EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball kept its unblemished Ohio Valley Conference record intact at Screaming Eagles Arena Saturday afternoon after a 70-55 victory against second-place Morehead State University, while USI senior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) posted a game-high 18 points to surpass 1,000 career points.
For Raley, the forward became the 21st player in USI Women’s Basketball history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Despite having four personal fouls late in Saturday’s contest, Raley achieved the feat with under three minutes remaining on a three-point play to give USI some breathing room on the scoreboard down the final stretch against Morehead State. Raley exited the game in the final seconds to a standing ovation from coaches, teammates, and spectators, including her family in attendance.
With Saturday’s win, the Screaming Eagles improved to 12-5 overall and 7-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The win also marked USI’s eighth consecutive overall victory. The eight-game winning streak is the longest for USI since the 2018-19 campaign, and the seven-game winning streak in conference action is the longest since the 2017-18 season. With the 7-0 record to start the OVC slate, USI is enjoying its best start to a conference schedule since 1996-97, when the Screaming went 30-2 and was an NCAA II National Finalist. The 1996-97 squad also owns USI’s all-time best winning streak of 29 games.
From the opening tip, Southern Indiana had early success going inside and scoring in the paint. USI also had strong moments on the defensive end, forcing Morehead State deep into the shot clock on several occasions. After a small run by Morehead State late in the first, the visiting Eagles led 15-11 after the opening 10 minutes of action.
Morehead State’s run continued into the second period, spanning four minutes total. The 10-0 run led to a 20-11 lead for Morehead State with eight minutes left in the first half. After a few exchanged baskets, and Morehead State ahead 26-15, Southern Indiana buckled down on defense and cranked up the offense. USI went on a 12-0 run over three minutes to surge into the lead, 27-26. Senior forward Madi Webb (Bedford, Indiana) capitalized on a couple of looks in the paint, while junior guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) found her touch with the jump shot.
The Screaming Eagles eventually stretched the push to a 24-5 run for the last 6:40 of the first half. Shafford drilled another pair of triples before Webb and Raley also converted on opportunities down low as part of the big run. USI shot 10-16 for over 62 percent in the second period. Shafford and Raley reached double figures by halftime, as USI led 39-31 at the intermission.
Morehead State scored first out of halftime, but USI answered to increase the margin to nine, 45-36, thanks to an acrobatic, reverse layup from sophomore guard Ali Saunders (Depauw, Indiana). By the five-minute mark of the third, the Screaming Eagles’ lead reached double digits after back-to-back makes in the post by Webb. Late in the third frame, Saunders continued to be aggressive, knocking down a three-pointer and scoring on dribble penetration. Saunders joined Shafford, Raley, and Webb in double figures by the end of the third, as USI led 56-44 going to the fourth stanza.
Defenses clamped down to begin an intense start to the fourth quarter. Shots were challenged and contested on both ends of the floor. Morehead State made a small charge, but USI was able to maintain its double-figure advantage, 60-50, with 4:32 remaining in the fourth. After a short dry spell for both squads, Raley took control to finish off the win for USI, converting two three-point plays inside the final two minutes.
Southern Indiana was 27-63 for just under 43 percent shooting from the field in the matchup, including four made triples. USI went 12-14 for just below 86 percent at the foul line. Following a slow start on the boards, the Screaming Eagles outrebounded Morehead State, 44-39. Plus, USI outscored Morehead State 44-24 in the paint. In addition to Raley’s 18-point performance, Shafford and Webb added 14 points, while Saunders tallied 11 points.
The Morehead State Eagles dropped to 10-8 this season and 5-2 in the OVC with Saturday’s loss. In the game, Morehead State shot for below 33 percent (19-58) from the floor with six treys but was only 11-24 for under 46 percent at the free-throw stripe. Morehead State had three players score 10-plus, led by senior guard Veronica Charles’ 16 points.
Southern Indiana concludes the homestand at Screaming Eagles Arena on Thursday at 5 p.m. against Western Illinois University, which is in its first season in the Ohio Valley Conference. Thursday’s game can be seen live with a subscription to ESPN+ and heard on 95.7 FM The Spin (http://957thespin.com).
Thursday’s USI-WIU matchup is a White Out game, so fans should wear their white apparel to help white out Screaming Eagles Arena. Plus, arrive early to receive a free white t-shirt and rally towel while supplies last.
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