EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team scored 48 second half points en route to a 73-63 victory over defending GLVC regular-season champion Drury University Saturday afternoon at the Physical Activities Center.

USI (11-2, 5-0 GLVC), which is off to its best start in conference play since the 1996-97 season, used a 17-2 run in the second half to turn a one-point deficit into a 14-point lead (55-41) with 11 minutes to play in the contest.

The Eagles used three pointers by senior guard Katie Thiesenhusen (Muskego, Wisconsin) and junior guard Missy Glaser (Evansville, Indiana) to start the run and finished off with buckets by senior forward Michelle King (Jeffersonville, Indiana) and senior forward/center Sarah Buldtman (Metropolis, Indiana) as well as a pair of free throws by senior forward Sabrina Brandon (Danville, Illinois).

USI, which trailed 27-25 at the break, used an 11-0 run to build its largest lead of the contest (66-48) and held off a late Drury surge to win the contest and stay atop the GLVC standings.

Junior guard Akiya Alexander (Evanston, Illinois) led five USI players in double figures as she finished with a career-high 18 points in addition to a team-leading four assists. Thiesenhusen and Glaser added 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Brandon and Buldtman chipped in 10 point each. Buldtman also had a game-high 11 rebounds as she recorded her fourth double-double of the season.

Junior guard Molly Carter led the Panthers (9-5, 3-3 GLVC) with a game-high 21 points, while freshman forward Caitlin Shouse led Drury with seven rebounds.

The Eagles return to action Thursday when they travel to Edwardsville, Illinois, to take on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at 5:30 p.m. They travel to Quincy, Illinois, next Saturday to take on Quincy University at 1 p.m.