EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Senior guard Jamie Truitt (Owensboro, Kentucky) and senior forward/center Andrea Engleking (Charlottesville, Indiana) combined for 41 points, but it was not enough as the University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team fell to Lewis University, 72-69, Saturday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center.

USI (12-11, 5-11 GLVC) jumped out to a nine-point lead in the second half, but a scoring drought that lasted more than five minutes allowed the Flyers to go on a 14-2 run and take a 54-51 lead with 10 minutes to play in the contest.

The two teams went back and forth in the last nine minutes of the game, exchanging the lead eight times during that span. With the game tied at 66, Truitt connected on one of her six three-pointers to give the Eagles an advantage with 2:15 to play in the game.

Lewis (14-9, 11-5 GLVC) came right back with a Mary Moskal a jumper from the baseline that cut the Eagles' lead to 69-68 with less than two minutes to play.

With USI clinging to its lead, Lewis's Shante Glenn hit a jumper in the paint to give the Flyers a 70-69 lead with less than 30 seconds to play. The Eagles had a chance to take the lead back, but senior center Megan Nelson's (Clarendon Hills, Illinois) shot from the top of the key bounced off the rim and into Glenn's hands.

Glenn, who finished the contest with a game-high 30 points, connected on a pair of free throws to give the Flyers a 72-69 lead with 12 seconds to play. USI could not get a good look at a three-pointer in the closing seconds as it lost its third straight game.

The Eagles, who shot just 34.8 percent in the second period, erased an eight-point deficit in the opening period to go into the locker room with a 41-38 halftime lead. Truitt, who entered USI's top 20 in career-scoring (779), scored 13 of her team-leading 22 points in the first half to spur the Eagles to their first-half advantage. USI shot a blistering 55.2 percent in the first half.

Engleking and Nelson finished the contest with 19 and 11 points, respectively, while junior forward Ashley Green (Otterbein, Indiana) finished with a team-high seven rebounds.

Lewis's Darcee Schmidt finished the contest with 24 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while Moskal chipped in 12 points.

The Eagles will close out their 2004-05 regular-season schedule with four road games, starting with a trip to Quincy, Illinois, to take on Quincy University Thursday at 5:15 p.m.