to pull away from the Cougars.

 

In Thursday’s win, senior forward Madi Webb (Bedford, Indiana) had a solid return to her old stomping grounds at SIUE, where she spent her first three seasons. Webb posted her second career double-double and first of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds, matching career highs in both categories. Senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) also recorded her second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 11 boards. The contest at SIUE was the second consecutive game in which two USI players registered a double-double in the same game. Junior guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) added 13 points, and sophomore guard Ali Saunders (Depauw, Indiana) chipped in 11 points in a second straight start.

 

This season, Shafford leads USI in scoring at 15.1 points per game. The guard has scored 10 or more in 13 consecutive games. Raley is second in scoring with 11.7 points per outing, having scored 10-plus in six straight games, and Webb is third with an average of 10.2 points after last Thursday’s performance. All three players are shooting 47 percent or better.

 

Within the OVC, Shafford ranks fourth in scoring and third in field goal percentage at 47.6 percent. Once again, Shafford is active on the glass, as her 7.5 boards per game rank fourth in the OVC.

 

As a team, Southern Indiana is third in the conference with 70.5 points per game. USI also ranks third in field goal percentage (43.3), three-point percentage (34.0), and rebounding (40.0). The Screaming Eagles are first in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 37.8 percent shooting.

 

Little Rock has won three straight games coming into Thursday’s matchup. The three victories have come against SIUE, Eastern Illinois University, and the University of Tennessee at Martin. On Saturday, Little Rock defeated UT Martin by a score of 57-48. The reigning OVC regular season champions are one of the toughest defensive teams under head coach Joe Foley, who is in his 21st season at the helm of the Trojans and 37th overall. The Trojans have held opponents to 64.6 points per game while only scoring 55.8 points. Sophomore forward Faith Lee leads Little Rock at 14.6 points per contest, and junior guard Jaiyah Harris-Smith tops the squad with nearly five rebounds and six assists per outing.

 

Morehead State is also riding high entering the week, as the Eagles carry a three-game winning streak into a matchup against UT Martin on Thursday night before heading to Evansville on Saturday. Morehead State’s most recent win came last Saturday at SIUE, 77-64. An improved Morehead State team is averaging 67.8 points on 40.7 percent shooting this season. Defensively, Morehead State is also solid, allowing 64.9 points and holding opponents to below 39 percent from the floor. Three players are averaging double figures for Morehead State, including team-leading senior guard Veronica Charles at 11.6 points. Charles also paces the squad with over four assists and two steals per game. Freshman guard Katie Novik and sophomore guard Hallie Rhodes are also tallying over 10 points per contest.

 

Little Rock took both first-time meetings against USI last season, and both by single digits. The Trojans won by three, 47-44, at Screaming Eagles Arena last January before a 58-50 victory in Little Rock last February. Shafford led USI with 23 points across the two games against the Trojans.

 

USI and Morehead State split their first-time meetings with home victories a year ago. Morehead State squeaked by USI with a three-point win, 64-61, last January in Morehead, Kentucky. Then USI got revenge with a 58-46 win at home last February. In the two games against Morehead State last season, Raley combined for 30 points while Shafford totaled 29 points. Shafford had a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds in the home victory against Morehead State.

 

Tickets for the Little Rock and Morehead State games are on sale and can be purchased by visiting the USI Ticket Office online. For more information, call the USI Ticket Office at 812-465-1189.

Deputy breaks the Three-Meter Diving Record in the cross-town meet

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The University of Southern Indiana Men’s Diving team kicked off the second half of the season hosting the first home meet of the 2023-24 season on Saturday. The meet was a diving event only against the cross-town rival Evansville Purple Aces.

Remarkably, three out the four USI diving records were broken on Saturday. There were no team scores recorded from the contest, but each team battled for records and their own school pride. The matchup featured six of the eight athletes being from the Tri-State Area.

Three-Meter
Back in October, Freshman Nathan Deputy (Evansville, Indiana) fell just short to UE’s Levi McKinney (Boonville, Indiana) in the three-meter event at the UE Tri-Meet. The freshman had his eyes set on winning it this time around. Deputy won round two of the battle, while also demolishing a school record. He broke his own previous record of 246.45, with a score of 271.88 on Saturday.

Sophomore Lane Pollock (Boonville, Indiana) and senior Donnevun Banks (Evansville, Indiana) also made a run at first place. Pollock executed several tricky dives finishing right behind Deputy and McKinney with a score of 256.05. This marks a personal best for the sophomore in the three-meter event. Banks was right behind the bunch with a score of 231.53.

One-Meter
Evansville’s McKinney ended up taking first in the one-meter event with a score of 308.85. However, Banks and Pollock kept it close making strong dives. Pollock was just behind the leader with a score of 251.63. The sophomore continues to progress throughout the season in the one-meter inching closer to his school record of 264.75. Banks recorded his season best one-meter score of 246.98 with a number of outstanding dives on the day.

UP NEXT FOR USI:
Both the swim team will compete next Friday, traveling to conference rival Eastern Illinois University. The meet will kick off at 6 p.m.

USI hosts Little Rock, Morehead State this week Three-game homestand starts Thursday​​​​​​​

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EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Basketball begins a three-game homestand Thursday when it hosts the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for a 7:30 p.m. Ohio Valley Conference matchup. The homestand continues Saturday when USI welcomes Morehead State University to Screaming Eagles Arena for a 3:30 p.m. tipoff.

The USI-Morehead State contest Saturday is Military Appreciation Day at Screaming Eagles Arena.

The three-game homestand, which is the longest of the season for the Screaming Eagles, concludes January 25 when USI takes on Western Illinois University for a game that will be aired live on ESPNU at 8 p.m. The game, which is the White Out Game for USI, will mark the second-straight year that a game will be televised live from Screaming Eagles Arena.

Fans can track your Eagles all season by visiting the schedule on USIScreamingEagles.com for links to follow all of the action on the ESPN+, ESPN 97.7FM (http://listentotheref.com), and 95.7FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com/).

USI (5-13, 2-3 OVC) has lost its last two games, including last week’s loss at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 67-64.  Sophomore guard/forward AJ Smith (Edwardsville, Illinois) led three Eagles in double-digits with his eighth double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Junior guard Jeremiah Hernandez (Chicago, Illinois) followed with 15 points, while sophomore guard Jack Campion (Milton, Wisconsin) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points.

Hernandez leads the team through 18 games with 14.8 points per game, which ranks ninth overall in the OVC. Smith follows with 13.5 points and a team-best 9.5 rebounds per outing, while posting a team-high eight double-doubles. The eight double-doubles are tied for first in the OVC.

Little Rock (8-10, 2-3 OVC) also lost its only game last week, 77-72, at the University of Tennessee at  Martin. The Trojans have lost their last two contests and three of the last four.

USI took both games last season, winning at home and on ESPNU, 74-67, and on the road in thrilling fashion, 82-81.

The MSU Eagles (13-5, 4-1 OVC) are second in the OVC after falling for the first time last week, 61-48, at SIU Edwardsville. The loss broke Morehead State’s five-game winning streak and gave the Eagles their first loss in league play. MSU Eagles visit UT Martin on Thursday before coming to Screaming Eagles Arena.

Morehead State took both games with USI last year, winning at home, 84-80, and at Screaming Eagles Arena in overtime, 71-66.

Homeless Death

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The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office and the Evansville Police Department are investigating the death of an individual found deceased in downtown Evansville. The victim has been identified as

Marvin Ray Beck age 67

Homeless

An autopsy was conducted 01-16-2024 at 15:00  hrs. As a result it was determined that he died from Hypothermia due to Environmental Exposure. The manner of death will be accidental.

Steven W. Lockyear

Vanderburgh County Coroner

Attorney General Todd Rokita successfully defends 25-foot ‘buffer zone’ protecting police at crime scenes

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Attorney General Todd Rokita successfully defends 25-foot ‘buffer zone’ protecting police at crime scenes

JANUARY 17, 2024

Attorney General Todd Rokita has prevailed on behalf of regular law-and-order Hoosiers who love their police. He has successfully defended the constitutionality of an Indiana law creating a 25-foot buffer zone around police officers performing official duties.

The law prohibits bystanders from approaching any closer than that distance when police officers are working in accidents, crime scenes, investigations or other such events. Under the law, an individual violating an officer’s order to observe the buffer zone may be charged with a misdemeanor.

“Our brave men and women in law enforcement risk their lives daily to uphold our laws and safeguard Hoosiers’ peace and safety,” Attorney General Rokita said. “The very least we can do is enforce reasonable measures to protect these officers’ own lives.”

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit last year claiming the buffer-zone law infringed on citizens’ First Amendment rights, including journalists, to document and observe police activities.

This month, a federal judge rightly noted that the law “never once permits an officer to tell a reporter or citizen-journalist to leave altogether or to cease recording police activity” and “has only an incidental effect on the public’s First Amendment right to capture audio and video and otherwise scrutinize police conduct.”

Another lawsuit filed by several media outlets remains pending in another federal district court.

“Both the law and everyday Hoosiers are on our side in standing strongly behind our courageous police officers,” Attorney General Rokita said. “We are confident we will prevail as well in the other case brought by fake-news types trying to overturn this good law.”

Sculptural Perspectives exhibit on display at USI New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art

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Back Gallery Projects at the University of Southern Indiana’s New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art (NHGCA) is proud to present proud to present Sculptural Perspectives, an exhibition showcasing the work of students in USI’s sculpture and woodworking courses.

Sculptural Perspectives is on display now through Saturday, February 24. An opening reception will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, January 20. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

“This exhibition features the work of five artists who make compelling work in three dimensions. The pieces in the show feature exceptional craft fused with rich concepts. Viewers will find a range of tones in the work, from serious to humorous,” says Rob Millard-Mendez, USI Professor of Art.

Student artists include Alex Arwood, Ella Dornburg, Iain Girten, Sara Griffin and Payton Henn.

NHGCA is dedicated to enhancing the experiences of students through an artist-run exhibition space in the Back Gallery. Back Gallery Projects at NHGCA allows students to exhibit, experiment, and/or curate within a working contemporary art gallery setting. Through exhibition and curatorial strategies, students can envision new possibilities for collaborations and their art practice.

NHGCA promotes discourse about and access to contemporary art in the Southern Indiana region.

‘I don’t need allies, I need disruptors’: Statehouse celebrates MLK’s legacy

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‘I don’t need allies, I need disruptors’: Statehouse celebrates MLK’s legacy

  • By Schyler Altherr, TheStatehouseFile.com
  • Jan 16, 2024 

Dr. Russell J. Ledet co-founded The 15 White Coats, an organization that helps minority students in the medical field.

Sixty-one years since Dr. King proclaimed his dream, Indiana celebrated its 33rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration.

Gov. Eric Holcomb speaks at the 33rd Annual State of Indiana Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration on Thursday.

This year, the celebration was held in the Indiana Statehouse’s North Atrium before a crowd of people filled the seats in front of the stage and watched from the railings of the upper floors. It took place on Thursday due to the legislature not meeting on MLK Day Monday.

The ceremony, the theme of which was “altruism,” meaning devotion to others’ welfare, began with the men of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity presenting a wreath in front of the stage. Then the halls of the state capitol began to fill with the voices of the North Central “Northernaires” choir singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” The singing could be heard as far away as the Senate Chamber.

The 33rd Annual State of Indiana Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration took place Thursday at the Indiana Statehouse.

Gov. Eric Holcomb spoke to the crowd and handed out multiple awards for civil service. All the people honored were chosen as examples of Hoosiers walking in the footsteps of King.

“Today he continues to inspire millions,” said Holcomb.

Kendra Nowell is presented with the 2024 Rev. Charles Williams Award by Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday. Nowell is the CEO of Community Alliance of the Far Eastside.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Russell J. Ledet, born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, who made his career in the medical field after having served in the military. He became the first African American man to be accepted to Indiana University’s exclusive triple-board residency program. He is also the co-founder of The 15 White Coats, an organization that helps minority students in the medical field.

“I am about as ordinary as can be, I have just been able to do some extraordinary things,” said Ledet on why he could speak to Dr. King’s legacy.

Ledet spoke of discrimination in the medical field and of the impact of the murder of George Floyd.

Dr. Russell J. Ledet was the keynote speaker at the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration at the Indiana Statehouse.

“I hope you are uncomfortable and pissed off,” he said about having difficult conversations revolving around racism.

“I don’t need allies, I need disruptors.”

Ledet encouraged people not to wait for the next incident to happen but instead to be angry about the things that happen to marginalized communities today. He highlighted the importance of the work of the award recipients.

“If you have time to post, you can volunteer,” said Ledet on what the average person can do to become a “disrupter.”

After Ledet finished and the crowd applauded, the Northernaires again filled the Indiana Statehouse with music.

FOOTNOTE:  Schyler Altherr is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.