The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team lost a heart-breaker to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 53-51, Saturday afternoon at the Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Illinois. The Screaming Eagles fall to 4-9 overall and 2-4 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference while the Cougars improve to 6-5 overall and 3-2 in the GLVC.

With just under 10 minutes to play in the game, the Eagles faced an uphill challenge as they trailed 45-32. USI had shortened a 10-point halftime deficit down to three points, but a 12-3 run put the Cougars in the driver's seat.

Pressure defense allowed the Eagles to go on a 13-1 run in a six-minute span and narrow SIUE's lead down to 46-45. USI fought back to tie the game at 49 with 1:39 to play and later at 51 with just under a minute to play in the contest.

The Eagles had a chance to take the lead, but a missed free throw on front end of a one-in-one by senior guard Bethany Miller (Princeton, Indiana) gave the Cougars the ball with 12 seconds to play in the game. Miller finished the game with three assists to move past Jasmine Moore for fourth place all-time at USI in career assists (295).

SIUE's LaKesha Cole connected on a shot from the paint to give the Cougars a 53-51 lead with less than a second to go in the game. The Eagles could not answer as they fell for the fifth straight time.

Senior forward/center Africa Sherrod (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) led USI's second half surge, scoring 13 of her team-leading 15 points in the second frame. Sherrod also grabbed six of her game-high 10 rebounds in the second half. She now has a conference-leading 10 double-doubles on the season.

USI controlled the boards through out the game, out-rebounding the Cougars 43-28. SIUE, however, controlled the battle from the charity stripe, connecting on 18-of-22 shots (81.8 percent) from the free throw line. USI went to the line nine times, connecting on six of its attempts.

The Eagles shot just 25.9 percent from the floor in the first period as they went into the locker room trailing 26-16. Junior forward Shajuan Lindsey (Midlothian, Illinois) scored eight of her 14 points in the first half to lead the Eagles.

USI will return home this Thursday, January 9, to take on the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Game time is slated for a 5:15 p.m. tip-off at the Physical Activities Center.