EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball returns to the Physical Activities Center for a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference games this week. The Screaming Eagles host Truman State University Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and Quincy University Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Eagles (10-3, 3-0 GLVC), who are coming off GLVC road wins over Maryville University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis last week, are led by senior guard Alex Davidson (Salem, Indiana) and senior center Kacy Eschweiler (St. Charles, Missouri). Davidson is averaging a team-high 13.3 points and 3.9 assists per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds per contest; while Eschweiler is chipping in 12.5 points and a team-best 7.8 rebounds per outing.
Sophomore forward Imani Guy (Columbus, Indiana) is contributing 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per appearance, while sophomore guard Emma DeHart(Indianapolis, Indiana) and junior guard Ashley Johnson (Louisville, Kentucky) are respectively averaging 9.9 and 9.3 points per game.
Both games this week will be aired on 95.7 The Spin and the GLVC Sports Network, while live stats, audio and video can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com.
USI Women’s Basketball Notes
• Opposite ends of scoring pendulum has USI with two more wins. USI Women’s Basketball matched a season-high in the scoring column with its 84-77 GLVC win over Maryville Thursday; then had a season-low scoring output in its 62-60 GLVC win over Missouri-St. Louis Saturday.
• Last week’s leaders. Senior guard Alex Davidson and sophomore forward Imani Guy each averaged 13.5 points per game to lead the Eagles last week, while sophomore guard Emma DeHart and junior guard Ashley Johnson chipped in 12.0 and 10.0 points per game, respectively. Johnson averaged 3.5 assists per game, while senior center Kacy Eschweiler averaged 8.0 points and a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game.
• Highs and lows. The Eagles had a season-high .534 shooting percentage in their win over Maryville and a season-low five turnovers in their win over Missouri-St. Louis. USI also had a season-high eight blocks as well as a season-low eight free throw attempts in the win over Missouri-St. Louis.
• Great distribution. USI had four players record double-figures in the scoring column and seven with at least seven points in its win over Maryville. The Eagles also had 20 assists in the win.
• DeHart nearly gets double-double. DeHart nearly posted her first-career double-double in USI’s win over Maryville. She finished with 13 points and a career-high nine rebounds.
• Rowan gives Eagles boost off the bench. Senior forward/center Mikayla Rowan came off the bench to score 10 points in the Eagles win over Missouri-St. Louis. Rowan, who averaged 8.0 points per game last week, had a big bucket to end the third period; then scored the game-winner with 32.3 seconds to play.
• GLVC Tournament Points Rating System. After two weeks of GLVC play, the GLVC Tournament Points Rating System (GTPRS) has the Eagles in a tie atop with a rating of 4.75. McKendree (4.50), Drury (4.25) and Lewis (4.00) represent the top four teams in the standings. The GTPRS will determine the participants and seeding of the GLVC Tournament in 2018-19.
• Different fourth quarter. After dominating the fourth quarter in losses to Central Missouri and Ashland, the Eagles found themselves clinging to a fourth-quarter lead against a surging Maryville squad. USI led by as many as 17 in the third quarter and 11 heading into the final 10 minutes, but had its lead trimmed to two with less than 90 seconds to play.
• Eagles home win streak stops at 28. The Eagles home winning streak ended at 28 with its 86-82 loss to No. 8 Ashland. It was USI’s second-longest home winning streak in program history. USI won 33 straight games at the PAC from 1996-98 and 23 straight home games from 2000-02.
• Spreading the wealth. The Eagles have six players averaging at least 7.0 points per game and three players averaging in double-figures. USI also has had six players lead it in scoring this season.
• 20-point efforts. Guy’s career-high 25 points in USI’s win over Michigan Tech marked a season-high for the Eagles and made her the fourth different Eagle to notch a 20-point game this season. USI has had eight different players reach double-figures in the scoring column this year and six different players reach double-figures multiple times.
• Up next. USI returns to the PAC for two straight GLVC games as it hosts Truman State Thursday and Quincy Saturday.
• About Truman State. The Bulldogs, who are receiving votes in the WBCA Top 25 poll after being ranked No. 24 a week ago, are 12-2 overall and 3-1 in the GLVC after splitting a pair of GLVC road games against nationally-ranked Lewis and Indianapolis. Truman fell to Lewis, 86-56, despite trailing by just two at halftime; then rebounded with a 73-51 win over Indianapolis. Senior guard Brooke Bailey averages a team-best 10.9 points and 3.5 assists per game, while freshman forward Maddie Re leads the team with 7.8 rebounds per contest.
• About Quincy. The Hawks, who visit Bellarmine Thursday evening, are 4-9 overall and 2-2 in the GLVC after splitting a pair of GLVC road games against Indianapolis and nationally-ranked Lewis. Quincy began the week with a 67-59 win over Indianapolis before suffering a 91-39 setback to Lewis. Sophomore guard Maddie Spagnola averages 13.6 points per game to lead the Hawks.
• Around the corner. USI travels to Kansas City, Missouri, to take on Rockhurst January 17 and Liberty, Missouri, to take on William Jewell January 19.
• Record book watch. One player is currently in USI’s record books:
–Kacy Eschweiler is tied for ninth in blocks (67), 23rd in rebounding (428) and is 40th in scoring (663).
• Magic Mark: 75 points. The Eagles are 407-76 (.843) all-time when scoring at least 75 points. USI is 280-27 (.912) since 1996-97 when reaching the 75-point plateau.
