at Southern Indiana (5-2): 86
Lincoln Memorial (1-2): 78
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EVANSVILLE, Ind.—Junior guard Ellen Young scored 12 of her game-high tying 21 points in the second period as the University of Southern Indiana women's basketball team held off a second-half rally to defeat Lincoln Memorial University, 86-78, Tuesday night at the Physical Activities Center.
Young, who had five rebounds and four assists, scored all 12 of her second half points in the final 7:23 of the contest to help the Screaming Eagles preserve their fourth straight victory.
The Eagles (5-2) were in cruise control heading into the break thanks in large part to sophomore guard Rinesha Soaper's 16-point first half. Soaper, who finished the game with 18 points and four assists, was 6-of-8 from the field, 3-of-5 from behind the arc, in the first 20 minutes as USI raced out to a 53-30 halftime advantage.
USI, which trailed 6-2 in the early going, used runs of 8-0 and 13-0 to build a 37-20 lead with just over five minutes to play in the opening stanza. Soaper scored USI's final four points of the half, including a three-pointer with four seconds on the clock, to give USI its largest lead of the first period.
The 23 point halftime advantage would prove to be huge for the Eagles as the Railsplitters chiseled away at USI's cushion in the second half.
Lincoln Memorial (1-2), which trailed by as many as 26 early in the second half, sunk seven three-pointers in the final 20 minutes as it cut the deficit to 10 points with just over eight minutes to play in the game.
Behind sophomore guard Amberly O'Dell, who connected on five three-pointers to finish with 21 points, the Railsplitters cut USI's lead to single digits with five minutes on the clock.
USI, however, got a layup from junior guard Amie Newhart followed by a steal and a fast-break bucket from Young to turn the tide back into the Eagles' favor.
In addition to Young and Soaper, USI got 10 points from Newhart as well as 14 points and a team-best nine rebounds from senior guard/forward Abby Williams. Williams, who was 4-of-5 from the field in the final 20 minutes, scored 10 of her 14 points in the second half to aid the Eagles victory.
Lincoln Memorial got 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds from junior center Blandine Kikwiki Mamuku as well as 13 points from sophomore guard Dyshalee Salaman. The two combined for 22 points in the second period to help the Railsplitters claw back into the contest.
USI returns to action Saturday when it takes on the University of Saint Francis (Indiana) in the Bellarmine University Thanksgiving Classic. Tip-off is slated for noon (CST) in Louisville, Kentucky.
