SOMERS, Wis.—For the second straight game, the University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team saw a halftime lead fall by the wayside as it fell to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, 75-67, Saturday afternoon.

USI (4-4, 0-2 GLVC) led by as many as 17 in the first half and six at the break, but poor shooting in the second half and a tough day on the glass allowed the Rangers to climb back into the game.

After watching UW-Parkside (2-4, 2-0 GLVC) turn a 42-36 halftime deficit into a 44-44 tie, the Screaming Eagles looked like they had overcome the surge as they reeled off six straight points to take a 50-44 lead with 15 minutes to play in the game.

The Eagles extended their advantage to 54-46 three minutes later, but a 16-0 Wisconsin-Parkside spurt turned the tables on the Eagles and gave the Rangers their first lead of the contest.

"These 10-0 runs are not going to get it done for us," Head Coach Rick Stein said in his post-game interview with WSWI's Nick Mellinger. "We can't call timeouts every time a team starts a run. We are just going to have to find a way to get a little bit tougher."

USI, which shot 61.5 percent from the floor in the first period, dominated the early portion of the game as it connected on 13 of its first 19 shots to race out to a 35-18 advantage with six minutes to play in the first half.

The Rangers, however, staged an 18-5 push to cut the Eagles' lead to four points before USI settled on the six-point halftime cushion.

Sophomore guard Ellen Young (Salem, Illinois) scored 14 of her team-leading 20 points in the opening frame, while fellow classmate Lauren Meneghetti (Munster, Indiana) had 11 of her 17 points in the first 20 minutes.

"I thought we controlled the game for about 30 minutes," Stein said. "The back boards killed us though. They beat us on the boards and I thought that was the difference in the game."

UW-Parkside edged the Eagles 17-8 on the glass in the first period and used that advantage to fight its way back into the contest. With USI shooting just 27.6 percent from the floor in the second half, the Rangers' 25-12 rebounding advantage in the final 20 minutes paid dividends for the home team.

Freshman guard/forward Brittany Beyer was a major factor for the Rangers in the paint as she finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds. "She was a physical player for them today," Stein said. "Her four offensive rebounds and second-chance opportunities hurt us."

Junior guard Amanda Gibson led all scorers with a game-high 24 points to help the Rangers claim their second straight win.

USI, which cut the Rangers' lead to three points late in the contest, also got 10 points from junior guard/forward Abby Williams (St. Joseph, Illinois) and eight points from sophomore guard Amie Newhart (Mulberry, Indiana).

The Eagles, who have played six of their eight games away from the Physical Activities Center, return to action December 20 when they host the University of Illinois-Springfield at the PAC. USI's tilt with the Prairie Stars will be the first of a six-game homestand.