EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team opens its 2007-08 regular-season campaign Saturday at 5:15 p.m. when it hosts the University of Illinois-Springfield at the Physical Activities Center.

USI is coming off a tough 90-38 loss to the University of Notre Dame in its only exhibition contest of the preseason. Junior guard Carly Clendenen (Anderson, Indiana) led the Screaming Eagles with 11 points, nine of which came from behind the arc.

Senior forward Jasmine Baines (Jeffersonville, Indiana) added eight points and five rebounds, while junior forward/center Ninette Evans (Memphis, Tennessee) pulled down a team-high six rebounds.

USI defeated the Prairie Stars, 84-53, a year ago and lead the all-time series, 4-0.

Illinois-Springfield (2-2), which already has four games and an exhibition underneath its belt, is coming off a 64-43 victory over Stephens College (Missouri).

Junior guard Tiffany Sproat leads the Prairie Stars with 13.8 points and 2.3 assists per game, while senior forward/center Bethany Borrenpohl is chipping in 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Senior center Cherena Douglass has added 9.5 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per contest.

The USI-Illinois-Springfield game is the first of three straight home games for the Eagles. USI takes on the University of Central Missouri Tuesday at 5:15 p.m. and the University of the Cumberlands (Kentucky) November 24 at 2:30 p.m.

USI lost to Central Missouri, 58-47, in its season-opener a year ago and is tied in the all-time series, 1-1. The USI-Cumberlands contest will be the first meeting between the two schools.