#8 Fort Lewis (3-0): 84
Southern Indiana (1-2): 81
Box Score
ANAHEIM, Calif.—The University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team had Fort Lewis College on the ropes for much of the contest, but late runs of 6-1 and 6-0 allowed the No. 8 Skyhawks to escape with an 84-81 victory over the Screaming Eagles Sunday afternoon in the final round of the Disney Division II West Coast Tip-Off Classic.
“I thought we played with a lot of heart today, we showed a lot of toughness,” USI Head Coach Rick Stein said following the game. “I was really proud of our team today, but disappointed because we played so hard and didn't top it off with a win.”
From the start, it looked as if Fort Lewis would do what they had done throughout the three-day classic-style tournament and run away with a victory early in the contest. The Skyhawks built a 20-12 lead and looked to be in cruise control.
USI (1-2), however, used a barrage of three-point shots to go on an 11-0 run to take its first lead of the game; then used a 9-2 run to extend its lead to 32-24. The Eagles led by as many as 10 late in the half, but a 6-0 run to end the period allowed the Skyhawks to pull to within four (46-42) at the intermission.
Fort Lewis (3-0) used a 6-0 push early in the second half to tie the contest and start a back-and-forth battle that lasted for much of the final period. USI, which trailed 59-54 with 14 minutes to play, used a three-pointer from sophomore guard Rinesha Soaper to begin a momentum-changing 9-2 run that staked the Eagles to a 63-61 advantage.
USI led 67-65 with eight minutes to play, but a 6-1 push followed by a 6-0 run gave the Skyhawks a commanding 79-73 lead with two minutes to play. Despite the deficit, the Eagles battled back, cutting the Skyhawks' advantage to a single point with three seconds to play in the contest. Junior guard Abby Jackson, however, drained a pair of free throws to give the Skyhawks an 84-81 edge.
Junior guard Amie Newhart got a desperation three-point attempt from half-court off as the buzzer sounded, but the shot was off target as Fort Lewis held on for the three-point victory.
Soaper and Newhart each had 20 points to lead the Eagles, while senior forward Anaris Sickles chipped in 10 points. Sophomore forward/center Ashton Mertens added six points and a game-high 14 rebounds in the loss. Newhart earned All-Tournament honors after averaging 15.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest during the three-day weekend.
USI, which took home second in the four-team tournament due to tie-breakers, returns to action November 8 when they visit Indiana State University in an exhibition contest. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. (CST) in Terre Haute, Indiana.
