The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team got 68 points out of its forwards Tuesday night as the Screaming Eagles drew to the .500 mark with a 93-70 victory over the University of Illinois-Springfield at the Physical Activities Center in Evansville, Indiana. The Eagles improve to 4-4 while the Prairie Stars fall to 4-11.

After scoring the game's first seven points and grabbing a 27-10 lead with 11:26, the Eagles found themselves on the opposite end of a 21-3 run that put the Prairie Stars up 31-30 with 6:41 to play in the first stanza. USI bounced back, however, and closed the half with a 6-0 run to head into the locker room with a 47-39 lead.

USI shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, but was just 1-of-7 from three-point range and was out-rebounded 24-16. Illinois-Springfield also benefited from 5-of-7 shooting from behind the arc.

The Eagles opened the second half the same way they closed the first, going on a 6-0 run to grab a 14-point lead.

Unlike the first period, the Eagles did not let the Prairie Stars back in the game as they built their lead to as much 29 points. USI turned the table on the glass and stiffened up its defense in the second half. The Eagles out-rebounded the Prairie Stars 27-18 and held them to 27.9 percent shooting in the closing frame.

Junior forward Shajuan Lindsey (Midlothian, Illinois) and senior forward/center Africa Sherrod (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) led the Eagles. Lindsey scored a career and game-high 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Sherrod dished in 19 points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds to record her school-record-setting seventh straight double-double.

Freshman forward Ashley Green (Otterbein, Indiana) and junior guard/forward Shannon Wells (Merrillville, Indiana) each posted career highs in points. Green finished the contest with 13 points and a game-high five assists while Wells tapped in with 11 points.

The Eagles, winners of their last three games, will travel to Houghton, Michigan, this Friday, December 20, to take on Michigan Tech University. Tip-off is slated for 5 p.m. and can be heard by going to www.usi.edu/sports and clicking on the WSWI logo.

USI will return home Saturday, December 28, and Sunday, December 29, as it hosts the GLVC/GLIAC Challenge. The Eagles will play Northwood University on Saturday and Ferris State University on Sunday. Both games are slated for a 4 p.m. tip-off.