USI falls to hot-shooting Tennessee Tech on Thursday

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball ran into a hot-shooting Tennessee Tech University squad on Thursday, as the host Golden Eagles picked up a 79-59 win against the Screaming Eagles.
 
With only a handful of regular season games remaining, Thursday’s result moved Southern Indiana’s record to 10-14 overall and 4-9 in Ohio Valley Conference play, landing USI into a tie for eighth in the conference standings. With Thursday’s win, Tennessee Tech improved its record to 15-8 overall and 9-4 in the OVC, good for third place.
 
The Screaming Eagles got off to a blazing start, connecting on their first four attempts from the field. Sophomore guard Vanessa Shafford (Linton, Indiana) scored right from the opening tip-off, and senior forward Hannah Haithcock (Washington Courthouse, Ohio) recorded a pair of layups. USI led 8-3 within the first couple of minutes. After a called timeout by Tennessee Tech, the Golden Eagles clamped down defensively and went on a 16-0 scoring run to surge ahead, 19-8. USI was held scoreless for over seven minutes until junior forward Meredith Raley (Haubstadt, Indiana) scored a second-chance layup. Tennessee Tech led 22-12 after the first quarter.
 
Trailing by 12 early in the second period, USI turned to Raley for two big baskets. Raley cashed in on a layup and a three-pointer to get USI back within seven, 24-17, just over two minutes into the second quarter. During the middle portion of the second, Tennessee Tech built its lead back up to double digits. Behind 33-19 near the halfway point of the second quarter, Southern Indiana’s defense tightened up on Tennessee Tech. USI got back within 10, 35-25, with a minute remaining in the first half, but Tennessee Tech scored twice before halftime to take a 39-25 advantage into the intermission.
 
Both teams had a relatively cool start on the offensive end to begin the opening minutes of the second half. Near the six-minute mark, Shafford buried a pull-up three-pointer in transition for USI, as Tennessee Tech led 44-30. The Golden Eagles increased their lead to 19, 53-34, over the course of the next three minutes before USI’s graduate forward Ashlynn Brown (Perrysburg, Ohio) canned a corner triple. With just under three minutes left in the third quarter, Raley capitalized on a three-point play to bring the deficit down to 15, 55-40. Tennessee Tech ended the third quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 63-40 lead into the fourth period.
 
The Golden Eagles’ scoring run carried over into the start of the fourth, reaching a 13-0 stretch and leading to a 68-40 lead. Both defenses forced tough shots in the fourth quarter, as each side endured a scoring drought during the middle minutes of the fourth. Near the three-minute mark, sophomore guard Aubrey Burgess (Linton, Indiana) converted on a basket and a foul. Burgess continued her aggressive play down the stretch, finishing with a career-best nine points off the bench for USI.
 
Southern Indiana had three players tally double figures, as Haithcock had a team-high 14 points with Raley scoring 12 points and Brown posting 11 points. USI was 19-51 for 37 percent from the field, including three triples, and went a perfect 18-18 at the free-throw line.
 
Tennessee Tech was led by senior guard Maaliya Owens, who had a career night for the Golden Eagles. Owens dropped 29 points, draining nine three-pointers along the way. Tennessee Tech had two other players register double digits. The Golden Eagles shot 28-56 for 50 percent overall with 11 made threes and went 12-17 for 70.6 percent at the stripe. Tennessee Tech won the rebounding battle 34-31.
 
The Screaming Eagles return to Screaming Eagles Arena Saturday against Lindenwood University at 5 p.m. Saturday’s game is Senior Day, and USI Women’s Basketball will host its annual Play4Kay game. The Screaming Eagles will wear pink uniforms, and fans are encouraged to join USI’s efforts in raising breast cancer awareness by wearing pink at the game and making Screaming Eagles Arena a SEA of Pink. Plus, special pink t-shirts will be on sale at the game while supplies last. T-shirt proceeds will benefit cancer research.
 
The Play4Kay game, which is named after the late Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow (North Carolina State), who passed away in 2009 following a 22-year battle with cancer, is the WBCA’s breast cancer awareness initiative. For more information on the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and to join the fight, go to https://wbca.org/about/kay-yow-cancer-fund.